Sir Walter Long, 1st Baronet
Encyclopedia
Sir Walter Long, 1st Baronet of Whaddon (c. 1603 – 15 November 1672) was an English
politician.
The second son of Henry Long (1564–1612) and Rebecca Bailey, Long was Educated at Lincoln's Inn
. He had inherited no land at his father's death, but when his elder brother Henry died soon after, he inherited the extensive but heavily encumbered family estates.
On 26 December 1621 he married Mary Coxe (died 1631) and by 1623 his debts had increased alarmingly. With the assistance of his father-in-law he obtained a seat for Salisbury
in the 1625 parliament, possibly as a means to avoid his creditors. He was elected to parliament in 1626 as Knight of the shire for Wiltshire
.
against the charge of unparliamentary proceedings, and played an active part in supporting Pembroke's attack on the Duke of Buckingham
. In several speeches he questioned the duke's protestantism
and implied that the duke was involved in precipitating the death of James I
.
In an attempt to prevent Long's return to parliament in 1628, the crown pricked him as High Sheriff of Wiltshire
, but nevertheless he managed to secure a seat for Bath
in Somerset, arguing on tentative legal grounds that since the constituency lay outside his county, he was not breaking the law. His continuing opposition to Buckingham finally resulted in his prosecution in October 1628 in a Star Chamber
suit, and it was argued that Long had not only acted unlawfully in securing his election but also neglected his duties as Sheriff of Wiltshire.
Hoping to avoid censure, Long quickly withdrew to Wiltshire but returned to parliament for the 1629 session. In the tumultuous scenes on 2 March, he took a leading part when the speaker was forcibly held down in his chair, preventing adjournment of the house. Together with six others, he was arrested for offences committed within the house and appeared before the King's Bench
, while simultaneously facing ongoing Star Chamber proceedings concerning his shrievalty.
Attempts by his counsel and sympathetic friends to secure his release were unsuccessful, despite his appeals for clemency. Initially he agreed to be bound over, but he retracted on learning that the other prisoners had refused to be bailed. He was fined 2000 marks
and imprisoned in the Tower
until his release in 1633, by which time his first wife had died.
That year he married secondly, Anne Foxe (née Cage; died 1665). In order to pay his fine, Long was forced to sell much of his Wiltshire property, living for most of the 1630s on the Shropshire estates of his second wife. In December 1641 he was elected to the Long Parliament
as member for Ludgershall
, Wiltshire, and a sympathetic Parliament voted him £5000 as an indemnity, "for his damages, losses, imprisonments and sufferings". However he was exempted from the Royal Pardon in November the following year because of his continuing opposition to the court, and particularly the writ of ship money
.
and after being severely wounded at Edgehill
, he raised a troop of horse and helped to organise parliamentary forces in Wiltshire and Shropshire. He was Chief Register in Chancery
but as a prominent member of the presbyterian faction in the House of Commons, he acquired a degree of notoriety and he twice assaulted members who disputed his views.
In 1647 Long was one of eleven presbyterian members the army sought to remove from parliament. He escaped to France and joined with a group of royalists
and disaffected parliamentarians. While abroad it is not certain what role, if any, he played in promoting the royalist cause, but the political tide was turning and he returned to England in late 1659. He was given a baronetcy in 1661 after the restoration of the monarchy. He married on 2 January 1666 his third wife, Anne Cotes (died 1688). A portrait of Long, "set about with diamonds", now lost, was referred to in her will. He had six children from his first marriage, including Rebecca, who married Sir Philip Parker, 1st Baronet
.
Long died on 15 November 1672 at Whaddon, Wiltshire
, where he was later buried. He was succeeded in the baronetcy by his son from his first marriage, Sir Walter Long, 2nd Baronet (1627–1710) who died without issue, and the title became extinct.
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...
politician.
The second son of Henry Long (1564–1612) and Rebecca Bailey, Long was Educated at Lincoln's Inn
Lincoln's Inn
The Honourable Society of Lincoln's Inn is one of four Inns of Court in London to which barristers of England and Wales belong and where they are called to the Bar. The other three are Middle Temple, Inner Temple and Gray's Inn. Although Lincoln's Inn is able to trace its official records beyond...
. He had inherited no land at his father's death, but when his elder brother Henry died soon after, he inherited the extensive but heavily encumbered family estates.
On 26 December 1621 he married Mary Coxe (died 1631) and by 1623 his debts had increased alarmingly. With the assistance of his father-in-law he obtained a seat for Salisbury
Salisbury (UK Parliament constituency)
Salisbury is a county constituency centred on the city of Salisbury in Wiltshire. It elects one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, by the first past the post voting system....
in the 1625 parliament, possibly as a means to avoid his creditors. He was elected to parliament in 1626 as Knight of the shire for Wiltshire
Wiltshire (UK Parliament constituency)
Wiltshire was a constituency of the House of Commons of England from 1290 to 1707, 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. It was represented by two Members of Parliament , elected by the bloc vote...
.
Parliamentary career
Long was a vocal supporter of the remonstrance defending the House of CommonsBritish House of Commons
The House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which also comprises the Sovereign and the House of Lords . Both Commons and Lords meet in the Palace of Westminster. The Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 650 members , who are known as Members...
against the charge of unparliamentary proceedings, and played an active part in supporting Pembroke's attack on the Duke of Buckingham
Duke of Buckingham
The titles Marquess and Duke of Buckingham, referring to Buckingham, have been created several times in the peerages of England, Great Britain, and the United Kingdom. There have also been Earls of Buckingham.-1444 creation:...
. In several speeches he questioned the duke's protestantism
Protestantism
Protestantism is one of the three major groupings within Christianity. It is a movement that began in Germany in the early 16th century as a reaction against medieval Roman Catholic doctrines and practices, especially in regards to salvation, justification, and ecclesiology.The doctrines of the...
and implied that the duke was involved in precipitating the death of 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 an attempt to prevent Long's return to parliament in 1628, the crown pricked him as High Sheriff of Wiltshire
High Sheriff of Wiltshire
This is a list of High Sheriffs of Wiltshire.Until the 14th century the shrievalty was held ex officio by the castellans of Old Sarum.-To 1400:*1066: Edric*1067-1070: Philippe de Buckland*1085: Aiulphus the Sheriff*1070–1105: Edward of Salisbury...
, but nevertheless he managed to secure a seat for Bath
Bath (UK Parliament constituency)
Bath is a constituency in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, previously of the House of Commons of England. It is an ancient constituency which has been constantly represented in Parliament since boroughs were first summoned to send members in the 13th century...
in Somerset, arguing on tentative legal grounds that since the constituency lay outside his county, he was not breaking the law. His continuing opposition to Buckingham finally resulted in his prosecution in October 1628 in a Star Chamber
Star Chamber
The Star Chamber was an English court of law that sat at the royal Palace of Westminster until 1641. It was made up of Privy Counsellors, as well as common-law judges and supplemented the activities of the common-law and equity courts in both civil and criminal matters...
suit, and it was argued that Long had not only acted unlawfully in securing his election but also neglected his duties as Sheriff of Wiltshire.
Hoping to avoid censure, Long quickly withdrew to Wiltshire but returned to parliament for the 1629 session. In the tumultuous scenes on 2 March, he took a leading part when the speaker was forcibly held down in his chair, preventing adjournment of the house. Together with six others, he was arrested for offences committed within the house and appeared before the 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...
, while simultaneously facing ongoing Star Chamber proceedings concerning his shrievalty.
Attempts by his counsel and sympathetic friends to secure his release were unsuccessful, despite his appeals for clemency. Initially he agreed to be bound over, but he retracted on learning that the other prisoners had refused to be bailed. He was fined 2000 marks
Mark (money)
Mark was a measure of weight mainly for gold and silver, commonly used throughout western Europe and often equivalent to 8 ounces. Considerable variations, however, occurred throughout the Middle Ages Mark (from a merging of three Teutonic/Germanic languages words, Latinized in 9th century...
and imprisoned in the Tower
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...
until his release in 1633, by which time his first wife had died.
That year he married secondly, Anne Foxe (née Cage; died 1665). In order to pay his fine, Long was forced to sell much of his Wiltshire property, living for most of the 1630s on the Shropshire estates of his second wife. In December 1641 he was elected to 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...
as member for Ludgershall
Ludgershall (UK Parliament constituency)
Ludgershall was a parliamentary borough in Wiltshire, which elected two Members of Parliament to the House of Commons from 1295 until 1832, when the borough was abolished by the Great Reform Act.- 1295–1640 :- 1640–1832 :- Sources :...
, Wiltshire, and a sympathetic Parliament voted him £5000 as an indemnity, "for his damages, losses, imprisonments and sufferings". However he was exempted from the Royal Pardon in November the following year because of his continuing opposition to the court, and particularly the writ of ship money
Ship money
Ship money refers to a tax that Charles I of England tried to levy without the consent of Parliament. This tax, which was only applied to coastal towns during a time of war, was intended to offset the cost of defending that part of the coast, and could be paid in actual ships or the equivalent value...
.
Civil War
Long took an active part in parliament's cause during the civil warEnglish Civil War
The English Civil War was a series of armed conflicts and political machinations between Parliamentarians and Royalists...
and after being severely wounded at Edgehill
Edgehill
Edgehill or Edghill may refer to:*Edgehill College, an independent school situated in Bideford, Devon, England*Edgehill, Virginia, an unincorporated community in the United States*Ella Mary Edghill, British translator...
, he raised a troop of horse and helped to organise parliamentary forces in Wiltshire and Shropshire. He was Chief Register in Chancery
Court of Chancery
The Court of Chancery was a court of equity in England and Wales that followed a set of loose rules to avoid the slow pace of change and possible harshness of the common law. The Chancery had jurisdiction over all matters of equity, including trusts, land law, the administration of the estates of...
but as a prominent member of the presbyterian faction in the House of Commons, he acquired a degree of notoriety and he twice assaulted members who disputed his views.
In 1647 Long was one of eleven presbyterian members the army sought to remove from parliament. He escaped to France and joined with a group of royalists
Cavalier
Cavalier was the name used by Parliamentarians for a Royalist supporter of King Charles I and son Charles II during the English Civil War, the Interregnum, and the Restoration...
and disaffected parliamentarians. While abroad it is not certain what role, if any, he played in promoting the royalist cause, but the political tide was turning and he returned to England in late 1659. He was given a baronetcy in 1661 after the restoration of the monarchy. He married on 2 January 1666 his third wife, Anne Cotes (died 1688). A portrait of Long, "set about with diamonds", now lost, was referred to in her will. He had six children from his first marriage, including Rebecca, who married Sir Philip Parker, 1st Baronet
Sir Philip Parker, 1st Baronet
Sir Philip Parker, 1st Baronet , was an English politician who sat in the House of Commons between 1679 and 1687.Parker was the son of Sir Philip Parker of Erwarton and his wife Dorothy Gawdy, daughter of Sir Robert Gawdy of Claxton, Norfolk.Parker was created a Baronet of Arwarton in the County of...
.
Long died on 15 November 1672 at Whaddon, Wiltshire
Whaddon, Wiltshire
Whaddon is a hamlet in the civil parish of Hilperton, located in Wiltshire, England.- Location :The hamlet is located 2.5 miles northeast of the county town of Trowbridge. It is only accessible via Whaddon Lane that connects the hamlet to Hilperton....
, where he was later buried. He was succeeded in the baronetcy by his son from his first marriage, Sir Walter Long, 2nd Baronet (1627–1710) who died without issue, and the title became extinct.
Further reading
Sources
- Charles I and The Road To Personal Rule - L. J Reeve 2003