He was the fourth son of Wriothesley Russell, 2nd Duke of Bedford, by his wife, Elizabeth, daughter and heiress of John Howland of Streatham, Surrey. Known as Lord John Russell, he married in October 1731

In the House of Lords he joined the Patriot Whig opposition hostile to the Prime Minister Sir Robert Walpole, took a fairly prominent part in public business, and earned the dislike of

Lord Lieutenant of Ireland
Instigated by his friends, he was active in opposition to the government, becoming the leader of a faction

Child of John Russell and his first wife Lady Diana Spencer:
• John Russell, Marquess of Tavistock (died at birth 6 November 1732)
Children of John Russell and his second wife Hon. Gertrude Leveson-Gower:
• Francis Russell, Marquess of Tavistock

Bedford was very keen on cricket. The earliest surviving record of his involvement in the sport comes from 1741 when he hosted Bedfordshire v Northamptonshire & Huntingdonshire

The duke refused to take office under George Grenville on Bute's resignation in April 1763, and sought to induce Pitt to return to power. A report, however, that Pitt would only take office on condition that Bedford was excluded, incensed him and, smarting under this

His health had been declining for some years, and in 1770 he became partially paralysed. He died at Woburn on 5 January 1771, and was buried in the 'Bedford Chapel' at St. Michael's Church, Chenies, Buckinghamshire. His sons all predeceased him, and he