William Russell, Lord Russell

The Right Honourable The Lord Russell
Lord Russell, painted by Gerard Soest
Born	(1639-09-29)29 September 1639
Died	21 July 1683(1683-07-21) (aged 43) Lincoln's Inn Fields
Cause of death	Execution by beheading
Nationality	English
Alma mater	Cambridge University
Occupation	Member of Parliament
Spouse	Rachel Wriothesley
Children	Anne Russell Rachel Cavendish, Duchess of Devonshire Catherine Russell Wriothesley Russell, 2nd Duke of Bedford
Parents	William Russell, 5th Earl of Bedford Lady Anne Carr

William Russell, Lord Russell (29 September 1639 – 21 July 1683) was an English Country Party politician and nobleman. He was a leading member of the Country Party, forerunners of the Whigs, who during the reign of Charles II of England laid the groundwork for opposition in the English House of Commons to the accession of an openly Catholic monarch in Charles's brother James. This ultimately resulted in Russell's execution for treason, almost two years before Charles died and James acceded to the throne.