Herbert Croft (died 1629)
Encyclopedia
Sir Herbert Croft was an English politician who sat in the House of Commons
at various times between 1589 and 1614.
Croft was the eldest surviving son of Edward Croft of Croft Castle and his first wife. He was educated at Christ Church, Oxford
. His father was put on his trial in 1589 on the charge of having contrived the death of the Earl of Leicester
by witchcraft
and went into exile. In 1589 Croft was elected Member of Parliament
for Carmarthenshire
. He was a J.P.
for Carmarthenshire and for Herefordshire from 1591 and for Oxfordshire from about 1592. In about 1592 he became steward of the lordships of Kerry, Kedewen and Montgomery, Montontgomeryshire and was steward of crown lands in Herefordshire from October 1592.
In 1593 Croft was elected MP for Herefordshire
. He succeeded his grandfather James Croft
to the family estates in 1594. In 1597 he was elected MP for Launceston
and became Deputy Lieutenant
. He was receiver-general for South Wales from April 1599 to 1604. In 1601 he was elected MP for Herefordshire again. He became a member of the council in the marches of Wales from 1601. He was knighted in 1603. In 1604 he was re-elected MP for Herefordshire. In 1607 he protested about the jusrisdiction of the council in the marches over the border shires and this cost him his seat on the council and his positions as JP and Deputy Lieutenant. He was re-elected MP for Herefordshire in 1614. In about 1617, he became a Catholic and a monk at the English Benedictine priory of St Gregory the Great at Douai
, where he wrote pamphlets in defence of his new faith.
Croft died at the age of about 63.
Croft married Mary Bourne, daughter of Anthony Bourne of Holt Castle, Worcestershire and had four sons and five daughters. His son Herbert
later became Bishop of Hereford
.
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...
at various times between 1589 and 1614.
Croft was the eldest surviving son of Edward Croft of Croft Castle and his first wife. He was educated at Christ Church, Oxford
Christ Church, Oxford
Christ Church or house of Christ, and thus sometimes known as The House), is one of the largest constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England...
. His father was put on his trial in 1589 on the charge of having contrived the death of the Earl of Leicester
Robert Dudley, 1st Earl of Leicester
Robert Dudley, 1st Earl of Leicester, KG was an English nobleman and the favourite and close friend of Elizabeth I from her first year on the throne until his death...
by witchcraft
Witchcraft
Witchcraft, in historical, anthropological, religious, and mythological contexts, is the alleged use of supernatural or magical powers. A witch is a practitioner of witchcraft...
and went into exile. In 1589 Croft 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 Carmarthenshire
Carmarthenshire (UK Parliament constituency)
Carmarthenshire was a parliamentary constituency in Wales which returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom until its representation was increased to two members for the 1832 general election....
. He was a J.P.
Justice of the Peace
A justice of the peace is a puisne judicial officer elected or appointed by means of a commission to keep the peace. Depending on the jurisdiction, they might dispense summary justice or merely deal with local administrative applications in common law jurisdictions...
for Carmarthenshire and for Herefordshire from 1591 and for Oxfordshire from about 1592. In about 1592 he became steward of the lordships of Kerry, Kedewen and Montgomery, Montontgomeryshire and was steward of crown lands in Herefordshire from October 1592.
In 1593 Croft was elected MP for Herefordshire
Herefordshire (UK Parliament constituency)
The county constituency of Herefordshire, in the West Midlands of England bordering on Wales, was abolished when the county was divided for parliamentary purposes in 1885...
. He succeeded his grandfather James Croft
James Croft
Sir James Croft PC , Lord Deputy of Ireland and MP for Herefordshire in the Parliament of England.He was born the second but eldest surviving son of Richard Croft of Croft Castle, Herefordshire, inheriting the estate on his father's death in 1562.He was elected seven times as knight of the shire ...
to the family estates in 1594. In 1597 he was elected MP for Launceston
Launceston (UK Parliament constituency)
Launceston, also known at some periods as Dunheved, was a parliamentary constituency in Cornwall which returned two Members of Parliament to the British House of Commons from 1295 until 1832, and one member from 1832 until 1918...
and became Deputy Lieutenant
Deputy Lieutenant
In the United Kingdom, a Deputy Lieutenant is one of several deputies to the Lord Lieutenant of a lieutenancy area; an English ceremonial county, Welsh preserved county, Scottish lieutenancy area, or Northern Irish county borough or county....
. He was receiver-general for South Wales from April 1599 to 1604. In 1601 he was elected MP for Herefordshire again. He became a member of the council in the marches of Wales from 1601. He was knighted in 1603. In 1604 he was re-elected MP for Herefordshire. In 1607 he protested about the jusrisdiction of the council in the marches over the border shires and this cost him his seat on the council and his positions as JP and Deputy Lieutenant. He was re-elected MP for Herefordshire in 1614. In about 1617, he became a Catholic and a monk at the English Benedictine priory of St Gregory the Great at Douai
Douai
-Main sights:Douai's ornate Gothic style belfry was begun in 1380, on the site of an earlier tower. The 80 m high structure includes an impressive carillon, consisting of 62 bells spanning 5 octaves. The originals, some dating from 1391 were removed in 1917 during World War I by the occupying...
, where he wrote pamphlets in defence of his new faith.
Croft died at the age of about 63.
Croft married Mary Bourne, daughter of Anthony Bourne of Holt Castle, Worcestershire and had four sons and five daughters. His son Herbert
Herbert Croft (bishop)
-Life:He was son of Sir Herbert Croft, who was the grandson of Sir James Croft. Croft was born 18th May 1603 at Great Milton, Oxfordshire, his mother being then on a journey to London. He married, before April 8, 1645, Anne Browne, the only daughter of the Very Rev. Dr. Jonathan Browne and Anne...
later became Bishop of Hereford
Bishop of Hereford
The Bishop of Hereford is the Ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Hereford in the Province of Canterbury.The see is in the City of Hereford where the seat is located at the Cathedral Church of Saint Mary and Saint Ethelbert which was founded as a cathedral in 676.The Bishop's residence is...
.