Robert Tracy, 2nd Viscount Tracy
Encyclopedia
Sir Robert Tracy, 2nd Viscount Tracy (c. 1593–1662) was an English politician who sat in the House of Commons of England
variously between 1620 and 1640. He fought for the Royalists in the English Civil War
.
Tracy was the son of Sir John Tracy of Toddington and his wife Anne Shirley daughter of Sir Thomas Shirley of Wiston Sussex. He matriculated at Queen's College, Oxford and was admitted to Middle Temple
in 1610. He was knighted by King James I at Theobalds on 2 October 1616.
In 1620, Tracy was elected Member of Parliament
for Gloucestershire
and held the seat until 1622. He was re-elected MP for Gloucestershire in 1626. In April 1640, he was re-elected MP for Gloucestershire in the Short Parliament
.
In the Civil War Tracy was a Commissioner for King Charles I and fought against the Parliamentary forces at Cirencester and the Siege of Gloucester in 1643. He surrendered to Colonel Massey in 1645 and was compounded for delinquency in 1647. He was assessed to pay a fine, beginning at £4000, reduced to £2000, then £1,500 and finally £360. He inherited the title
on the death of his father around 1648. He took the oath of fidelity to the Government in 1650 and was discharged under the Act of Pardon 1652.
Tracy died aged around 69 and was buried at Toddington on 2 May 1662.
Tracy married firstly in 1617 Bridget Lyttelton, daughter of John Lyttelton, of Frankley Court, co. Worcester and his wife Meril Bromley, daughter of Sir Thomas Bromley, Lord Chancellor. They had eight children including his successor John Tracy. He married as his second wife Dorothy Cocks, daughter of Thomas Cocks, of Castleditch, Herefordshire and his wife Anne Elton, daughter of Ambrose Elton, of Ledbury.
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...
variously between 1620 and 1640. He fought for the Royalists 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...
.
Tracy was the son of Sir John Tracy of Toddington and his wife Anne Shirley daughter of Sir Thomas Shirley of Wiston Sussex. He matriculated at Queen's College, Oxford and was admitted to Middle Temple
Middle Temple
The Honourable Society of the Middle Temple, commonly known as Middle Temple, is one of the four Inns of Court exclusively entitled to call their members to the English Bar as barristers; the others being the Inner Temple, Gray's Inn and Lincoln's Inn...
in 1610. He was knighted by King James I at Theobalds on 2 October 1616.
In 1620, Tracy 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 Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire (UK Parliament constituency)
The constituency of Gloucestershire was a UK Parliamentary constituency. After it was abolished under the 1832 Electoral Reform Act, two new constituencies, West Gloucestershire and East Gloucestershire, were created....
and held the seat until 1622. He was re-elected MP for Gloucestershire in 1626. In April 1640, he was re-elected MP for Gloucestershire in the Short Parliament
Short Parliament
The Short Parliament was a Parliament of England that sat from 13 April to 5 May 1640 during the reign of King Charles I of England, so called because it lasted only three weeks....
.
In the Civil War Tracy was a Commissioner for King Charles I and fought against the Parliamentary forces at Cirencester and the Siege of Gloucester in 1643. He surrendered to Colonel Massey in 1645 and was compounded for delinquency in 1647. He was assessed to pay a fine, beginning at £4000, reduced to £2000, then £1,500 and finally £360. He inherited the title
Viscount Tracy
Viscount Tracy, of Rathcoole in the County of Dublin, was a title in the Peerage of Ireland. It was created on 12 January 1643 for Sir John Tracy, previously Member of Parliament for Gloucestershire. He was made Baron Tracy, of Rathcoole in the County of Dublin, at the same time, also in the...
on the death of his father around 1648. He took the oath of fidelity to the Government in 1650 and was discharged under the Act of Pardon 1652.
Tracy died aged around 69 and was buried at Toddington on 2 May 1662.
Tracy married firstly in 1617 Bridget Lyttelton, daughter of John Lyttelton, of Frankley Court, co. Worcester and his wife Meril Bromley, daughter of Sir Thomas Bromley, Lord Chancellor. They had eight children including his successor John Tracy. He married as his second wife Dorothy Cocks, daughter of Thomas Cocks, of Castleditch, Herefordshire and his wife Anne Elton, daughter of Ambrose Elton, of Ledbury.