Catherine Evans
ODNB (ID: 2878)
2nd Earl of Warrington. The son of Henry Booth, first earl of Warrington (1652-1694) and Mary (1652-1691). He was born at Mere Hall, Cheshire and inherited the family estate following his father's death. The estate at Dunham Massey was in debt, and so he tried to suppress the portions allotted to his siblings. This legal challenge failed and he instead sought a wealthy wife, marrying Mary Oldbury, the daughter of a London merchant, with a fortune of £24,000 in 1702. However, the marriage was strained. After the birth of their daughter Mary in 1704 the couple lived apart, although under one roof. In 1739 Warrington published (anonymously) a text that argued for the validity of divorce, "Considerations upon the Institutions of Marriage". Warrington had been a Whig, but became disillusioned with politics.