Silius Titus
Encyclopedia
Silius or Silas Titus of Bushey
, was an English politician, captain of Deal Castle
, and Gentleman of the Bedchamber
to King Charles II
.
, where he matriculated in 1638, and the Middle Temple.
Titus began his political aspirations by writing a pamphlet titled Killing No Murder
in 1657 during The Protectorate
period of the English Interregnum
era of English history. The pamphlet advocated the assassination
of Oliver Cromwell
. Due to the danger involved in writing such a politically charged opinion against the Protector, Killing No Murder was published under the pseudonym 'William Allen'.
Cromwell was said to have been so disturbed after the publication of Killing No Murder that he never spent more than two nights in the same place and always took extreme precaution in planning his travel.
Titus' authorship of this pamphlet has been disputed in some circles; it has also been attributed to Edward Sexby
or a man by the real name of William Allen. These attributions are usually unfounded as King Charles II
awarded Titus the title of Gentleman of the Bedchamber
for his service in authoring the work.
. Although he was a strong Presbyterian Titus became an ardent Royalist
devoted to Charles I
and King Charles II
.
He became a Member of Parliament, successively representing Ludgershall
(1660), Lostwithiel
(1670-1678), Hertfordshire
(1678-1679), Huntingdonshire
(1679-1685) and Ludlow
(1691-1695).
Though not eloquent, he would often illustrate his speeches with a humor that rendered them effective. For instance, when it was complained that Titus made sport of the House of Commons of the United Kingdom, he retorted that "things were not necessarily serious because they were dull". Once again, when Charles II offered to impose limitations on a Roman Catholic Church sovereign rather than exclude his brother from the throne, Titus likened such a plan to "having a lion in the lobby and then voting to secure ourselves by letting him in and chaining him, rather than by keeping him out".
Titus also served King James II
but later transferred his allegiance to William III
. During his life he held a number of royal appointments: Keeper of Deal Castle (1661-1669), Colonel of the Cinque Ports Militia (1661-1669), Commissioner for Assessment for Middlesex (1661-1663), for Kent (1664-1669), for Leicestershire (1673-1679), for Hertfordshire (1673-1680), and for Huntingdonshire (1677-1680), Assistant, Royal Adventurers into Africa (1663), Assistant, Royal Fishing Company (1664), Captain of a Company in the Admiral's Regiment (1666), Privy Councillor (1688), Commissioner for Trade and Plantations (1688-1674), Conservator of the Bedford Level (1679-death), Deputy-Lieutenant of Hertfordshire (1680-1681, 1687-1689, 1701-death) and Commissioner for Inquiry into Recusancy Fines (1687).
He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in January, 1669
When he died in 1704 Titus was buried at Bushey
. He had married c.1645 Katherine, daughter of James Winstanley, Counsellor-at-law, of Gray's Inn and Braunstone, Leicestershire.
on two occasions. The following excerpts come from the entries of those days.
"Very great deal of company come today, among others Mr. Bellasses, Sir Thomas Lenthropp, Sir Henry Chichley, Colonel Philip Honiwood, and Captain Titus, the last of whom my Lord showed all our cabins, and I suppose he is to take notice what room there will be for the King's entertainment."
"This day with great joy Captain Titus told us the particulars of the French's expedition against Gigery upon the Barbary Coast, in the Straights, with 6,000 chosen men. They have taken the Fort of Gigery, wherein were five men and three guns, which makes the whole story of the King of France's policy and power to be laughed at."
Bushey
Bushey is a town in the Hertsmere borough of Hertfordshire in the East of England. Bushey Heath is situated to the south east of Bushey on the boundary with the London Borough of Harrow.-History:...
, was an English politician, captain of Deal Castle
Deal Castle
Deal Castle is located in Deal, Kent, England, between Walmer Castle and the now lost Sandown Castle .-Construction:It is one of the most impressive of the Device Forts or Henrician Castles built by Henry VIII between 1539 and 1540 as an artillery fortress to counter the threat of invasion from...
, and Gentleman of the Bedchamber
Gentleman of the Bedchamber
A Gentleman of the Bedchamber was the holder of an important office in the royal household of the Kingdom of England from the 11th century, later used also in the Kingdom of Great Britain.-Description and functions:...
to King Charles II
Charles II of England
Charles II was monarch of the three kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland.Charles II's father, King Charles I, was executed at Whitehall on 30 January 1649, at the climax of the English Civil War...
.
Early Life
He was born in London, the son of Silas Titus, a salter and Constatia (Constance) Colley. He was educated at Christ Church, OxfordChrist Church, Oxford
Christ Church or house of Christ, and thus sometimes known as The House), is one of the largest constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England...
, where he matriculated in 1638, and the Middle Temple.
Killing No Murder
Killing No Murder
Killing No Murder is a pamphlet published in 1657 during The Protectorate period of the English Interregnum era of English history. The pamphlet of disputed authorship advocates the assassination of Oliver Cromwell. The publication was in high demand at the time of its distribution...
in 1657 during The Protectorate
The Protectorate
In British history, the Protectorate was the period 1653–1659 during which the Commonwealth of England was governed by a Lord Protector.-Background:...
period of the English Interregnum
Interregnum
An interregnum is a period of discontinuity or "gap" in a government, organization, or social order...
era of English history. The pamphlet advocated the assassination
Assassination
To carry out an assassination is "to murder by a sudden and/or secret attack, often for political reasons." Alternatively, assassination may be defined as "the act of deliberately killing someone, especially a public figure, usually for hire or for political reasons."An assassination may be...
of Oliver Cromwell
Oliver Cromwell
Oliver Cromwell was an English military and political leader who overthrew the English monarchy and temporarily turned England into a republican Commonwealth, and served as Lord Protector of England, Scotland, and Ireland....
. Due to the danger involved in writing such a politically charged opinion against the Protector, Killing No Murder was published under the pseudonym 'William Allen'.
Cromwell was said to have been so disturbed after the publication of Killing No Murder that he never spent more than two nights in the same place and always took extreme precaution in planning his travel.
Titus' authorship of this pamphlet has been disputed in some circles; it has also been attributed to Edward Sexby
Edward Sexby
Colonel Edward Sexby or Saxby was an English Puritan soldier and Leveller in the army of Oliver Cromwell. Later he turned against Cromwell and plotted his assassination.-Life:...
or a man by the real name of William Allen. These attributions are usually unfounded as King Charles II
Charles II of England
Charles II was monarch of the three kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland.Charles II's father, King Charles I, was executed at Whitehall on 30 January 1649, at the climax of the English Civil War...
awarded Titus the title of Gentleman of the Bedchamber
Gentleman of the Bedchamber
A Gentleman of the Bedchamber was the holder of an important office in the royal household of the Kingdom of England from the 11th century, later used also in the Kingdom of Great Britain.-Description and functions:...
for his service in authoring the work.
Political life
Silius Titus first took up arms for the ParliamentParliament
A parliament is a legislature, especially in those countries whose system of government is based on the Westminster system modeled after that of the United Kingdom. The name is derived from the French , the action of parler : a parlement is a discussion. The term came to mean a meeting at which...
. Although he was a strong Presbyterian Titus became an ardent 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...
devoted to Charles I
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...
and King Charles II
Charles II of England
Charles II was monarch of the three kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland.Charles II's father, King Charles I, was executed at Whitehall on 30 January 1649, at the climax of the English Civil War...
.
He became a Member of Parliament, successively representing Ludgershall
Ludgershall (UK Parliament constituency)
Ludgershall was a parliamentary borough in Wiltshire, which elected two Members of Parliament to the House of Commons from 1295 until 1832, when the borough was abolished by the Great Reform Act.- 1295–1640 :- 1640–1832 :- Sources :...
(1660), Lostwithiel
Lostwithiel (UK Parliament constituency)
Lostwithiel was a rotten borough in Cornwall which returned two Members of Parliament to the House of Commons in the English and later British Parliament from 1304 to 1832, when it was abolished by the Great Reform Act.-History:...
(1670-1678), Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire (UK Parliament constituency)
Hertfordshire was a county constituency covering the county of Hertfordshire in England. It returned two Knights of the Shire to the House of Commons of England until 1707, then to the House of Commons of Great Britain until 1800, and to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom...
(1678-1679), Huntingdonshire
Huntingdonshire (UK Parliament constituency)
Huntingdonshire was a Parliamentary constituency covering the county of Huntingdonshire in England. It was represented in the House of Commons of England until 1707, then in the House of Commons of Great Britain from 1707 to 1800, and then in the House of Commons the Parliament of the United...
(1679-1685) and Ludlow
Ludlow (UK Parliament constituency)
Ludlow is a county constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election....
(1691-1695).
Though not eloquent, he would often illustrate his speeches with a humor that rendered them effective. For instance, when it was complained that Titus made sport of the House of Commons of the United Kingdom, he retorted that "things were not necessarily serious because they were dull". Once again, when Charles II offered to impose limitations on a Roman Catholic Church sovereign rather than exclude his brother from the throne, Titus likened such a plan to "having a lion in the lobby and then voting to secure ourselves by letting him in and chaining him, rather than by keeping him out".
Titus also served King James II
James II of England
James II & VII was King of England and King of Ireland as James II and King of Scotland as James VII, from 6 February 1685. He was the last Catholic monarch to reign over the Kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland...
but later transferred his allegiance to William III
William III of England
William III & II was a sovereign Prince of Orange of the House of Orange-Nassau by birth. From 1672 he governed as Stadtholder William III of Orange over Holland, Zeeland, Utrecht, Guelders, and Overijssel of the Dutch Republic. From 1689 he reigned as William III over England and Ireland...
. During his life he held a number of royal appointments: Keeper of Deal Castle (1661-1669), Colonel of the Cinque Ports Militia (1661-1669), Commissioner for Assessment for Middlesex (1661-1663), for Kent (1664-1669), for Leicestershire (1673-1679), for Hertfordshire (1673-1680), and for Huntingdonshire (1677-1680), Assistant, Royal Adventurers into Africa (1663), Assistant, Royal Fishing Company (1664), Captain of a Company in the Admiral's Regiment (1666), Privy Councillor (1688), Commissioner for Trade and Plantations (1688-1674), Conservator of the Bedford Level (1679-death), Deputy-Lieutenant of Hertfordshire (1680-1681, 1687-1689, 1701-death) and Commissioner for Inquiry into Recusancy Fines (1687).
He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in January, 1669
When he died in 1704 Titus was buried at Bushey
Bushey
Bushey is a town in the Hertsmere borough of Hertfordshire in the East of England. Bushey Heath is situated to the south east of Bushey on the boundary with the London Borough of Harrow.-History:...
. He had married c.1645 Katherine, daughter of James Winstanley, Counsellor-at-law, of Gray's Inn and Braunstone, Leicestershire.
Mentioned in Samuel Pepys' Diary
Captain Titus was mentioned in the diary kept by Samuel PepysSamuel Pepys
Samuel Pepys FRS, MP, JP, was an English naval administrator and Member of Parliament who is now most famous for the diary he kept for a decade while still a relatively young man...
on two occasions. The following excerpts come from the entries of those days.
- 7 May 1660
"Very great deal of company come today, among others Mr. Bellasses, Sir Thomas Lenthropp, Sir Henry Chichley, Colonel Philip Honiwood, and Captain Titus, the last of whom my Lord showed all our cabins, and I suppose he is to take notice what room there will be for the King's entertainment."
- 11 October 1664
"This day with great joy Captain Titus told us the particulars of the French's expedition against Gigery upon the Barbary Coast, in the Straights, with 6,000 chosen men. They have taken the Fort of Gigery, wherein were five men and three guns, which makes the whole story of the King of France's policy and power to be laughed at."
External links
- RootsWeb.com: Family History for the House of Smith
- Edgar Allan Poe Marginalia - Part IV
- 1911 Encyclopedia
- Sixty Years of an Agitator's Life
- University of Western Ontario: Books Online
- The History of England From the Invasion of Julius Caesar to the Revolution in 1688 (1778) Volume VI