George Sondes, 1st Earl of Feversham KB (November 1599 – 16 April 1677) was an English politician who sat in the House of Commons at various times between 1626 and 1676 and was then created a peer and member of the House of Lords.
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Life
Sondes was born at Lees Court, in the parish of Sheldwich, near Faversham in Kent, the son of Sir Richard Sondes (1571–1645) of Throwley and his wife Susan Montagu, daughter of Sir Edward Montagu of Boughton House. He was educated at Queens' College, Cambridge, where he entered in 1615, and where his tutor was John Preston; but he does not appear to have proceeded to a degree. He entered the Middle Temple in 1619.
Sondes was created a Knight of the Bath at the coronation of Charles I on 2 February 1626. In 1626 he was elected Member of Parliament for Higham Ferrers. He was re-elected MP for Higham Ferrers in 1628 and sat until 1629 when King Charles decided to rule without parliament for eleven years. He was High Sheriff of Kent for 1636-37, and Colonel of the St Augustine Lathe Trained Band at the time of the First Bishops' War in 1639.
On the outbreak of the First English Civil War, he was named a deputy lieutenant for Kent, and was on the royalist committee for the county in 1643. As a result, he suffered greatly in his estate, and was imprisoned from 1645, first in Upnor Castle and then in the Tower of London. He was released from the Tower in May 1650, but not finally discharged until 25 June following, after compounding for his estate by a payment of £3,350. On his release, he began rebuilding Lees Court from the plans of Inigo Jones.
Whilst both were youths, one of Sondes' sons killed the other in 1655. Freeman, the youngest murdered his elder brother George whilst he was asleep in his bed. Freeman was taken to Maidstone to be tried before the Assizes. He was convicted and executed for the crime at Pennendenheath a fortnight after the crime. The body was then laid to rest in the church of Bearsted.