Sheffield, JOHN, DUKE OF BUCKINGHAMSHIRE

Sheffield, JOHN, DUKE OF BUCKINGHAMSHIRE, was born in 1648, and succeeded to the title of his father, the second Earl of Mulgrave, in 1658. He served in the navy against the Dutch in 1666, and commanded a ship in 1672; but subsequently joined the army. He was lord chamberlain to James II., and a cabinet-councillor under William III., who in 1694 made him Marquis of Normanby. Anne raised him to the dignities of Duke of Normanby and Duke of Buckinghamshire (1703); but for his opposition to Godolphin and Marlborough he lost all his offices. After 1710 under the Tory régime he was lord steward of the household and lord president till the death of Anne, when he lost all power, but intrigued zealously for the restoration of the Stuarts. He wrote two tragedies, a metrical Essay on Satire, an Essay on Poetry (his principal work), and some smaller poems, all of them much talked of at the time, but of little poetic value. He died 24th February 1721.