Harbottle Grimston
Encyclopedia
Sir Harbottle Grimston, 2nd Baronet (27 January 1603 – 2 January 1685) was an English lawyer and politician
who sat in the House of Commons
variously between 1640 and 1669 and was Speaker in 1660. During the English Civil War
he remained a Parliamentarian
but was sympathetic to the Royalists.
, the son of Sir Harbottle Grimston, 1st Baronet
(d. 1648). He was educated at Emmanuel College, Cambridge
, and became a barrister of Lincoln's Inn
. He was recorder of Harwich and recorder of Colchester
and elected MP for Harwich
in 1628
As member for Colchester
, Grimston sat in the Short Parliament
of 1640, and he represented the same borough during the Long Parliament
, speedily becoming a leading member of the popular party. He attacked Archbishop Laud
with great vigour and was a member of the important committees of the parliament, including the one appointed in consequence of the attempted seizure of the five members. He became deputy-lieutenant of Essex
after the passing of the militia ordinance in January 1642.
Harbottle disliked taking up arms against the king, but remained nominally an adherent of the parliamentary party during the Civil War
. In the words of Clarendon
, he continued rather than concurred with them. Grimston does not appear to have taken the Solemn League and Covenant
, but after the conclusion of the first period of the war he again became more active. He was president of the committee which investigated the escape of Charles
from Hampton Court in 1647, and was one of those who negotiated with the king at Newport
in 1648, when, according to Burnet
, he fell upon his knees and urged the king to come to terms. Also in 1648 succeeded to the baronetcy on the death of his father as his elder brother had pre-deceased him.
From this time Grimston's sympathies appear to have been with the Royalists. He was turned out of the House of Commons
when the assembly was purged by Colonel Pride
and was imprisoned. After he promised to do nothing detrimental to the parliament or the army, he was released and spent the next few years in retirement.
In 1656 Grimston was returned to the Second Protectorate Parliament
as MP for Essex
. However he was not allowed to take his seat, and with 97 others who were similarly treated he issued a remonstrance to the public.
Grimston was among the secluded members who re-entered the restored Rump Parliament
in February 1660, was then a member of the council of state. He was chosen Speaker of the House of Commons
in the Convention Parliament of 1660. As Speaker he visited Charles II
at Breda, and addressed him in very flattering terms on his return to London; but he refused to accede to the King's demand that he should dismiss Burnet from his position as chaplain to the Master of the Rolls
, and in parliament he strongly denounced any relaxation of the laws against papists.
Grimston did not retain the office of Speaker after the dissolution of the Convention Parliament, but he was a member of the commission which tried the regicides, and in November 1660 he was appointed Master of the Rolls. Report says he paid Clarendon £8,000 for the office, while Burnet declares he obtained it without any application of his own. His friend and chaplain, Burnet, speaks very highly of his piety and impartiality, while not omitting the undoubted fact that he was much sharpened against popery.
and daughter of Sir Nathaniel Bacon
, K.B., a grandson of Sir Nicholas Bacon and by her had one daughter.
Of his sons one only, Samuel
(1643–1700), survived his father, and when Samuel died in October 1700 the baronetcy became extinct. Sir Harbottle's eldest daughter, Mary, married Sir Capel Luckyn, 2nd Baronet
, and their grandson, William Luckyn, succeeded to the estates of his great-uncle, Sir Samuel Grimston, and took the name of Grimston in 1700. This William Luckyn Grimston (c.1683-1756) was created Baron Dunboyne and Viscount Grimston in the peerage of Ireland in 1719. He was succeeded as 2nd viscount by his son James (1711–1773), whose son James Bucknall (1747–1808) was made an English peer as baron Verulam of Gorhambury in 1790. Then in 1815 his son James Walter Grimston
(1775–1845), 2nd baron Verulam, was created Earl of Verulam
. Sir Harbottle Grimston bought Sir Nicholas Bacon's estate at Gorhambury, the residence of his descendants.
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
who sat in the House of Commons
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...
variously between 1640 and 1669 and was Speaker in 1660. During the English Civil War
English Civil War
The English Civil War was a series of armed conflicts and political machinations between Parliamentarians and Royalists...
he remained a Parliamentarian
Roundhead
"Roundhead" was the nickname given to the supporters of the Parliament during the English Civil War. Also known as Parliamentarians, they fought against King Charles I and his supporters, the Cavaliers , who claimed absolute power and the divine right of kings...
but was sympathetic to the Royalists.
Life
Grimston was born at Bradfield Hall, near ManningtreeManningtree
Manningtree is a town and civil parish in the Tendring district of Essex, England, which lies on the River Stour. It adjoins built-up areas of Lawford to the west and Mistley to the east and the three parishes together are sometimes referred to as "Manningtree".Manningtree is a claimant for the...
, the son of Sir Harbottle Grimston, 1st Baronet
Sir Harbottle Grimston, 1st Baronet
Sir Harbottle Grimston, 1st Baronet was an English politician who sat in the House of Commons variously between 1614 and 1648. He supported the Parliamentarian side in the English Civil War....
(d. 1648). He was educated at Emmanuel College, Cambridge
Emmanuel College, Cambridge
Emmanuel College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge.The college was founded in 1584 by Sir Walter Mildmay on the site of a Dominican friary...
, and became a barrister of Lincoln's Inn
Lincoln's Inn
The Honourable Society of Lincoln's Inn is one of four Inns of Court in London to which barristers of England and Wales belong and where they are called to the Bar. The other three are Middle Temple, Inner Temple and Gray's Inn. Although Lincoln's Inn is able to trace its official records beyond...
. He was recorder of Harwich and recorder of Colchester
Colchester
Colchester is an historic town and the largest settlement within the borough of Colchester in Essex, England.At the time of the census in 2001, it had a population of 104,390. However, the population is rapidly increasing, and has been named as one of Britain's fastest growing towns. As the...
and elected MP for Harwich
Harwich (UK Parliament constituency)
Harwich was a parliamentary constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Until its abolition for the 2010 general election it elected one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election....
in 1628
As member for Colchester
Colchester (UK Parliament constituency)
Colchester is a parliamentary constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election.-History:...
, Grimston sat 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....
of 1640, and he represented the same borough during 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...
, speedily becoming a leading member of the popular party. He attacked Archbishop Laud
William Laud
William Laud was Archbishop of Canterbury from 1633 to 1645. One of the High Church Caroline divines, he opposed radical forms of Puritanism...
with great vigour and was a member of the important committees of the parliament, including the one appointed in consequence of the attempted seizure of the five members. He became deputy-lieutenant of Essex
Essex
Essex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England, and one of the home counties. It is located to the northeast of Greater London. It borders with Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent to the South and London to the south west...
after the passing of the militia ordinance in January 1642.
Harbottle disliked taking up arms against the king, but remained nominally an adherent of the parliamentary party during the Civil War
English Civil War
The English Civil War was a series of armed conflicts and political machinations between Parliamentarians and Royalists...
. In the words of Clarendon
Edward Hyde, 1st Earl of Clarendon
Edward Hyde, 1st Earl of Clarendon was an English historian and statesman, and grandfather of two English monarchs, Mary II and Queen Anne.-Early life:...
, he continued rather than concurred with them. Grimston does not appear to have taken the Solemn League and Covenant
Solemn League and Covenant
The Solemn League and Covenant was an agreement between the Scottish Covenanters and the leaders of the English Parliamentarians. It was agreed to in 1643, during the First English Civil War....
, but after the conclusion of the first period of the war he again became more active. He was president of the committee which investigated the escape of Charles
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...
from Hampton Court in 1647, and was one of those who negotiated with the king at Newport
Newport
Newport is a city and unitary authority area in Wales. Standing on the banks of the River Usk, it is located about east of Cardiff and is the largest urban area within the historic county boundaries of Monmouthshire and the preserved county of Gwent...
in 1648, when, according to Burnet
Gilbert Burnet
Gilbert Burnet was a Scottish theologian and historian, and Bishop of Salisbury. He was fluent in Dutch, French, Latin, Greek, and Hebrew. Burnet was respected as a cleric, a preacher, and an academic, as well as a writer and historian...
, he fell upon his knees and urged the king to come to terms. Also in 1648 succeeded to the baronetcy on the death of his father as his elder brother had pre-deceased him.
From this time Grimston's sympathies appear to have been with the Royalists. He was turned out of the House of Commons
British House of Commons
The House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which also comprises the Sovereign and the House of Lords . Both Commons and Lords meet in the Palace of Westminster. The Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 650 members , who are known as Members...
when the assembly was purged by Colonel Pride
Thomas Pride
Thomas Pride was a parliamentarian general in the English Civil War, and best known as the instigator of "Pride's Purge".-Early Life and Starting Career:...
and was imprisoned. After he promised to do nothing detrimental to the parliament or the army, he was released and spent the next few years in retirement.
In 1656 Grimston was returned to 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...
as MP for Essex
Essex (UK Parliament constituency)
Essex was a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1290 until 1832. It elected two MPs, traditionally referred to as Knights of the Shire, to the House of Commons...
. However he was not allowed to take his seat, and with 97 others who were similarly treated he issued a remonstrance to the public.
Grimston was among the secluded members who re-entered the restored Rump Parliament
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....
in February 1660, was then a member of the council of state. He was chosen Speaker of the House of Commons
Speaker of the British House of Commons
The Speaker of the House of Commons is the presiding officer of the House of Commons, the United Kingdom's lower chamber of Parliament. The current Speaker is John Bercow, who was elected on 22 June 2009, following the resignation of Michael Martin...
in the Convention Parliament of 1660. As Speaker he visited Charles II
Charles II of England
Charles II was monarch of the three kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland.Charles II's father, King Charles I, was executed at Whitehall on 30 January 1649, at the climax of the English Civil War...
at Breda, and addressed him in very flattering terms on his return to London; but he refused to accede to the King's demand that he should dismiss Burnet from his position as chaplain to the Master of the Rolls
Master of the Rolls
The Keeper or Master of the Rolls and Records of the Chancery of England, known as the Master of the Rolls, is the second most senior judge in England and Wales, after the Lord Chief Justice. The Master of the Rolls is the presiding officer of the Civil Division of the Court of Appeal...
, and in parliament he strongly denounced any relaxation of the laws against papists.
Grimston did not retain the office of Speaker after the dissolution of the Convention Parliament, but he was a member of the commission which tried the regicides, and in November 1660 he was appointed Master of the Rolls. Report says he paid Clarendon £8,000 for the office, while Burnet declares he obtained it without any application of his own. His friend and chaplain, Burnet, speaks very highly of his piety and impartiality, while not omitting the undoubted fact that he was much sharpened against popery.
Works
Harbottle translated the law reports of his father-in-law, the judge, Sir George Croke (1560–1642), which were written in Norman-French, and five editions of this work appeared. Seven of his parliamentary speeches were published, and he also wrote Strena Christiana (London, 1644, and other editions).Family
Grimston's first wife, a daughter of Sir George Croke, bore him six sons and two daughters, He married secondly Anne Meautys, widow of Thomas MeautysThomas Meautys
Sir Thomas Meautys was an English civil servant and politician who sat in the House of Commons between 1621 and 1640.Meautys was the son of Henry Meautys of West Ham and his wife Elizabeth Coningsby, daughter of Sir Henry Coningsby of North Mims. He became the private secretary to Francis Bacon...
and daughter of Sir Nathaniel Bacon
Sir Nathaniel Bacon
Sir Nathaniel Bacon was a wealthy landowner from Culford, Suffolk, England.Bacon was an exceptionally skillful amateur painter and gardener. Only a small group of 9 of his paintings survive...
, K.B., a grandson of Sir Nicholas Bacon and by her had one daughter.
Of his sons one only, Samuel
Sir Samuel Grimston, 3rd Baronet
Sir Samuel Grimston, 3rd Baronet , was a politician.Grimston was the second and only one of the six sons of Sir Harbottle Grimston, 2nd Baronet who survived him. He was born 7 January 1643. His mother was Sir Harbottle's first wife, Mary, daughter of Sir George Croke. He was elected member of...
(1643–1700), survived his father, and when Samuel died in October 1700 the baronetcy became extinct. Sir Harbottle's eldest daughter, Mary, married Sir Capel Luckyn, 2nd Baronet
Sir Capel Luckyn, 2nd Baronet
Sir Capel Luckyn, 2nd Baronet was an English politician who sat in the House of Commons variously between 1647 and 1679....
, and their grandson, William Luckyn, succeeded to the estates of his great-uncle, Sir Samuel Grimston, and took the name of Grimston in 1700. This William Luckyn Grimston (c.1683-1756) was created Baron Dunboyne and Viscount Grimston in the peerage of Ireland in 1719. He was succeeded as 2nd viscount by his son James (1711–1773), whose son James Bucknall (1747–1808) was made an English peer as baron Verulam of Gorhambury in 1790. Then in 1815 his son James Walter Grimston
James Grimston, 1st Earl of Verulam
James Walter Grimston, 1st Earl of Verulam , styled Lord Dunboyne from 1775 until 1808 and known as Viscount Grimston from 1808 to 1815, was a British peer and Member of Parliament....
(1775–1845), 2nd baron Verulam, was created Earl of Verulam
Earl of Verulam
Earl of Verulam is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created in 1815 for James Grimston, 4th Viscount Grimston. He was made Viscount Grimston at the same time. Verulam had previously represented St Albans in the House of Commons. In 1808 he had also succeeded his maternal cousin...
. Sir Harbottle Grimston bought Sir Nicholas Bacon's estate at Gorhambury, the residence of his descendants.