John Ratcliffe (soldier)
Encyclopedia
Sir John Ratcliffe was an English soldier and politician who sat in the House of Commons
between 1614 and 1626. He was killed in action in France during the Siege of Saint-Martin-de-Ré.
Ratcliffe was the son of Sir John Ratcliffe of Ordsall, Lancashire who was an MP. In 1599, he was heir to his elder brother Alexander who died, leaving him the family estates. He was knighted 24 September 1599 on the sands by Sir Robert Gardiner's house in Dublin. He was admitted at Grays Inn on 18 March 1606.
In November 1614, Ratcliffe was elected Member of Parliament
for Tewkesbury
. He was elected MP for Lancashire
in 1621 and again in 1624 and 1625. In 1626 he was elected MP for Tavistock
.
In 1627, Ratcliffe was part of an invasion force under the command of George Villiers, Duke of Buckingham
which attacked the Isle of Rhe in order to relieve the Siege of La Rochelle
. He was killed during the Siege of Saint-Martin-de-Ré and the Duke was later forced to withdraw in defeat.
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...
between 1614 and 1626. He was killed in action in France during the Siege of Saint-Martin-de-Ré.
Ratcliffe was the son of Sir John Ratcliffe of Ordsall, Lancashire who was an MP. In 1599, he was heir to his elder brother Alexander who died, leaving him the family estates. He was knighted 24 September 1599 on the sands by Sir Robert Gardiner's house in Dublin. He was admitted at Grays Inn on 18 March 1606.
In November 1614, Ratcliffe 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 Tewkesbury
Tewkesbury (UK Parliament constituency)
Tewkesbury is a county 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....
. He was elected MP for Lancashire
Lancashire (UK Parliament constituency)
Lancashire was a county constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of England from 1290, then of the Parliament of Great Britain from 1707 to 1800, and of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1801 to 1832...
in 1621 and again in 1624 and 1625. In 1626 he was elected MP for Tavistock
Tavistock (UK Parliament constituency)
Tavistock was the name of a parliamentary constituency in Devon between 1330 and 1974. Until 1885 it was a parliamentary borough, consisting solely of the town of Tavistock; it returned two Members of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom until 1868, when its...
.
In 1627, Ratcliffe was part of an invasion force under the command of George Villiers, Duke of Buckingham
George Villiers, 1st Duke of Buckingham
George Villiers, 1st Duke of Buckingham KG was the favourite, claimed by some to be the lover, of King James I of England. Despite a very patchy political and military record, he remained at the height of royal favour for the first two years of the reign of Charles I, until he was assassinated...
which attacked the Isle of Rhe in order to relieve the Siege of La Rochelle
Siege of La Rochelle
The Siege of La Rochelle was a result of a war between the French royal forces of Louis XIII of France and the Huguenots of La Rochelle in 1627-1628...
. He was killed during the Siege of Saint-Martin-de-Ré and the Duke was later forced to withdraw in defeat.