John Bright (parliamentarian)
Encyclopedia
Sir John Bright, 1st Baronet (14 October 1619 – 13 October 1688), was an English parliamentarian, of Carbrook
and Badsworth
, Yorkshire.
Bright was born in 1619, the third but only surviving son of Stephen Bright and Joan Westby.
He took up arms for the parliament at the outbreak of the civil war
. He raised several companies in the neighbourhood of Sheffield, and received a captain's commission from Lord Fairfax
. He was also named one of the sequestration commissioners for the West Riding (1 April 1643). About the same date he became a colonel of foot : 'He was but young when he first had the command, but he grew very valiant and prudent, and had his officers and soldiers under good conduct' (Memoirs of Captain John Hodgson, p. 102). He accompanied Sir Thomas Fairfax in his expedition into Cheshire, commanded a brigade at the battle of Selby, and on the surrender of the castle of Sheffield was appointed governor of that place (August 1644), and a little later military governor of York. In the second civil war he served under Cromwell in Scotland, and also took part in the siege of Pontefract. On Cromwell's second expedition into Scotland, Bright threw up his commission when the army arrived at Newcastle, in consequence of the refusal of a fortnight's leave (Hodgson, Memoirs). Nevertheless he continued to take an active part in public affairs. In 1651 he was commissioned to raise a regiment to oppose the march of Charles II into England (Cal. State Papers, Dom. Ser.), and he undertook the same service in 1659, on the rising headed by Sir George Booth (Journals of the House of Commons).
After his service in the Parliamentary army, he settled down as a country gentleman with estates mainly at Badsworth and Ecclesall. In 1654 he was appointed High Sheriff of Yorkshire
, acted as governor of York and of Hull and was appointed MP for the West Riding of Yorkshire
in the First Protectorate Parliament
. 'He may be presumed to have concurred in the measures for bringing about the Restoration, for we find that as early as July 1660 he was admitted into the order of baronets, having been previously knighted' (Hunter).
He died on 13 Sept. 1688 and was buried in Badsworth church. He had married four times. He married first, about 1645, Catherine Lister, daughter of Sir Richard Hawksworth. Secondly, about 1665, he married Elizabeth Norcliffe, daughter of Sir Thomas Norcliffe. In July 1682 he married Susanna Vane, daughter of Sir Thomas Liddell, 2nd baronet, and widow of Thomas Vane. Fourthly he married on 7 June 1683 Susannah Wharton, daughter of Michael Wharton. He left his estates to his grandson John Liddell, son of his only surviving child, Catherine, wife of Sir Henry Liddell of Ravensworth Castle, Durham. John Liddell assumed the name of Bright on coming into his estates.
Carbrook
Carbrook may refer to:* Carbrook, Queensland, a suburb of Logan City, Australia* Carbrook, South Yorkshire, a district of Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England...
and Badsworth
Badsworth
Badsworth is a village and civil parish in the City of Wakefield metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. According to the 2001 census it had a population of 583. The village is located south of Pontefract....
, Yorkshire.
Bright was born in 1619, the third but only surviving son of Stephen Bright and Joan Westby.
He took up arms for the parliament at the outbreak of the civil war
Civil war
A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same nation state or republic, or, less commonly, between two countries created from a formerly-united nation state....
. He raised several companies in the neighbourhood of Sheffield, and received a captain's commission from Lord Fairfax
Ferdinando Fairfax, 2nd Lord Fairfax of Cameron
Ferdinando Fairfax, 2nd Lord Fairfax of Cameron , English parliamentary general.-Early life:He was born in Yorkshire the eldest son of Thomas Fairfax, whom Charles I in 1627 created Lord Fairfax of Cameron in the Peerage of Scotland and received a military education in the Netherlands. Two of his...
. He was also named one of the sequestration commissioners for the West Riding (1 April 1643). About the same date he became a colonel of foot : 'He was but young when he first had the command, but he grew very valiant and prudent, and had his officers and soldiers under good conduct' (Memoirs of Captain John Hodgson, p. 102). He accompanied Sir Thomas Fairfax in his expedition into Cheshire, commanded a brigade at the battle of Selby, and on the surrender of the castle of Sheffield was appointed governor of that place (August 1644), and a little later military governor of York. In the second civil war he served under Cromwell in Scotland, and also took part in the siege of Pontefract. On Cromwell's second expedition into Scotland, Bright threw up his commission when the army arrived at Newcastle, in consequence of the refusal of a fortnight's leave (Hodgson, Memoirs). Nevertheless he continued to take an active part in public affairs. In 1651 he was commissioned to raise a regiment to oppose the march of Charles II into England (Cal. State Papers, Dom. Ser.), and he undertook the same service in 1659, on the rising headed by Sir George Booth (Journals of the House of Commons).
After his service in the Parliamentary army, he settled down as a country gentleman with estates mainly at Badsworth and Ecclesall. In 1654 he was appointed High Sheriff of Yorkshire
High Sheriff of Yorkshire
The High Sheriff of Yorkshire was an ancient High Sheriff title originating in the time of the Angles, not long after the invasion of the Kingdom of England, which was in existence for around a thousand years. A list of the sheriffs from the Norman conquest onwards can be found below...
, acted as governor of York and of Hull and was appointed MP for the West Riding of Yorkshire
Yorkshire (UK Parliament constituency)
Yorkshire was a constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of England from 1290, then of the Parliament of Great Britain from 1707 to 1800 and of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1801 to 1832...
in the First Protectorate Parliament
First Protectorate Parliament
The First Protectorate Parliament was summoned by the Lord Protector Oliver Cromwell under the terms of the Instrument of Government. It sat for one term from 3 September 1654 until 22 January 1655 with William Lenthall as the Speaker of the House....
. 'He may be presumed to have concurred in the measures for bringing about the Restoration, for we find that as early as July 1660 he was admitted into the order of baronets, having been previously knighted' (Hunter).
He died on 13 Sept. 1688 and was buried in Badsworth church. He had married four times. He married first, about 1645, Catherine Lister, daughter of Sir Richard Hawksworth. Secondly, about 1665, he married Elizabeth Norcliffe, daughter of Sir Thomas Norcliffe. In July 1682 he married Susanna Vane, daughter of Sir Thomas Liddell, 2nd baronet, and widow of Thomas Vane. Fourthly he married on 7 June 1683 Susannah Wharton, daughter of Michael Wharton. He left his estates to his grandson John Liddell, son of his only surviving child, Catherine, wife of Sir Henry Liddell of Ravensworth Castle, Durham. John Liddell assumed the name of Bright on coming into his estates.