Robert Naunton
Encyclopedia
Sir Robert Naunton was an English
writer and politician who sat in the House of Commons
at various times between 1606 and 1626.
. He he was educated at Trinity College, Cambridge
, becoming a fellow of his college in 1585 and public orator of the university in 1594. Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex
, commissioned him to spend some time abroad, sending information about European affairs. On his return, Naunton was elected Member of Parliament
for Helston
at a by-election in 1606.
In 1614 Naunton was knight
ed and in 1616 became master of requests and later surveyor of the court of wards. In December 1617 his friend George Villiers, 1st Duke of Buckingham
procured for him the position of Secretary of State
on the condition of his making Christopher Villiers
, Buckingham's brother, his heir, and during his lifetime Villiers gained from Naunton estates worth £500 a year. In 1621 Naunton was elected MP for (Cambridge University
. His strong Protestant opinions led him to favour more active intervention by England in the interests of Frederick V, Elector Palatine
, and more vigorous application of the laws against Roman Catholics. Naunton was censured after the Spanish
ambassador, Gondomar
, complained to King James I
. Consequently, in 1623, Naunton resigned as Secretary of State and was made master of the Court of Wards and Liveries
. He was re-elected MP for Cambridge University in 1624 and 1625. He was elected MP for Suffolk
in 1626.
Naunton died at Letheringham
, Suffolk at the age of 71.
Naunton's daughter Penelope married Philip Herbert, 5th Earl of Pembroke
in his first marriage, and he thus became the grandfather of the sixth Earl of Pembroke
.
's reign was still in manuscript when he died. As Fragmenta regalia, written by Sir Robert Naunton, it was printed in 1641 and again in 1642, a revised edition Fragmenta Regalia, or Observations on the late Queen Elizabeth, her Times and Favourites, being issued in 1653. It was again published in 1824, and an edition edited by Edward Arber
was brought out in 1870. It has also been printed in several collections and has been translated into French
and Italian
. There are several manuscript copies extant, and some of Naunton's letters are in the British Museum
and in other collections. A modern critical edition was prepared by J. S. Cerovski and published in 1985.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
writer and politician who sat in the House of Commons
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 1606 and 1626.
Life
Naunton was the son of Henry Naunton of Alderton, SuffolkAlderton, Suffolk
Alderton is a village and civil parish in the Suffolk Coastal district of Suffolk, England, about six miles north of Felixstowe, 10 miles south-east of Woodbridge and 2 miles south of Hollesley, on the North Sea coast and in the heart of Heaths of Outstanding Natural Beauty. In 2007 its population...
. He he was educated at Trinity College, Cambridge
Trinity College, Cambridge
Trinity College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Trinity has more members than any other college in Cambridge or Oxford, with around 700 undergraduates, 430 graduates, and over 170 Fellows...
, becoming a fellow of his college in 1585 and public orator of the university in 1594. Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex
Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex
Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex, KG was an English nobleman and a favourite of Elizabeth I. Politically ambitious, and a committed general, he was placed under house arrest following a poor campaign in Ireland during the Nine Years' War in 1599...
, commissioned him to spend some time abroad, sending information about European affairs. On his return, Naunton 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 Helston
Helston (UK Parliament constituency)
Helston, sometimes known as Helleston, was a parliamentary borough centred on the small town of Helston in Cornwall.Using the bloc vote system of election, it returned two Members of Parliament to the House of Commons of England until 1707, then to House of Commons of Great Britain until 1800, and...
at a by-election in 1606.
In 1614 Naunton was knight
Knight
A knight was a member of a class of lower nobility in the High Middle Ages.By the Late Middle Ages, the rank had become associated with the ideals of chivalry, a code of conduct for the perfect courtly Christian warrior....
ed and in 1616 became master of requests and later surveyor of the court of wards. In December 1617 his friend George Villiers, 1st 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...
procured for him the position of Secretary of State
Secretary of State (England)
In the Kingdom of England, the title of Secretary of State came into being near the end of the reign of Queen Elizabeth I , the usual title before that having been King's Clerk, King's Secretary, or Principal Secretary....
on the condition of his making Christopher Villiers
Christopher Villiers, 1st Earl of Anglesey
Christopher Villiers, 1st Earl of Anglesey , known at court as Kit Villiers, was an English courtier, Gentleman of the Bedchamber and later Master of the Robes to King James I...
, Buckingham's brother, his heir, and during his lifetime Villiers gained from Naunton estates worth £500 a year. In 1621 Naunton was elected MP for (Cambridge University
Cambridge University (UK Parliament constituency)
Cambridge University was a university constituency electing two members to the British House of Commons, from 1603 to 1950.-Boundaries, Electorate and Election Systems:...
. His strong Protestant opinions led him to favour more active intervention by England in the interests of Frederick V, Elector Palatine
Frederick V, Elector Palatine
Frederick V was Elector Palatine , and, as Frederick I , King of Bohemia ....
, and more vigorous application of the laws against Roman Catholics. Naunton was censured after the Spanish
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
ambassador, Gondomar
Diego Sarmiento de Acuña, conde de Gondomar
Don Diego Sarmiento de Acuña, Count of Gondomar , was a Galician diplomat, the Spanish ambassador to England in 1613 to 1622 and afterwards, as a kind of ambassador emeritus, as Spain's leading expert on English affairs until his death...
, complained to King James I
James I of England
James VI and I was King of Scots as James VI from 24 July 1567 and King of England and Ireland as James I from the union of the English and Scottish crowns on 24 March 1603...
. Consequently, in 1623, Naunton resigned as Secretary of State and was made master of the Court of Wards and Liveries
Court of Wards and Liveries
The Court of Wards and Liveries was a court established during the reign of Henry VIII in England. Its purpose was to administer a system of feudal dues; but as well as the revenue collection, the court was also responsible for wardship and livery issues....
. He was re-elected MP for Cambridge University in 1624 and 1625. He was elected MP for Suffolk
Suffolk (UK Parliament constituency)
Suffolk was a county constituency of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which returned two Members of Parliament to the House of Commons from 1290 until 1832, when it was split into two divisions.-Boundaries and franchise:...
in 1626.
Naunton died at Letheringham
Letheringham
Letheringham is a sparsely populated civil parish in the Suffolk Coastal in Suffolk, England, on the Deben River.-Sights:St Mary is a tiny church, the remains of the tower and nave of a Priory church, and sits in a farmyard...
, Suffolk at the age of 71.
Naunton's daughter Penelope married Philip Herbert, 5th Earl of Pembroke
Philip Herbert, 5th Earl of Pembroke
Philip Herbert, 5th Earl of Pembroke, 2nd Earl of Montgomery , succeeded to the titles in 1649 on the death of his father, also called Philip Herbert....
in his first marriage, and he thus became the grandfather of the sixth Earl of Pembroke
William Herbert, 6th Earl of Pembroke
William Herbert, 6th Earl of Pembroke, 3rd Earl of Montgomery was an English nobleman and politician who succeeded to the titles on 11 December 1669 on the death of his father....
.
Works
Naunton's account of Queen ElizabethElizabeth 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...
's reign was still in manuscript when he died. As Fragmenta regalia, written by Sir Robert Naunton, it was printed in 1641 and again in 1642, a revised edition Fragmenta Regalia, or Observations on the late Queen Elizabeth, her Times and Favourites, being issued in 1653. It was again published in 1824, and an edition edited by Edward Arber
Edward Arber
Edward Arber was an English academic and writer.Arber was born in London. From 1854 be 1878 he worked as a clerk in the Admiralty, and began evening classes at King's College London in 1858. From 1878 to 1881 he lectured in English, under Prof. H...
was brought out in 1870. It has also been printed in several collections and has been translated into French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
and Italian
Italian language
Italian is a Romance language spoken mainly in Europe: Italy, Switzerland, San Marino, Vatican City, by minorities in Malta, Monaco, Croatia, Slovenia, France, Libya, Eritrea, and Somalia, and by immigrant communities in the Americas and Australia...
. There are several manuscript copies extant, and some of Naunton's letters are in the British Museum
British Museum
The British Museum is a museum of human history and culture in London. Its collections, which number more than seven million objects, are amongst the largest and most comprehensive in the world and originate from all continents, illustrating and documenting the story of human culture from its...
and in other collections. A modern critical edition was prepared by J. S. Cerovski and published in 1985.