Edward Noel, 1st Earl Of Gainsborough

Edward Noel, 1st Earl of Gainsborough, 4th Viscount Campden (1641 – January 1689), was an English peer. He was styled Honorable Edward Noel from 1660 until 1681.

**Origins**

He was born in 1641 as the son and heir of Baptist Noel, 3rd Viscount Campden.

**Career**

Edward Noel represented Rutland in the House of Commons of England from 1661 to 1679. In March 1670, he was appointed a deputy lieutenant of Rutland. In February 1676, he was appointed Lord Lieutenant of Hampshire, and in March of the same year, he became Warden and Keeper of the New Forest. In 1678, he was appointed Colonel of the Hampshire Militia. He served briefly as a knight of the shire for Hampshire in 1679.

On 3 February 1681, Noel was elevated to the peerage as Baron Noel, which granted him entry to the House of Lords. That same year, he was appointed Custos Rotulorum of Hampshire. In 1682, he received additional local offices in Hampshire: Governor of Portsmouth, Constable of Porchester Castle, and Lieutenant of South Bere Forest. He succeeded his father in October 1682, inheriting the titles of Viscount Campden and taking on roles as Lord Lieutenant and Custos Rotulorum of Rutland. On 1 December 1682, he was created Earl of Gainsborough.

Between December 1687 and January 1688, during the political changes under James II, Noel was dismissed from his Hampshire offices in favor of the Duke of Berwick. Despite this, he was commissioned as a captain in the Queen Dowager's Regiment of Foot in 1687. Additionally, he was replaced by the Earl of Peterborough as Lord Lieutenant of Rutland during this period.

On 25 March 1688, Noel was reappointed as Warden and Keeper of the New Forest and the Park of Lyndhurst.

**Marriages and Issue**

Edward Noel married twice. His first marriage was to Lady Elizabeth Wriothesley, the eldest daughter and co-heiress of Thomas Wriothesley, 4th Earl of Southampton, by whom he had five children:

- Wriothesley Baptist Noel, who became the 2nd Earl of Gainsborough and died in 1690.

- Lady Frances Noel, who died in 1684 and was married to Simon Digby, 4th Baron Digby.

- Lady Jane Noel, who married William Digby, 5th Baron Digby.

- Lady Elizabeth Noel, who married Richard Norton (died 1732).

- Lady Juliana Noel, who died unmarried.

His second marriage was to Mary Herbert, widow of Sir Robert Worsley, 3rd Baronet, and daughter of James Herbert. This marriage produced no issue.

**Death and Succession**

Edward Noel died in January 1689. He was succeeded by his son Wriothesley Baptist Noel, who became the 2nd Earl of Gainsborough.