Denis Bond (President of the Council)
Encyclopedia
Denis Bond was an English politician who sat in the House of Commons
in two periods between 1640 and 1656. He supported the Parliamentarian cause in the English Civil War
and served as president of the Council of State
during the Commonwealth.
Bond was the son of John Bond of Lutton (near Steeple, Dorset
) and and his wife Margaret Pitt. He was a prosperous woollen draper in Dorchester, bailiff in 1630 and Mayor of the town in 1635, and was one of the founders of the Dorchester Company, an early attempt to promote colonisation in New England
.
In April 1640, Bond was elected Member of Parliament
for Dorchester
in the Short Parliament
. He was re-elected MP for Dorchester for the Long Parliament
in November 1640. When the Civil War
broke out a couple of years later, he supported the Parliamentary cause and was a sufficiently hardline anti-Royalist to retain his seat in the Rump
after Pride's Purge
in 1648. He was an extremely active member, sitting on an extraordinary total of 263 committees.
Bond was initially named as one of the Commissioners to try the King
, but avoided serving. Having become a friend of Oliver Cromwell
, he was a member of the Council of State
from 1649 to 1653, and was its president in 1652 and 1653. He also served as comptroller of the receipts of the Exchequer. Bond was elected MP for Weymouth and Melcombe Regis
in 1654 for the First Protectorate Parliament
and in 1656 for the Second Protectorate Parliament
.
Bond died in 1658 and was buried in Westminster Abbey
, but his body was exhumed after the Restoration
.
Bond married Joan Gould (sister of one of his fellow investors in the Dorchester Company) in 1610. Their eldest son, John
(1612–1676), a Puritan preacher, who became Master of Trinity Hall, Cambridge
and Professor of Law at Gresham College
as well as MP for Weymouth. After his first wife's death Bond was married again, in 1622, to Lucy Lawrence; two of their sons, Samuel
and Nathaniel
(1634–1707), were also MPs.
House of Commons of England
The House of Commons of England was the lower house of the Parliament of England from its development in the 14th century to the union of England and Scotland in 1707, when it was replaced by the House of Commons of Great Britain...
in two periods between 1640 and 1656. He supported the Parliamentarian cause in the English Civil War
English Civil War
The English Civil War was a series of armed conflicts and political machinations between Parliamentarians and Royalists...
and served as president of the Council of State
English Council of State
The English Council of State, later also known as the Protector's Privy Council, was first appointed by the Rump Parliament on 14 February 1649 after the execution of King Charles I....
during the Commonwealth.
Bond was the son of John Bond of Lutton (near Steeple, Dorset
Steeple, Dorset
Steeple is a hamlet in the Purbeck district of the English county of Dorset. It is situated some eight miles west of Swanage. The village has a population of 94 ....
) and and his wife Margaret Pitt. He was a prosperous woollen draper in Dorchester, bailiff in 1630 and Mayor of the town in 1635, and was one of the founders of the Dorchester Company, an early attempt to promote colonisation in New England
New England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
.
In April 1640, Bond was elected Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
for Dorchester
Dorchester (UK Parliament constituency)
Dorchester was a parliamentary constituency centred on the town of Dorchester in Dorset. It returned two Members of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1295 to 1868, when its representation was reduced one member....
in the Short Parliament
Short Parliament
The Short Parliament was a Parliament of England that sat from 13 April to 5 May 1640 during the reign of King Charles I of England, so called because it lasted only three weeks....
. He was re-elected MP for Dorchester for the Long Parliament
Long Parliament
The Long Parliament was made on 3 November 1640, following the Bishops' Wars. It received its name from the fact that through an Act of Parliament, it could only be dissolved with the agreement of the members, and those members did not agree to its dissolution until after the English Civil War and...
in November 1640. When the Civil War
English Civil War
The English Civil War was a series of armed conflicts and political machinations between Parliamentarians and Royalists...
broke out a couple of years later, he supported the Parliamentary cause and was a sufficiently hardline anti-Royalist to retain his seat in the Rump
Rump Parliament
The Rump Parliament is the name of the English Parliament after Colonel Pride purged the Long Parliament on 6 December 1648 of those members hostile to the Grandees' intention to try King Charles I for high treason....
after Pride's Purge
Pride's Purge
Pride’s Purge is an event in December 1648, during the Second English Civil War, when troops under the command of Colonel Thomas Pride forcibly removed from the Long Parliament all those who were not supporters of the Grandees in the New Model Army and the Independents...
in 1648. He was an extremely active member, sitting on an extraordinary total of 263 committees.
Bond was initially named as one of the Commissioners to try the King
Charles I of England
Charles I was King of England, King of Scotland, and King of Ireland from 27 March 1625 until his execution in 1649. Charles engaged in a struggle for power with the Parliament of England, attempting to obtain royal revenue whilst Parliament sought to curb his Royal prerogative which Charles...
, but avoided serving. Having become a friend of Oliver Cromwell
Oliver Cromwell
Oliver Cromwell was an English military and political leader who overthrew the English monarchy and temporarily turned England into a republican Commonwealth, and served as Lord Protector of England, Scotland, and Ireland....
, he was a member of the Council of State
English Council of State
The English Council of State, later also known as the Protector's Privy Council, was first appointed by the Rump Parliament on 14 February 1649 after the execution of King Charles I....
from 1649 to 1653, and was its president in 1652 and 1653. He also served as comptroller of the receipts of the Exchequer. Bond was elected MP for Weymouth and Melcombe Regis
Weymouth and Melcombe Regis (UK Parliament constituency)
Weymouth and Melcombe Regis was a parliamentary borough in Dorset represented in the English House of Commons, later in that of Great Britain, and finally in the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It was formed by an Act of Parliament of 1570 which amalgamated the existing boroughs of Weymouth and...
in 1654 for the First Protectorate Parliament
First Protectorate Parliament
The First Protectorate Parliament was summoned by the Lord Protector Oliver Cromwell under the terms of the Instrument of Government. It sat for one term from 3 September 1654 until 22 January 1655 with William Lenthall as the Speaker of the House....
and in 1656 for the Second Protectorate Parliament
Second Protectorate Parliament
The Second Protectorate Parliament in England sat for two sessions from 17 September 1656 until 4 February 1658, with Thomas Widdrington as the Speaker of the House of Commons...
.
Bond died in 1658 and was buried in Westminster Abbey
Westminster Abbey
The Collegiate Church of St Peter at Westminster, popularly known as Westminster Abbey, is a large, mainly Gothic church, in the City of Westminster, London, United Kingdom, located just to the west of the Palace of Westminster. It is the traditional place of coronation and burial site for English,...
, but his body was exhumed after the Restoration
English Restoration
The Restoration of the English monarchy began in 1660 when the English, Scottish and Irish monarchies were all restored under Charles II after the Interregnum that followed the Wars of the Three Kingdoms...
.
Bond married Joan Gould (sister of one of his fellow investors in the Dorchester Company) in 1610. Their eldest son, John
John Bond (jurist)
John Bond LL.D. was an English jurist, Puritan clergyman, member of the Westminster Assembly, and Master of Trinity Hall, Cambridge.-Life:...
(1612–1676), a Puritan preacher, who became Master of Trinity Hall, Cambridge
Trinity Hall, Cambridge
Trinity Hall is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge, England. It is the fifth-oldest college of the university, having been founded in 1350 by William Bateman, Bishop of Norwich.- Foundation :...
and Professor of Law at Gresham College
Gresham College
Gresham College is an institution of higher learning located at Barnard's Inn Hall off Holborn in central London, England. It was founded in 1597 under the will of Sir Thomas Gresham and today it hosts over 140 free public lectures every year within the City of London.-History:Sir Thomas Gresham,...
as well as MP for Weymouth. After his first wife's death Bond was married again, in 1622, to Lucy Lawrence; two of their sons, Samuel
Samuel Bond (MP)
Samuel Bond was an English academic, lawyer and politician who sat in the House of Commons in 1659.Bond was the son of Denis Bond of Dorset who was a Parliamentarian MP and his second wife Lucy Lawrence. He matriculated from St Catherine's College, Cambridge at Michaelmas 1639 and was awarded BA...
and Nathaniel
Nathaniel Bond
Nathaniel Bond, KS, , of Creech Grange in the Isle of Purbeck, Dorset, was an English lawyer and Member of Parliament....
(1634–1707), were also MPs.