Richard Knightley
Encyclopedia
Sir Richard Knightley of Fawsley
in Northamptonshire
, was an English Member of Parliament
(MP) and leading patron of the Puritan
s during the reign of Elizabeth I
.
Knightley, the senior member of one of the leading families of Northamptonshire
, was knighted in 1565. He was MP for Northampton
in the Parliaments of 1584 and 1586, and for Northamptonshire
in those of 1589 and 1598. He also served as High Sheriff of Northamptonshire
in 1568-1569 and 1581-1582. In 1587 he was commanded by Queen Elizabeth to be present at the execution of Mary, Queen of Scots (which took place in Northamptonshire).
Sir Richard was a conspicuous member of the Puritan faction in Parliament, and in 1588 the secret printing press on which the Marprelate Tracts were printed was concealed at his house; indeed, he may have met the expense of the printing. When this was discovered he was arrested, though subsequently released, and in February 1589 was fined £2,000 by Star Chamber, and dismissed from the lieutenancy
of the county and the magistracy
. In 1605, he was again fined, this time the sum of £10,000.
He was MP for Orford, Suffolk
in 1601.
He died in 1615. His son and heir, Valentine, and his grandson, Richard
, were also members of Parliament.
Fawsley
Fawsley is a hamlet and civil parish in the Daventry district of the county of Northamptonshire, England. The population at the 2001 census was 32....
in Northamptonshire
Northamptonshire
Northamptonshire is a landlocked county in the English East Midlands, with a population of 629,676 as at the 2001 census. It has boundaries with the ceremonial counties of Warwickshire to the west, Leicestershire and Rutland to the north, Cambridgeshire to the east, Bedfordshire to the south-east,...
, was an English 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,...
(MP) and leading patron of the Puritan
Puritan
The Puritans were a significant grouping of English Protestants in the 16th and 17th centuries. Puritanism in this sense was founded by some Marian exiles from the clergy shortly after the accession of Elizabeth I of England in 1558, as an activist movement within the Church of England...
s during the reign of Elizabeth I
Elizabeth I of England
Elizabeth I was queen regnant of England and Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death. Sometimes called The Virgin Queen, Gloriana, or Good Queen Bess, Elizabeth was the fifth and last monarch of the Tudor dynasty...
.
Knightley, the senior member of one of the leading families of Northamptonshire
Northamptonshire
Northamptonshire is a landlocked county in the English East Midlands, with a population of 629,676 as at the 2001 census. It has boundaries with the ceremonial counties of Warwickshire to the west, Leicestershire and Rutland to the north, Cambridgeshire to the east, Bedfordshire to the south-east,...
, was knighted in 1565. He was MP for Northampton
Northampton (UK Parliament constituency)
Northampton was a parliamentary constituency centred on the town of Northampton which existed until 1974.It returned two Members of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom until its representation was reduced to one member for the 1918 general election...
in the Parliaments of 1584 and 1586, and for Northamptonshire
Northamptonshire (UK Parliament constituency)
The county constituency of Northamptonshire, in the East Midlands of England 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 1832 and was represented in...
in those of 1589 and 1598. He also served as High Sheriff of Northamptonshire
High Sheriff of Northamptonshire
This is a list of the High Sheriffs of Northamptonshire.The High Sheriff is the oldest secular office under the Crown. Formerly the High Sheriff was the principal law enforcement officer in the county but over the centuries most of the responsibilities associated with the post have been...
in 1568-1569 and 1581-1582. In 1587 he was commanded by Queen Elizabeth to be present at the execution of Mary, Queen of Scots (which took place in Northamptonshire).
Sir Richard was a conspicuous member of the Puritan faction in Parliament, and in 1588 the secret printing press on which the Marprelate Tracts were printed was concealed at his house; indeed, he may have met the expense of the printing. When this was discovered he was arrested, though subsequently released, and in February 1589 was fined £2,000 by Star Chamber, and dismissed from the lieutenancy
Lord Lieutenant of Northamptonshire
Below is a list of people who have served as Lord Lieutenant of Northamptonshire. Since 1735, all Lords Lieutenant have also been Custos Rotulorum of Northamptonshire. The lieutenancy included the Soke of Peterborough until 1965, when the Lord Lieutenant of Huntingdonshire became Lord Lieutenant of...
of the county and the magistracy
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...
. In 1605, he was again fined, this time the sum of £10,000.
He was MP for Orford, Suffolk
Orford (UK Parliament constituency)
Orford was a constituency of the House of Commons. Consisting of the town of Orford in Suffolk, it elected two Members of Parliament by the bloc vote version of the first past the post system of election until it was disenfranchised in 1832.-History:...
in 1601.
He died in 1615. His son and heir, Valentine, and his grandson, Richard
Richard Knightley (died 1639)
Richard Knightley was an English Member of Parliament .The grandson of Sir Richard Knightley, he was MP for Northamptonshire in the parliaments of 1621, 1624, 1625 and 1628, and also served as High Sheriff of Northamptonshire in 1626...
, were also members of Parliament.