Sir Francis Wyndham, 1st Baronet
Encyclopedia
Sir Francis Wyndham, 1st Baronet (c. 1612 – 15 July 1676) was an English soldier and politician who sat in the House of Commons of England
in 1640. He was a colonel of horse in the Royalist army in the English Civil War
and helped Charles II escape to France.
Wyndham was the son of Sir Thomas Wyndham and his wife Elzabeth Coningsby, daughter of Richard Coningsby.
In April 1640, Wyndham was elected Member of Parliament
for Minehead
in the Short Parliament
. Wyndham became a colonel in the army of Charles I and was governor of Dunster Castle
. In 1645 he was engaged in the defence of Bridgwater. After the Battle of Worcester
in 1651, Wyndham was instrumental in the escape of Charles II
to France, hiding him in his house at Trent, Dorset
for several days.
In August 1660 Wyndham was elected MP for Milbourne Port
in the Convention Parliament and was re-elected in 1661 for the Cavalier Parliament
where he sat until his death. In 1661, he was a major in the Royal Horse Guards
He was created a Baronet
on 18 November 1673. He died three years later at the age of 64.
Wyndham married Anne Gerard, daughter of Thomas Gerard of Trent, Somerset, and had three sons, Thomas, Gerard, and Francis. Sir Francis died in 1676, and was succeeded in the baronetcy by his son Thomas.
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...
in 1640. He was a colonel of horse in the Royalist army 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...
and helped Charles II escape to France.
Wyndham was the son of Sir Thomas Wyndham and his wife Elzabeth Coningsby, daughter of Richard Coningsby.
In April 1640, Wyndham 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 Minehead
Minehead (UK Parliament constituency)
Minehead was a parliamentary borough in Somerset, which elected two Members of Parliament to the House of Commons from 1563 until 1832, when the borough was abolished by the Great Reform Act.- MPs 1563–1629 :...
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....
. Wyndham became a colonel in the army of Charles I and was governor of Dunster Castle
Dunster Castle
Dunster Castle is a former motte and bailey castle, now a country house, in the village of Dunster, Somerset, England. The castle lies on the top of a steep hill called the Tor, and has been fortified since the late Anglo-Saxon period. After the Norman conquest of England in the 11th century,...
. In 1645 he was engaged in the defence of Bridgwater. After the Battle of Worcester
Battle of Worcester
The Battle of Worcester took place on 3 September 1651 at Worcester, England and was the final battle of the English Civil War. Oliver Cromwell and the Parliamentarians defeated the Royalist, predominantly Scottish, forces of King Charles II...
in 1651, Wyndham was instrumental in the escape of Charles II
Escape of Charles II
The Escape of Charles II from England in 1651 is a key episode in his life. Although it took only six weeks, it had a major effect on his attitudes for the rest of his life.-The fugitive king:...
to France, hiding him in his house at Trent, Dorset
Trent, Dorset
Trent is a village in north west Dorset, England, situated in the Yeo valley four miles north west of Sherborne and four miles north east of Yeovil. It was formerly in Somerset...
for several days.
In August 1660 Wyndham was elected MP for Milbourne Port
Milborne Port (UK Parliament constituency)
Milborne Port is a former parliamentary borough located in Somerset. It elected two members to the unreformed House of Commons between 1298 and 1307 and again from 1628, but was disenfranchised in the Reform Act 1832 as a rotten borough.- MPs 1640–1832 :...
in the Convention Parliament and was re-elected in 1661 for the Cavalier Parliament
Cavalier Parliament
The Cavalier Parliament of England lasted from 8 May 1661 until 24 January 1679. It was the longest English Parliament, enduring for nearly 18 years of the quarter century reign of Charles II of England...
where he sat until his death. In 1661, he was a major in the Royal Horse Guards
Royal Horse Guards
The Royal Horse Guards was a cavalry regiment of the British Army, part of the Household Cavalry.Founded August 1650 in Newcastle Upon Tyne by Sir Arthur Haselrig on the orders of Oliver Cromwell as the Regiment of Cuirassiers, the regiment became the Earl of Oxford's Regiment during the reign of...
He was created a Baronet
Wyndham Baronets
-Wyndham Baronets, of Trent, Somerset :*Sir Francis Wyndham, 1st Baronet *Sir Thomas Wyndham, 2nd Baronet *Sir Francis Wyndham, 3rd Baronet...
on 18 November 1673. He died three years later at the age of 64.
Wyndham married Anne Gerard, daughter of Thomas Gerard of Trent, Somerset, and had three sons, Thomas, Gerard, and Francis. Sir Francis died in 1676, and was succeeded in the baronetcy by his son Thomas.