Watts-Russell, Jesse (1786 -1875)

Jesse Watts Russell, of Ilam Hall in Staffordshire and Biggin House in Northamptonshire, was the eldest son of Jesse Russell of Whitechapel. He was educated at Worcester College, Oxford, where he matriculated 13 November 1804, aged eighteen, and took his B.A. in 1808, his M.A. in 1811, and was made D.C.L. in 1819. He married as his first wife, about 1817, Mary, only child and heir of David Pike Watts of Portland Place in London, and assumed the additional name and arms of Watts by royal licence 28 March 1817, the arms with a canton gules for difference. His second wife was Mary Ellen, youngest daughter of Peter Henry Barker, Esq., of Bedford. They married, 20 June 1843, but she died during the birth of her son, Edward, in the following year. He was Sheriff of Staffordshire in 1819, Member of Parliament for Gatton 1820 1826, and a Fellow of the Royal Society. His library was sold at auction by Sotheby, Wilkinson & Hodge in London 17 January 1876. His son, Jesse David, M. P. for the Northern Division of Staffordshire died in 1879. His great grandson, James, eldest son of Edward Watts Russell and Alice, eldest surviving daughter of Anthony O'Reilly of Beltrasna in County Meath, took the name O'Reilly on succeeding to the estates of his maternal grandfather.