Richard Knightley (1617-1661)
Encyclopedia
Sir Richard Knightley KB (1617–1661), of Fawsley
in Northamptonshire
, was an English Member of Parliament
(MP).
A member of Gray's Inn
, Knightley was a member of a prominent Northamptonshire
family who had married (in about 1637) Elizabeth Hampden, daughter of John Hampden
, the leading opponent of Charles I
. His cousin, also called Richard
, had been MP for Northamptonshire
and one of Hampden's parliamentary allies before the King dismissed Parliament in 1629. Like the rest of his family, Knightley's religious inclinations were Puritan
.
When Parliament was at last summoned once more in 1640, Knightley was elected MP for Northampton
. He aligned himself with the opposition, and it was at Fawsley that John Pym
and other leading anti-Royalists met, presumably to discuss policy, after the dissolution of the Short Parliament
. He represented Northampton again in the Long
Parliaments, adhering to the Parliamentary cause when civil war broke out, and sat until he was excluded in Pride's Purge
. He subsequently represented Northamptonshire
in the Parliament of 1659
. In 1660 he was a member of the council which arranged the recall of Charles II
, and was MP for St Germans
in the Convention Parliament.
As a mark of gratitude, Charles made Knightley a Knight of the Bath in June 1661, but he died shortly afterwards. His contemporary Edmund Ludlow
suggested that the "popish and superstitious ceremonyes" involved in admission to the Order contributed to his death, as he
Fawsley
Fawsley is a hamlet and civil parish in the Daventry district of the county of Northamptonshire, England. The population at the 2001 census was 32....
in Northamptonshire
Northamptonshire
Northamptonshire is a landlocked county in the English East Midlands, with a population of 629,676 as at the 2001 census. It has boundaries with the ceremonial counties of Warwickshire to the west, Leicestershire and Rutland to the north, Cambridgeshire to the east, Bedfordshire to the south-east,...
, was an English 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,...
(MP).
A member of Gray's Inn
Gray's Inn
The Honourable Society of Gray's Inn, commonly known as Gray's Inn, is one of the four Inns of Court in London. To be called to the Bar and practise as a barrister in England and Wales, an individual must belong to one of these Inns...
, Knightley was a member of a prominent Northamptonshire
Northamptonshire
Northamptonshire is a landlocked county in the English East Midlands, with a population of 629,676 as at the 2001 census. It has boundaries with the ceremonial counties of Warwickshire to the west, Leicestershire and Rutland to the north, Cambridgeshire to the east, Bedfordshire to the south-east,...
family who had married (in about 1637) Elizabeth Hampden, daughter of John Hampden
John Hampden
John Hampden was an English politician, the eldest son of William Hampden, of Hampden House, Great Hampden in Buckinghamshire, John Hampden (ca. 15951643) was an English politician, the eldest son of William Hampden, of Hampden House, Great Hampden in Buckinghamshire, John Hampden (ca. 15951643)...
, the leading opponent of 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...
. His cousin, also called Richard
Richard Knightley (died 1639)
Richard Knightley was an English Member of Parliament .The grandson of Sir Richard Knightley, he was MP for Northamptonshire in the parliaments of 1621, 1624, 1625 and 1628, and also served as High Sheriff of Northamptonshire in 1626...
, had been MP for Northamptonshire
Northamptonshire (UK Parliament constituency)
The county constituency of Northamptonshire, in the East Midlands of England was a constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of England, then of the Parliament of Great Britain from 1707 to 1800 and of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1801 to 1832 and was represented in...
and one of Hampden's parliamentary allies before the King dismissed Parliament in 1629. Like the rest of his family, Knightley's religious inclinations were Puritan
Puritan
The Puritans were a significant grouping of English Protestants in the 16th and 17th centuries. Puritanism in this sense was founded by some Marian exiles from the clergy shortly after the accession of Elizabeth I of England in 1558, as an activist movement within the Church of England...
.
When Parliament was at last summoned once more in 1640, Knightley was elected MP for Northampton
Northampton (UK Parliament constituency)
Northampton was a parliamentary constituency centred on the town of Northampton which existed until 1974.It returned two Members of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom until its representation was reduced to one member for the 1918 general election...
. He aligned himself with the opposition, and it was at Fawsley that John Pym
John Pym
John Pym was an English parliamentarian, leader of the Long Parliament and a prominent critic of James I and then Charles I.- Early life and education :...
and other leading anti-Royalists met, presumably to discuss policy, after the dissolution of 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....
. He represented Northampton again in the Long
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...
Parliaments, adhering to the Parliamentary cause when civil war broke out, and sat until he was excluded in Pride's Purge
Pride's Purge
Pride’s Purge is an event in December 1648, during the Second English Civil War, when troops under the command of Colonel Thomas Pride forcibly removed from the Long Parliament all those who were not supporters of the Grandees in the New Model Army and the Independents...
. He subsequently represented Northamptonshire
Northamptonshire (UK Parliament constituency)
The county constituency of Northamptonshire, in the East Midlands of England was a constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of England, then of the Parliament of Great Britain from 1707 to 1800 and of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1801 to 1832 and was represented in...
in the Parliament of 1659
Third Protectorate Parliament
The Third Protectorate Parliament sat for one session, from 27 January 1659 until 22 April 1659, with Chaloner Chute and Thomas Bampfylde as the Speakers of the House of Commons...
. In 1660 he was a member of the council which arranged the recall of 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...
, and was MP for St Germans
St Germans (UK Parliament constituency)
St Germans 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 1562 to 1832, when it was abolished by the Great Reform Act.-History:...
in the Convention Parliament.
As a mark of gratitude, Charles made Knightley a Knight of the Bath in June 1661, but he died shortly afterwards. His contemporary Edmund Ludlow
Edmund Ludlow
Edmund Ludlow was an English parliamentarian, best known for his involvement in the execution of Charles I, and for his Memoirs, which were published posthumously in a rewritten form and which have become a major source for historians of the Wars of the Three Kingdoms. After service in the English...
suggested that the "popish and superstitious ceremonyes" involved in admission to the Order contributed to his death, as he
- having some remaynder of conscience, scrupled for a while the bowing at the altar, and, being prevayled with to doe it, was so troubled for having done it that (as it was supposed) it was a meanes to shorten his dayes."