Robert Nicolas
Encyclopedia
Robert Nicholas was a judge and an English Member of Parliament who supported the Parliamentary cause
in the English Civil War
.
Nicholas was elected Member of Parliament
(M.P.) for Devizes
for the Long Parliament
in November 1640. He assisted in prosecuting Archbishop Laud in 1643. In 1648 he became Serjeant-at-law
and in 1649 judge of the upper bench. He was Baron of the Exchequer in 1655.
Nicholas was not exempted from the general pardon at the restoration of the monarchy in 1660. He was commissioner for raising money in Wiltshire in 1660.
Roundhead
"Roundhead" was the nickname given to the supporters of the Parliament during the English Civil War. Also known as Parliamentarians, they fought against King Charles I and his supporters, the Cavaliers , who claimed absolute power and the divine right of kings...
in the English Civil War
English Civil War
The English Civil War was a series of armed conflicts and political machinations between Parliamentarians and Royalists...
.
Nicholas 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,...
(M.P.) for Devizes
Devizes (UK Parliament constituency)
Devizes is a parliamentary constituency in Wiltshire, England, which is now represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, and before 1707 in the House of Commons of England....
for 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...
in November 1640. He assisted in prosecuting Archbishop Laud in 1643. In 1648 he became Serjeant-at-law
Serjeant-at-law
The Serjeants-at-Law was an order of barristers at the English bar. The position of Serjeant-at-Law , or Sergeant-Counter, was centuries old; there are writs dating to 1300 which identify them as descended from figures in France prior to the Norman Conquest...
and in 1649 judge of the upper bench. He was Baron of the Exchequer in 1655.
Nicholas was not exempted from the general pardon at the restoration of the monarchy in 1660. He was commissioner for raising money in Wiltshire in 1660.