Benjamin Valentine
Encyclopedia
Benjamin Valentine was an English parliamentarian.
Valentine was probably a native of Cheshire. He was elected on 3 March 1627–1628 to represent the borough of St. Germans in the parliament of 1628–9. He was in the House of Commons on 2 March 1628–9 when Speaker Finch would have obeyed King Charles I
's direction for adjournment. Valentine, with Denzil Holles, held the speaker down in his seat while Sir John Eliot read out resolutions questioning the king's proceedings respecting religion and taxation. On 5 March, with Selden and Coryton, he was under examination at the council board, and was committed to the Tower of London
.
On 17 March he was examined before a committee of the council, when he refused to answer any questions respecting acts done in parliament. On 6 May he, with Selden, Holles, Strode, Hobart, and Long, considering themselves legally entitled to bail, applied to the court of king's bench
for a writ of habeas corpus
. Such stringent conditions were, however, imposed that Valentine absolutely declined to comply with them, and refused to accept bail (3 October 1629). On 7 May an information was filed against him and others by the attorney-general in the Star-chamber, but the prisoners were proceeded against in the court of king's bench. Valentine's ‘plea and demurrer’ to the information of Attorney-general Heath, prepared by his counsel, Robert Mason
and Henry Calthorpe, was issued on 22 May, and was followed by a further plea on 1 June in answer to the altered information of 29 May.
With Selden he should have appeared before the judges of the king's bench on 24 June, had not the king reversed the order for fear that bail should be granted. On 13 October Heath brought in his information against Eliot, Holles, and Valentine in the court of king's bench. On 29 October the three prisoners were transferred from the Tower to the Marshalsea. They appeared in court on 26 Jan. 1630, and again the following day, when Valentine's case was pleaded by Calthorpe. Judgment was pronounced on 12 February, when Valentine was fined 500l.
During the summer of 1630 Valentine, with Selden and Strode, was removed to the Gatehouse on account of the sickness in the town. Through the leniency of their keeper they were frequently released on short paroles. They visited Eliot in the Tower, and passed whole weeks in the country in their own houses or in those of their friends. Returning to the Gatehouse towards the end of September, they were put into closer confinement, and their keeper fined 100l. and committed to the Marshalsea
. Valentine continued a prisoner for eleven years, and was finally released in January 1640. He took the protestation on 5 May 1641, and the covenant on 25 September 1643. He was elected to represent St. Germans in the Long Parliament
.
Compensation for his losses was granted him by the parliament between 1643 and 1648. Valentine died before 1653. He married Elizabeth, daughter of Matthew Springham, by whom he had at least one son, Matthias, who died in the winter of 1653–4, and is described in his will as of St. Clement Danes, Middlesex.
Valentine was probably a native of Cheshire. He was elected on 3 March 1627–1628 to represent the borough of St. Germans in the parliament of 1628–9. He was in the House of Commons on 2 March 1628–9 when Speaker Finch would have obeyed King 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...
's direction for adjournment. Valentine, with Denzil Holles, held the speaker down in his seat while Sir John Eliot read out resolutions questioning the king's proceedings respecting religion and taxation. On 5 March, with Selden and Coryton, he was under examination at the council board, and was committed to the Tower of London
Tower of London
Her Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress, more commonly known as the Tower of London, is a historic castle on the north bank of the River Thames in central London, England. It lies within the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, separated from the eastern edge of the City of London by the open space...
.
On 17 March he was examined before a committee of the council, when he refused to answer any questions respecting acts done in parliament. On 6 May he, with Selden, Holles, Strode, Hobart, and Long, considering themselves legally entitled to bail, applied to the court of king's bench
King's Bench
The Queen's Bench is the superior court in a number of jurisdictions within some of the Commonwealth realms...
for a writ of habeas corpus
Habeas corpus
is a writ, or legal action, through which a prisoner can be released from unlawful detention. The remedy can be sought by the prisoner or by another person coming to his aid. Habeas corpus originated in the English legal system, but it is now available in many nations...
. Such stringent conditions were, however, imposed that Valentine absolutely declined to comply with them, and refused to accept bail (3 October 1629). On 7 May an information was filed against him and others by the attorney-general in the Star-chamber, but the prisoners were proceeded against in the court of king's bench. Valentine's ‘plea and demurrer’ to the information of Attorney-general Heath, prepared by his counsel, Robert Mason
Robert Mason
Robert Mason may refer to:*Robert Mason *Robert Mason , Member of Parliament for Wansbeck 1918–1922...
and Henry Calthorpe, was issued on 22 May, and was followed by a further plea on 1 June in answer to the altered information of 29 May.
With Selden he should have appeared before the judges of the king's bench on 24 June, had not the king reversed the order for fear that bail should be granted. On 13 October Heath brought in his information against Eliot, Holles, and Valentine in the court of king's bench. On 29 October the three prisoners were transferred from the Tower to the Marshalsea. They appeared in court on 26 Jan. 1630, and again the following day, when Valentine's case was pleaded by Calthorpe. Judgment was pronounced on 12 February, when Valentine was fined 500l.
During the summer of 1630 Valentine, with Selden and Strode, was removed to the Gatehouse on account of the sickness in the town. Through the leniency of their keeper they were frequently released on short paroles. They visited Eliot in the Tower, and passed whole weeks in the country in their own houses or in those of their friends. Returning to the Gatehouse towards the end of September, they were put into closer confinement, and their keeper fined 100l. and committed to the Marshalsea
Marshalsea
The Marshalsea was a prison on the south bank of the River Thames in Southwark, now part of London. From the 14th century until it closed in 1842, it housed men under court martial for crimes at sea, including those accused of "unnatural crimes", political figures and intellectuals accused of...
. Valentine continued a prisoner for eleven years, and was finally released in January 1640. He took the protestation on 5 May 1641, and the covenant on 25 September 1643. He was elected to represent St. Germans in 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...
.
Compensation for his losses was granted him by the parliament between 1643 and 1648. Valentine died before 1653. He married Elizabeth, daughter of Matthew Springham, by whom he had at least one son, Matthias, who died in the winter of 1653–4, and is described in his will as of St. Clement Danes, Middlesex.