George Abbot (English writer)
Encyclopedia
George Abbot was an English
writer, known as "The Puritan" and a politician who sat in the House of Commons
in two periods between 1640 and 1648.
, East Yorkshire
and his mother (or grandmother) was of the ancient house of Pickering. He matriculated from King's College, Cambridge
in 1622. In April 1640, he was elected Member of Parliament
for Tamworth
in the Short Parliament
. In the English civil war
, he made a notable defence of the house at Caldecote, Warwickshire
, which he had acquired through marriage. On 15 August 1642, with eight men, his mother and maids, he held out against Princes Rupert
and Maurice
with 18 troops of horses and dragoons. He was re-elected MP for Tamworth in 1645 for the Long Parliament
and held the seat until his death in 1648.
and scholar of critical ability. His Whole Booke of Job Paraphrased, or made easy for any to understand (1640, quarto), was written in a terse style which contrasts with the usual wordiness of the Puritan expositors and commentators. His Vindiciae Sabbathi (1641, octavo) had a profound and lasting influence in the long Sabbatarian controversy. His Brief Notes upon the Whole Book of Psalms (1651, quarto) was published posthumously.
Abbot died in his 44th year and was buried in Charlecote church where his monument describes his defence of Charlecote.
Abbot married a daughter of Colonel Purefoy
of Caldecote.
. One of the sons of Sir Morris Abbot called George
was also an MP in the Short Parliament.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
writer, known as "The Puritan" and a politician who sat in the House of Commons
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 two periods between 1640 and 1648.
Life
Abbot was son or grandson (it is not clear which) of Sir Thomas Abbot of EasingtonEasington, East Riding of Yorkshire
Easington is a small village and civil parish in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England in the area known as Holderness. It is situated between the Humber estuary and the North Sea at the south-eastern corner of the county at the end of the B1445 road from Patrington.The civil parish is formed by...
, East Yorkshire
Yorkshire
Yorkshire is a historic county of northern England and the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its great size in comparison to other English counties, functions have been increasingly undertaken over time by its subdivisions, which have also been subject to periodic reform...
and his mother (or grandmother) was of the ancient house of Pickering. He matriculated from King's College, Cambridge
King's College, Cambridge
King's College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge, England. The college's full name is "The King's College of our Lady and Saint Nicholas in Cambridge", but it is usually referred to simply as "King's" within the University....
in 1622. In April 1640, he 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 Tamworth
Tamworth (UK Parliament constituency)
Tamworth is a parliamentary 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.- History :...
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 English civil war
English Civil War
The English Civil War was a series of armed conflicts and political machinations between Parliamentarians and Royalists...
, he made a notable defence of the house at Caldecote, Warwickshire
Caldecote, Warwickshire
Caldecote is a village in Warwickshire, England, 2 miles north of Nuneaton and south of the A5.-Further reading:Sheasby, Alan Skylark Fields: A Forties Childhood Exeter, Devon: Wheaton Publishers Ltd/Warwickshire Books, ISBN 1-871942-04-7...
, which he had acquired through marriage. On 15 August 1642, with eight men, his mother and maids, he held out against Princes Rupert
Prince Rupert of the Rhine
Rupert, Count Palatine of the Rhine, Duke of Bavaria, 1st Duke of Cumberland, 1st Earl of Holderness , commonly called Prince Rupert of the Rhine, KG, FRS was a noted soldier, admiral, scientist, sportsman, colonial governor and amateur artist during the 17th century...
and Maurice
Prince Maurice von Simmern
Prince Maurice of the Palatinate KG , Count Palatine of the Rhine, was the fourth son of Frederick V, Elector Palatine and Princess Elizabeth, only daughter of James I, King of England and Scotland and Anne of Denmark....
with 18 troops of horses and dragoons. He was re-elected MP for Tamworth in 1645 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...
and held the seat until his death in 1648.
Works
Abbot was a lay theologianLay theologian
A lay theologian is a theologian who is not an ordained clergyman.Among lay theologians are the following:* George Abbot * Thomas J. J. Altizer* Joseph T. Bayly* Edward Musgrave Blaiklock* Nicholas Cabasilas* Chung Hyun Kyung...
and scholar of critical ability. His Whole Booke of Job Paraphrased, or made easy for any to understand (1640, quarto), was written in a terse style which contrasts with the usual wordiness of the Puritan expositors and commentators. His Vindiciae Sabbathi (1641, octavo) had a profound and lasting influence in the long Sabbatarian controversy. His Brief Notes upon the Whole Book of Psalms (1651, quarto) was published posthumously.
Abbot died in his 44th year and was buried in Charlecote church where his monument describes his defence of Charlecote.
Abbot married a daughter of Colonel Purefoy
William Purefoy
William Purefoy was an English politician who sat in the House of Commons of England variously between 1628 and 1659. He supported the Parliamentary cause in the English Civil War and was one of the regicides of King Charles I of England....
of Caldecote.
Mistaken identifications
Abbot has been confused with others of the same name and has been described as a clergyman, which he never was. His writings have been incorrectly attributed in the bibliographical authorities to a relation of George Abbot the archbishop of CanterburyArchbishop of Canterbury
The Archbishop of Canterbury is the senior bishop and principal leader of the Church of England, the symbolic head of the worldwide Anglican Communion, and the diocesan bishop of the Diocese of Canterbury. In his role as head of the Anglican Communion, the archbishop leads the third largest group...
. One of the sons of Sir Morris Abbot called George
George Abbotts
George Abbotts or Abbot was an English politician who sat in the House of Commons between 1640 and 1645.Abbotts was born in Middlesex, the son of Sir Maurice Abbot. He matriculated at Balliol College, Oxford on 15 October 1619, aged 17 and was awarded BA on 28 February 1622. In 1622 he became a...
was also an MP in the Short Parliament.