John Coke (MP)
Encyclopedia
John Coke was an English politician who sat in the House of Commons
in between 1685 and 1689.
Coke was the son of Thomas Coke
of Melbourne, and his wife Mary Pope, daughter of Richard Pope of Woolstaston, Shropshire. He entered Christ Church, Oxford
and Gray's Inn
in 1669. He was a commissioner for assessment for Derbyshire from 1673 to 1680.
Coke stood unsuccessfully for parliament at Leicestershire
in a by-election in April 1679 and at Derby
in 1681. One of his opponents George Vernon was said to have uttered dangerous words which Coke forwarded to the government after the Rye House plot. He was a Deputy Lieutenant
for Derbyshire and Leicestershire from 1680 to 1686. In 1685 he received a place at court as Gentleman usher
to Queen Catherine of Braganza and became a captain in Princess Anne's Foot.
Coke was elected Member of Parliament
for Derby in 1685 He was sent briefly to the Tower after opposing King James legislation requiring Catholics in the army. He was deprived of his commission, but at the Glorious Revolution raised a troop of horse for Prince William and was placed second in command of Lord Cavendish's recigment. In 1689 he was re-elected MP for Derby in the Convention Parliament of 1689
.
Coke went abroad for health reasons and died at Geneva at the age of 39.
Coke married Mary Leventhorpe, daughter of Sir Thomas Leventhorpe, 4th Baronet in 1672. He had seven children and his son Thomas
was also MP for Derbyshire.
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 between 1685 and 1689.
Coke was the son of Thomas Coke
Thomas Coke (MP for Leicester)
Thomas Coke was an English politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1640 to 1645. He supported the Royalist side in the English Civil War....
of Melbourne, and his wife Mary Pope, daughter of Richard Pope of Woolstaston, Shropshire. He entered 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...
and Gray's Inn
Gray's Inn
The Honourable Society of Gray's Inn, commonly known as Gray's Inn, is one of the four Inns of Court in London. To be called to the Bar and practise as a barrister in England and Wales, an individual must belong to one of these Inns...
in 1669. He was a commissioner for assessment for Derbyshire from 1673 to 1680.
Coke stood unsuccessfully for parliament at Leicestershire
Leicestershire (UK Parliament constituency)
Leicestershire was a county constituency in Leicestershire, represented in the House of Commons. It elected two Members of Parliament , traditionally called Knights of the Shire, by the bloc vote system of election, to the Parliament of England until 1707, to the Parliament of Great Britain from...
in a by-election in April 1679 and at Derby
Derby (UK Parliament constituency)
Derby is a former United Kingdom Parliamentary constituency. It was a constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of England then of the Parliament of Great Britain from 1707 to 1800 and of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1801 to 1950. It was represented by two Members of...
in 1681. One of his opponents George Vernon was said to have uttered dangerous words which Coke forwarded to the government after the Rye House plot. He was a 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....
for Derbyshire and Leicestershire from 1680 to 1686. In 1685 he received a place at court as Gentleman usher
Gentleman Usher
Gentleman Usher is a title for some officers of the Royal Household of the United Kingdom. See List of Gentlemen Ushers for a list of office-holders.-Historical:...
to Queen Catherine of Braganza and became a captain in Princess Anne's Foot.
Coke 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 Derby in 1685 He was sent briefly to the Tower after opposing King James legislation requiring Catholics in the army. He was deprived of his commission, but at the Glorious Revolution raised a troop of horse for Prince William and was placed second in command of Lord Cavendish's recigment. In 1689 he was re-elected MP for Derby in the Convention Parliament of 1689
Convention Parliament (1689)
The English Convention was an irregular assembly of the Parliament of England which transferred the Crowns of England and Ireland from James II to William III...
.
Coke went abroad for health reasons and died at Geneva at the age of 39.
Coke married Mary Leventhorpe, daughter of Sir Thomas Leventhorpe, 4th Baronet in 1672. He had seven children and his son Thomas
Thomas Coke (privy counsellor)
Thomas Coke was an English courtier and politician who sat in the House of Commons between 1698 and 1715.Coke was the son of John Coke and his wife Mary Leventhorpe, daughter of Sir Thomas Leventhorpe, 4th Baronet. He was born at Melbourne, Derbyshire where he was baptised on 19 February 1675....
was also MP for Derbyshire.