Lewis Dyve
Encyclopedia
Sir Lewis Dyve was an English Member of Parliament
and a Royalist
adherent during the English Civil War
. His surname is sometimes also spelt Dive or Dives.
Dyve, who had an estate at Bromham
in Bedfordshire
, was knighted in 1620 and was one of the attendants of Prince Charles
during his time at Madrid
. He was elected MP for Bridport
in the Parliaments of 1625 and 1626, and for Weymouth
in that of 1628. Some sources record him as having been once more chosen to represent Bridport in December 1640, but in fact he seems to have been the defeated candidate petitioning the House of Commons against the result of the election; as his was the first disputed election to be heard in the Long Parliament
, the committee which subsequently heard other election petitions was referred to as The Committee on Sir Lewis Dive for several years.
Dyve was concerned in the printing and publishing of his half-brother Lord Digby
's speech on the attainder of the Earl of Strafford
, for which the House of Commons resolved on 13 July 1641 that the books should be burned and ordered that Dyve should be arrested. On the outbreak of the Civil War he was concerned in a plan to admit the Royal forces to Hull
, for which the Parliamentary governor, Sir John Hotham
, ordered his arrest. Escaping the troops sent to seize him, he fled to Holland, but returned to England later the same year and was wounded at a skirmish at Worcester
. In 1643, the House of Commons voted for his impeachment for High Treason for raising money for the King and for referring to Parliament as "The Pretended Parliament"; Roger Hill
, the Bridport MP who he had tried to unseat in 1640, brought in the motion.
He served with Prince Rupert
at the relief of Newark
in 1644, and was then appointed sergeant-major-general in Dorset. In 1645 he succeeded in storming Weymouth, but could not take neighbouring Melcombe Regis
, and when the Parliamentary garrison in Melcombe succeeded in seizing the baggage train that Goring
had sent to Dyve they were able to recapture Weymouth.
Dyve was captured at the siege of Sherborne
, and imprisoned in the Tower of London
from 1645 to 1647. Being moved to the King's Bench
, he escaped, but was recaptured at Preston
. Imprisoned in Whitehall
he escaped once more, according to his own account on the very day he was to have been executed; John Evelyn
records in his Diary
on 6 September 1651 that Dyve dined with him and related a thrilling story of his leap from a second-storey window into the River Thames
, afterwards swimming to a boat, in winter and at the dead of night. Dyve then made his way to Ireland
where he once more served with the Royal forces; in 1650 he published an account of events in that country during the previous two years.
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,...
and a Royalist
Cavalier
Cavalier was the name used by Parliamentarians for a Royalist supporter of King Charles I and son Charles II during the English Civil War, the Interregnum, and the Restoration...
adherent 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...
. His surname is sometimes also spelt Dive or Dives.
Dyve, who had an estate at Bromham
Bromham, Bedfordshire
Bromham is a village and civil parish in Bedfordshire, England, west of the town of Bedford. It is within commuting distance to London via Bedford railway station.-Notable features:...
in Bedfordshire
Bedfordshire
Bedfordshire is a ceremonial county of historic origin in England that forms part of the East of England region.It borders Cambridgeshire to the north-east, Northamptonshire to the north, Buckinghamshire to the west and Hertfordshire to the south-east....
, was knighted in 1620 and was one of the attendants of Prince 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...
during his time at Madrid
Madrid
Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
. He was elected MP for Bridport
Bridport (UK Parliament constituency)
Bridport was a parliamentary borough in Dorset, which elected two Members of Parliament to the House of Commons from 1295 until 1868, and then one member from 1868 until 1885, when the borough was abolished.-History:...
in the Parliaments of 1625 and 1626, and for Weymouth
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 that of 1628. Some sources record him as having been once more chosen to represent Bridport in December 1640, but in fact he seems to have been the defeated candidate petitioning the House of Commons against the result of the election; as his was the first disputed election to be heard in 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...
, the committee which subsequently heard other election petitions was referred to as The Committee on Sir Lewis Dive for several years.
Dyve was concerned in the printing and publishing of his half-brother Lord Digby
George Digby, 2nd Earl of Bristol
George Digby, 2nd Earl of Bristol was an English politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1640 until 1641 when he was raised to the House of Lords...
's speech on the attainder of the Earl of Strafford
Thomas Wentworth, 1st Earl of Strafford
Thomas Wentworth, 1st Earl of Strafford was an English statesman and a major figure in the period leading up to the English Civil War. He served in Parliament and was a supporter of King Charles I. From 1632 to 1639 he instituted a harsh rule as Lord Deputy of Ireland...
, for which the House of Commons resolved on 13 July 1641 that the books should be burned and ordered that Dyve should be arrested. On the outbreak of the Civil War he was concerned in a plan to admit the Royal forces to Hull
Kingston upon Hull
Kingston upon Hull , usually referred to as Hull, is a city and unitary authority area in the ceremonial county of the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It stands on the River Hull at its junction with the Humber estuary, 25 miles inland from the North Sea. Hull has a resident population of...
, for which the Parliamentary governor, Sir John Hotham
John Hotham
Sir John Hotham, 1st Baronet, of Scorborough , English parliamentarian, belonged to a Yorkshire family, and fought on the continent of Europe during the early part of the Thirty Years' War....
, ordered his arrest. Escaping the troops sent to seize him, he fled to Holland, but returned to England later the same year and was wounded at a skirmish at Worcester
Worcester
The City of Worcester, commonly known as Worcester, , is a city and county town of Worcestershire in the West Midlands of England. Worcester is situated some southwest of Birmingham and north of Gloucester, and has an approximate population of 94,000 people. The River Severn runs through the...
. In 1643, the House of Commons voted for his impeachment for High Treason for raising money for the King and for referring to Parliament as "The Pretended Parliament"; Roger Hill
Roger Hill (judge)
Roger Hill , of Poundsford in Somerset, was an English judge and Member of Parliament.Hill was born at Colyton in Devon, the eldest son of William Hill of Poundisford Park, member of a family of Somerset squires who could trace their ancestry back to a Sir John Hill in the reign of Edward III...
, the Bridport MP who he had tried to unseat in 1640, brought in the motion.
He served with Prince Rupert
Prince Rupert of the Rhine
Rupert, Count Palatine of the Rhine, Duke of Bavaria, 1st Duke of Cumberland, 1st Earl of Holderness , commonly called Prince Rupert of the Rhine, KG, FRS was a noted soldier, admiral, scientist, sportsman, colonial governor and amateur artist during the 17th century...
at the relief of Newark
Newark-on-Trent
Newark-on-Trent is a market town in Nottinghamshire in the East Midlands region of England. It stands on the River Trent, the A1 , and the East Coast Main Line railway. The origins of the town are possibly Roman as it lies on an important Roman road, the Fosse Way...
in 1644, and was then appointed sergeant-major-general in Dorset. In 1645 he succeeded in storming Weymouth, but could not take neighbouring Melcombe Regis
Melcombe Regis
Melcombe Regis is an area of Weymouth in Dorset, England.Situated on the north shore of Weymouth Harbour and originally part of the waste of Radipole, it seems only to have developed as a significant settlement and seaport in the 13th century...
, and when the Parliamentary garrison in Melcombe succeeded in seizing the baggage train that Goring
George Goring, 1st Earl of Norwich
George Goring, 1st Earl of Norwich was an English soldier.He was the son of George Goring of Hurstpierpoint and Ovingdean, Sussex, and of Anne Denny, sister of Edward Denny, 1st Earl of Norwich. He matriculated from Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge in 1600, and may subsequently have spent some...
had sent to Dyve they were able to recapture Weymouth.
Dyve was captured at the siege of Sherborne
Sherborne
Sherborne is a market town in northwest Dorset, England. It is sited on the River Yeo, on the edge of the Blackmore Vale, east of Yeovil. The A30 road, which connects London to Penzance, runs through the town. The population of the town is 9,350 . 27.1% of the population is aged 65 or...
, and imprisoned in the Tower of London
Tower of London
Her Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress, more commonly known as the Tower of London, is a historic castle on the north bank of the River Thames in central London, England. It lies within the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, separated from the eastern edge of the City of London by the open space...
from 1645 to 1647. Being moved to the King's Bench
King's Bench
The Queen's Bench is the superior court in a number of jurisdictions within some of the Commonwealth realms...
, he escaped, but was recaptured at Preston
Battle of Preston (1648)
The Battle of Preston , fought largely at Walton-le-Dale near Preston in Lancashire, resulted in a victory by the troops of Oliver Cromwell over the Royalists and Scots commanded by the Duke of Hamilton...
. Imprisoned in Whitehall
Whitehall
Whitehall is a road in Westminster, in London, England. It is the main artery running north from Parliament Square, towards Charing Cross at the southern end of Trafalgar Square...
he escaped once more, according to his own account on the very day he was to have been executed; John Evelyn
John Evelyn
John Evelyn was an English writer, gardener and diarist.Evelyn's diaries or Memoirs are largely contemporaneous with those of the other noted diarist of the time, Samuel Pepys, and cast considerable light on the art, culture and politics of the time John Evelyn (31 October 1620 – 27 February...
records in his Diary
John Evelyn's Diary
The Diary of John Evelyn, a gentlemanly Royalist and virtuoso of the seventeenth century, was first published in 1818 under the title Memoirs Illustrative of the Life and Writings of John Evelyn, in an edition by William Bray. Bray was assisted by William Upcott, who had access to the Evelyn family...
on 6 September 1651 that Dyve dined with him and related a thrilling story of his leap from a second-storey window into the River Thames
River Thames
The River Thames flows through southern England. It is the longest river entirely in England and the second longest in the United Kingdom. While it is best known because its lower reaches flow through central London, the river flows alongside several other towns and cities, including Oxford,...
, afterwards swimming to a boat, in winter and at the dead of night. Dyve then made his way to Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
where he once more served with the Royal forces; in 1650 he published an account of events in that country during the previous two years.