Robert Killigrew
Encyclopedia
Sir Robert Killigrew was an English courtier and politician who sat in the House of Commons
at various times between 1601 and 1629. He served as Ambassador the the United Provinces.
, London, the son of William Killigrew and his wife Margery (Mary) Saunders, daughter of Thomas Saunders of Uxbridge, Middlesex. In January 1591, he matriculated at Christ Church, Oxford
at the age of 11. He travelled abroad in 1596 and may have become an official of the Privy Chamber in 1601. He was elected MP for St Mawes
in 1601.
Killigrew was knighted by King James I
in 1603. In 1604 he was elected MP for Newport
. It is possible that he travelled to Jamestown
in 1604. His name appears in the Second Charter of Virginia as a backer. In 1606 he was appointed ambassador to the United Provinces
.
In June 1612, Killigrew was noted as "one of Carr
's favourites" according to John Chamberlain. The following May, he was committed to the Fleet Prison
for an unknown offence. Having become famous for his concoctions of drugs and cordials, he was at first suspected of complicity in the death of Sir Thomas Overbury
in September 1613, but was subsequently officially exonerated.
In 1614, Killigrew was elected MP for Helston
. On 12 May that year, he was involved in an altercation in the House of Commons. In July, he was appointed Keeper of Pendennis Castle
, Falmouth, and a JP
that same year. He is recorded as fighting a duel with Captain Burton in 1618. In October that year he was appointed an Officer of Protonotary of Chancery, and in December the following year was mentioned favourably by Buckingham
.
In 1621 Killigrew was elected again MP for Newport. In 1622 he succeeded his father to become farmer of the profits from seals in King’s bench and common pleas which was worth at least £560 a year. He was elected MP for Penryn
and was appointed Deputy Lieutenant
for Cornwall
in 1624. In 1625 he was elected MP for Cornwall
. He was also appointed Ambassador to the United Provinces
in September 1625, but this was not taken up by December that year. In 1626, he was elected MP for Tregony
in 1626. In 1628 he was elected MP for Bodmin
and sat until 1629 when King Charles decided to rule without parliament for eleven years. He was appointed Vice-Chamberlain to Queen Henrietta Maria in 1630.
Killigrew was a knight of Arwenack in Falmouth
, Cornwall
. He died a wealthy man in 1633 in Bath, Somerset, with the probate of his will on 12 May.
, (1584–1656), and they had several notable children:
His widow married Sir Thomas Stafford
after 1633.
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...
at various times between 1601 and 1629. He served as Ambassador the the United Provinces.
Life
Killgrew was born at LothburyLothbury
Lothbury is a street in the City of London. It runs east-west, between Gresham Street to the west and Throgmorton Street to the east. The area was populated with coppersmiths in the Middle Ages before later becoming home to a number of merchants and bankers. The Bank of England is on the southern...
, London, the son of William Killigrew and his wife Margery (Mary) Saunders, daughter of Thomas Saunders of Uxbridge, Middlesex. In January 1591, he matriculated at Christ Church, Oxford
Christ Church, Oxford
Christ Church or house of Christ, and thus sometimes known as The House), is one of the largest constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England...
at the age of 11. He travelled abroad in 1596 and may have become an official of the Privy Chamber in 1601. He was elected MP for St Mawes
St Mawes (UK Parliament constituency)
St Mawes was a rotten borough in Cornwall. It returned two Members of Parliament ) to the House of Commons of England from 1562 to 1707, to the House of Commons of Great Britain from 1707 to 1800, and to the House of Commons of the United Kingdom until it was abolished by the Great Reform Act in...
in 1601.
Killigrew was knighted by King James I
James I of England
James VI and I was King of Scots as James VI from 24 July 1567 and King of England and Ireland as James I from the union of the English and Scottish crowns on 24 March 1603...
in 1603. In 1604 he was elected MP for Newport
Newport (Cornwall) (UK Parliament constituency)
Newport was a rotten borough situated in Cornwall. It is now within the town of Launceston, which was itself also a parliamentary borough at the same period...
. It is possible that he travelled to Jamestown
Jamestown, Virginia
Jamestown was a settlement in the Colony of Virginia. Established by the Virginia Company of London as "James Fort" on May 14, 1607 , it was the first permanent English settlement in what is now the United States, following several earlier failed attempts, including the Lost Colony of Roanoke...
in 1604. His name appears in the Second Charter of Virginia as a backer. In 1606 he was appointed ambassador to the United Provinces
Dutch Republic
The Dutch Republic — officially known as the Republic of the Seven United Netherlands , the Republic of the United Netherlands, or the Republic of the Seven United Provinces — was a republic in Europe existing from 1581 to 1795, preceding the Batavian Republic and ultimately...
.
In June 1612, Killigrew was noted as "one of Carr
Robert Carr, 1st Earl of Somerset
Robert Carr, 1st Earl of Somerset, , was a politician, and favourite of King James I of England.-Background:Robert Kerr was born in Wrington, Somerset, England the younger son of Sir Thomas Kerr of Ferniehurst, Scotland by his second wife, Janet, sister of Walter Scott of Buccleuch...
's favourites" according to John Chamberlain. The following May, he was committed to the Fleet Prison
Fleet Prison
Fleet Prison was a notorious London prison by the side of the Fleet River in London. The prison was built in 1197 and was in use until 1844. It was demolished in 1846.- History :...
for an unknown offence. Having become famous for his concoctions of drugs and cordials, he was at first suspected of complicity in the death of Sir Thomas Overbury
Thomas Overbury
Sir Thomas Overbury was an English poet and essayist, and the victim of one of the most sensational crimes in English history...
in September 1613, but was subsequently officially exonerated.
In 1614, Killigrew was elected MP for Helston
Helston (UK Parliament constituency)
Helston, sometimes known as Helleston, was a parliamentary borough centred on the small town of Helston in Cornwall.Using the bloc vote system of election, it returned two Members of Parliament to the House of Commons of England until 1707, then to House of Commons of Great Britain until 1800, and...
. On 12 May that year, he was involved in an altercation in the House of Commons. In July, he was appointed Keeper of Pendennis Castle
Pendennis Castle
Pendennis Castle is a Henrician castle, also known as one of Henry VIII's Device Forts, in the English county of Cornwall. It was built in 1539 for King Henry VIII to guard the entrance to the River Fal on its west bank, near Falmouth. St Mawes Castle is its opposite number on the east bank and...
, Falmouth, and a JP
Justice of the Peace
A justice of the peace is a puisne judicial officer elected or appointed by means of a commission to keep the peace. Depending on the jurisdiction, they might dispense summary justice or merely deal with local administrative applications in common law jurisdictions...
that same year. He is recorded as fighting a duel with Captain Burton in 1618. In October that year he was appointed an Officer of Protonotary of Chancery, and in December the following year was mentioned favourably by Buckingham
George Villiers, 1st Duke of Buckingham
George Villiers, 1st Duke of Buckingham KG was the favourite, claimed by some to be the lover, of King James I of England. Despite a very patchy political and military record, he remained at the height of royal favour for the first two years of the reign of Charles I, until he was assassinated...
.
In 1621 Killigrew was elected again MP for Newport. In 1622 he succeeded his father to become farmer of the profits from seals in King’s bench and common pleas which was worth at least £560 a year. He was elected MP for Penryn
Penryn (UK Parliament constituency)
Penryn was a parliamentary borough in Cornwall, which elected two Members of Parliament to the House of Commons of England from 1553 until 1707, to the House of Commons of Great Britain from 1707 to 1800, and finally to the House of Commons of the United Kingdom from 1801 to until 1832...
and was appointed Deputy Lieutenant
Deputy Lieutenant
In the United Kingdom, a Deputy Lieutenant is one of several deputies to the Lord Lieutenant of a lieutenancy area; an English ceremonial county, Welsh preserved county, Scottish lieutenancy area, or Northern Irish county borough or county....
for Cornwall
Cornwall
Cornwall is a unitary authority and ceremonial county of England, within the United Kingdom. It is bordered to the north and west by the Celtic Sea, to the south by the English Channel, and to the east by the county of Devon, over the River Tamar. Cornwall has a population of , and covers an area of...
in 1624. In 1625 he was elected MP for Cornwall
Cornwall (UK Parliament constituency)
Cornwall is a former county constituency covering the county of Cornwall, in the South West of England. It was a constituency of the House of Commons of England then of the House of Commons of Great Britain from 1707 to 1800 and of the House of Commons of the United Kingdom from 1801 to 1832...
. He was also appointed Ambassador to the United Provinces
Dutch Republic
The Dutch Republic — officially known as the Republic of the Seven United Netherlands , the Republic of the United Netherlands, or the Republic of the Seven United Provinces — was a republic in Europe existing from 1581 to 1795, preceding the Batavian Republic and ultimately...
in September 1625, but this was not taken up by December that year. In 1626, he was elected MP for Tregony
Tregony (UK Parliament constituency)
Tregony was a rotten borough in Cornwall which was represented in the Model Parliament of 1295, and returned two Members of Parliament to the English and later British Parliament continuously from 1562 to 1832, when it was abolished by the Great Reform Act....
in 1626. In 1628 he was elected MP for Bodmin
Bodmin (UK Parliament constituency)
Bodmin was the name of a parliamentary constituency in Cornwall from 1295 until 1983. Initially, it was a parliamentary borough, which returned two Members of Parliament to the House of Commons of England and later the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom until the 1868 general...
and sat until 1629 when King Charles decided to rule without parliament for eleven years. He was appointed Vice-Chamberlain to Queen Henrietta Maria in 1630.
Killigrew was a knight of Arwenack in Falmouth
Falmouth, Cornwall
Falmouth is a town, civil parish and port on the River Fal on the south coast of Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It has a total resident population of 21,635.Falmouth is the terminus of the A39, which begins some 200 miles away in Bath, Somerset....
, Cornwall
Cornwall
Cornwall is a unitary authority and ceremonial county of England, within the United Kingdom. It is bordered to the north and west by the Celtic Sea, to the south by the English Channel, and to the east by the county of Devon, over the River Tamar. Cornwall has a population of , and covers an area of...
. He died a wealthy man in 1633 in Bath, Somerset, with the probate of his will on 12 May.
Family
He married Mary Woodhouse of Kimberley, NorfolkKimberley, Norfolk
Kimberley is a village in Norfolk, in England. It is within the civil parish of Kimberley and Carleton Forehoe in South Norfolk, situated about north-west of Wymondham, around the crossroads of the B1108 and B1135....
, (1584–1656), and they had several notable children:
- William KilligrewWilliam KilligrewSir William Killigrew was an English court official under Charles I and Charles II.He was the son of Sir Robert Killigrew and Mary Woodhouse, of Kimberley, Norfolk, his wife. He was the elder brother to Thomas Killigrew...
(1605–1695) - Anne Killigrew(1607–1641)
- Robert Killigrew (1611-1???)
- Thomas KilligrewThomas KilligrewThomas Killigrew was an English dramatist and theatre manager. He was a witty, dissolute figure at the court of King Charles II of England.-Life and work:...
(1612–1683) - Henry Killigrew (1613–1700)
- Elizabeth Killigrew (1615-1619)
- Catherine Killigrew (1618–1689), wife of Sir Thomas StanleyThomas Stanley (author)Sir Thomas Stanley was an English author and translator.-Life:He was born in Cumberlow, Hertfordshire, the son of Sir Thomas Stanley of Cumberlow, Hertfordshire and his wife, Mary Hammond. Mary was the cousin of Richard Lovelace, and Stanley was educated in company with the son of Edward Fairfax,...
- Elizabeth KilligrewElizabeth Killigrew, Viscountess ShannonElizabeth Killigrew was an English peeress and courtier. One of the many mistresses of Charles II of England, she was also the sister of Thomas Killigrew and the wife of Francis Boyle, 1st Viscount Shannon...
(1622–1681), wife of Francis Boyle, 1st Viscount ShannonFrancis Boyle, 1st Viscount ShannonFrancis Boyle, 1st Viscount Shannon : the Hon. Francis Boyle, fourth son of Richard Boyle, 1st Earl of Cork was created a Viscount in 1660. He married Elizabeth Killigrew, the sister of Thomas Killigrew, the dramatist who joined Charles II during his period of exile and later became Master of the...
, was a mistress of Charles II and bore him a daughter - Mary Killigrew (1623–1677), later wife of Sir John James, she has been confused in other biographies with Mary Sackville (1645–1679) (formerly Berkeley, née Bagot)--the widowed Countess of Falmouth—who was another mistress
His widow married Sir Thomas Stafford
Thomas Stafford (MP)
Sir Thomas Stafford was an English courtier and politician who sat in the House of Commons at various times between 1593 and 1625....
after 1633.