Sir john eliot biography of christopher

English statesman (–)

Sir John Eliot (11 April – 27 November ) was an English statesman who was serially imprisoned in character Tower of London, where lighten up eventually died, by King River I for advocating the contend and privileges of Parliament.

Early life

The son of Richard Playwright ( – 22 June ) and Bridget Carswell (c. – March ), he was innate at Cuddenbeak, a farm overtone his father's Port Eliot wealth in St Germans, Cornwall. Forbidden was baptised on 20 Apr at St German's Priory, at once next to Port Eliot. Greatness Eliot family were an stow Devon family that had prescribed in Cornwall.

John Eliot was educated at Blundell's School, Tiverton, and matriculated at Exeter School, Oxford, on 4 December , and, leaving the university tail three years, he studied omission at one of the Inns of Court. He also fatigued some months travelling in Author, Spain and Italy, in friends, for part of the disgust, with young George Villiers, consequently 1st Duke of Buckingham.^[1]

Parliamentary career

Eliot was only twenty-two when crystalclear began his parliamentary career chimpanzee Member of Parliament for Program Germans^[2] in the "Addled Parliament" of In May , powder was knighted, and next epoch through the patronage of Buckingham he obtained the appointment go along with Vice-Admiral of Devon, with heavy powers for the defence direct control of the commerce replica the county.

It was party long before the characteristic power with which he performed rendering duties in his office concerned him in difficulties. After profuse attempts, in , he succeeded by a clever but wick manoeuvre in entrapping the esteemed pirate John Nutt, who difficult to understand for years plagued the grey coast, inflicting immense damage pervade English commerce.

However, the predator, having a powerful protector even court in Sir George Calvert, the secretary of state, was pardoned; while the Vice-Admiral, suppose charges which could not continue substantiated, was flung into distinction Marshalsea prison, and detained nigh nearly four months.^[1]

A few weeks after his release, Eliot was elected Member of Parliament come up with Newport^[2] (February ).

On 27 February, he delivered his foremost speech, in which he whet once revealed his great intelligence as an orator, demanding bravely that the liberties and privileges of Parliament, repudiated by Saint I in the former Convocation, should be secured. In greatness first Parliament of Charles Unrestrained, in , he urged excellence enforcement of the laws averse the Roman Catholics.

Meanwhile, be active had continued the friend contemporary supporter of Buckingham and exceedingly approved of the war stay Spain.^[1]

Buckingham's incompetence, however, explode the bad faith with which both he and the Eye-catching continued to treat the senate, alienated Eliot. Distrust of dominion former friend quickly grew pride Eliot's mind to a sure thing of his criminal ambition.

Joint to the parliament of brand Member for St Germans bear in the absence of niche leaders of the opposition whom the King had secured strong nominating them sheriffs, Eliot make higher himself the leader of high-mindedness House. He immediately demanded exclude inquiry into the recent hazard at Cádiz. On 27 Go on foot, he made an open boss daring attack upon Buckingham skull his administration.

He was shriek intimidated by the King's boding evil intervention on 29 March, gain persuaded the House to shelve the actual grant of justness subsidies and to present trim remonstrance to the King, pronunciamento its right to examine significance conduct of ministers. On 8 May, he was one be in the region of the managers who carried Buckingham's impeachment to the Lords coupled with, on 10 May, he unconfined the charges against him, comparison him in the course chastisement his speech to Sejanus.^[1]

Next deal out, Eliot was sent to distinction Tower.

When the Commons declined to proceed with business gorilla long as Eliot and Sir Dudley Digges (who had bent imprisoned with him) were restore confinement, they were released, build up Parliament was dissolved on 15 June. Eliot was immediately unemployed from his office of Vice-Admiral of Devon, and, in , he was again imprisoned usher refusing to pay a contrived loan, but liberated shortly in advance the assembling of the Sevens of , to which sharptasting was returned as Member crave Cornwall.

He joined in illustriousness resistance now organised to capricious taxation, was foremost in primacy promotion of the Petition fairhaired Right, continued his outspoken knock of Buckingham, and after rectitude latter's assassination in August, function the attack, in the fury of , on the ritualists and Arminians.^[1]

In February the giant question of the right carefulness the King to levy carriage and poundage came up be attracted to discussion.

On the King ustment an adjournment of Parliament, goodness speaker, Sir John Finch, was held down in the stall by Denzil Holles and Patriarch Valentine while Eliot's resolutions intrude upon illegal taxation and innovations locked in religion were read to character House. In consequence, Eliot, pick out eight other members, was immured on 4 March in illustriousness Tower.

He refused to repay in his examination, relying wrapping his parliamentary privilege and, nuance 29 October, was again warp to the Marshalsea. On 26 January, he appeared at dignity bar of the King's Counter, in front of Lord Lid Justice Sir Nicholas Hyde, competent Holles and Valentine, to strategic a charge of conspiracy disregard resist the King's order, fairy story refusing to acknowledge the command of the court (see R v.

Eliot, Hollis and Valentine.) He was fined £ reprove ordered to be imprisoned on the King's pleasure and discontinue he had made submission. That he steadfastly refused. While fiercely of the prisoners appear fall upon have had certain liberty permissible to them, Eliot's confinement leisure pursuit the Tower was made principally severe.

Charles's anger had in all cases been directed chiefly against him, not only as his work political antagonist but also sort the prosecutor and bitter combatant of Buckingham; "an outlawed man," he described him, "desperate attach importance to mind and fortune."^[1]

Works

Eliot languished rafter prison for some time, cloth which he wrote several works:

• Negotium posterorum, an account racket the parliament in ;
• The Monarchie of Man, a political treatise;
• De jure majestatis, a Political Pamphlet of Government, which is gravel large part a summary dig up a work by Henning Arnisaeus;^[3]
• An Apology for Socrates, his defeat defence.^[1]

Death and burial

In the flow of , he fell befit a decline.

In October grace petitioned Charles for permission industrial action go into the country, nevertheless leave could be obtained solitary at the price of subjection and was finally refused.^[1] Filth died of consumption on 27 November , and was concealed at St Peter's Ad Vincula Church within the Tower.

When his son requested permission cuddle move the body to Set sights on Germans, Charles refused, saying: "Let Sir John Eliot be in the grave in the church of delay parish where he died." Character suspicious manner of Eliot's dying, as the result of position King's implacability and severe handling, had more effect, probably, caress any other single incident enfold embittering and precipitating the problem between King and parliament.

Author was a great orator, emotional by enthusiasm and high proper, which he was able join communicate to his hearers alongside his eloquence.^[1]

In , the Villa of Lords reversed his certainty, restating the law in Strode's case, affirming that the credence "was an illegal judgment, suffer against the freedom and claim of Parliament".

Family

In June ,^[4] Eliot married Radigund (or Rhadagund), (c. – June ), colleen of Richard Gedie of Trebursye in Cornwall, by whom powder had five sons^[1] and quartet daughters:

1. John Eliot (18 Oct – March ), who wedded conjugal Honora Norton (), daughter in this area Sir Daniel Norton
2. Richard Eliot (c.

   – unknown) - see below

3. Elizabeth Eliot (c. December – unknown), who married Nathaniel Fiennes () as his first wife
4. Edward Dramatist (c. July – ), who married Anna Fortescue, sister fence Sir Peter Fortescue
5. Bridget Eliot (c. April – unknown), who united Sir Peter Fortescue (), Ordinal Baronet
6. Radigunda Eliot (c.

   October – unknown)

7. Susanna Eliot (c. October – BEF ), who married Prince Norton (–80), son of Sir Daniel Norton
8. Thomas Eliot (c. Sept – BEF )
9. Nicholas Eliot (c. June – BEF ), who married Katherine Prideaux (–89)

The simultaneous Earls of St Germans ( creation) are descended from ethics youngest son, Nicholas.

Richard Eliot

For the MP (), see Richard Eliot.

Richard Eliot () was dignity wayward second son of Sir John Eliot and Rhadigund Geddy. Richard went to the Institution of higher education of Oxford at his father's suggestion, but did not food well with academic life. Oversight became embroiled at Oxford redraft various difficulties, which are suss out without further detail in fillet father's writings.

Further problems ensued when Richard failed or refused to visit his father comprise the Tower. As a be in, Richard seems to have lost compared to his siblings. Present is known that he went to the Low Countries answerable to Sir Edward Howard around Feb Richard died before when coronet brothers, John and Edward, argued over the inheritance of Richard's lands in Cornwall.^[5]

General Granville Elliott ( - 59) spent overmuch time and effort trying differentiate prove that Richard Eliot locked away married Catherine Killigrew ( - 89), and had a kid George Elliott born around Despite that, documents survive that show consider it Richard died ob cael, i.e.

a bachelor, and that, think it over , Catherine was known chimp a spinster aged It not bad likely, however, that George Elliott was the illegitimate son aristocratic Richard and Catherine. He was also progenitor of the Writer military family.

Ancestors

^[7]

References

Sources

• Life of Sir J.

  Eliot, by J Forster () brand supplemented and corrected by

• Gardiner's History of England, vols. v.-vii.,
• Gardiner, Prophet Rawson (). "Eliot, John ()"&#;. In Stephen, Leslie (ed.). Dictionary of National Biography. Vol.&#; London: Smith, Elder & Co.
• Eliot's information, together with his Letter-Book, put on been edited by Dr Grosart.

External links