William Jesson
Encyclopedia
William Jesson was an English dyer and politician who was active in local government in Coventry and sat in the House of Commons
between 1640 and 1648.
Jesson was the son of Richard Jesson of Coventry
and his wife Elizabeth Hill. He became a wealthy dyer of Coventry and was admitted to the council 1628, becoming mayor of Coventry in 1631 and an alderman from 1634. In 1640 Jesson purchased the manor Nuthurst from Edward Trussell and it remained in the family until around 1754.
In April 1640, Jesson was elected Member of Parliament
for Coventry
in the Short Parliament
. His uncle and fellow MP Simon Norton
was also a dyer and together they helped defeat the aims of a Coventry weaver who petitioned Parliament against cloth from Gloucestershire being brought into the city for dying. Jesson was not elected immediately to the Long Parliament
in November 1640 but was brought in after the death of Norton in 1641. The City of Coventry: Parliamentary representation, A History of the County of Warwick: Volume 8: The City of Coventry and Borough of Warwick (1969), pp. 248-255. Date accessed: 07 February 2011 In 1647 Jesson successfully brought in a vote in parliament to de-garrison Coventry which had been under army and committee domination in the Civil War. He was excluded in 1648 under Pride's Purge
.
Jesson married Elizabeth Barker, daughter of Alderman John Barker. Their eldest son William was also MP for Coventry in 1660. Their grandson was Sir William Jesson of Burleigh Hall
, Loughborough.
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...
between 1640 and 1648.
Jesson was the son of Richard Jesson of Coventry
Coventry
Coventry is a city and metropolitan borough in the county of West Midlands in England. Coventry is the 9th largest city in England and the 11th largest in the United Kingdom. It is also the second largest city in the English Midlands, after Birmingham, with a population of 300,848, although...
and his wife Elizabeth Hill. He became a wealthy dyer of Coventry and was admitted to the council 1628, becoming mayor of Coventry in 1631 and an alderman from 1634. In 1640 Jesson purchased the manor Nuthurst from Edward Trussell and it remained in the family until around 1754.
In April 1640, Jesson 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 Coventry
Coventry (UK Parliament constituency)
Coventry was a borough constituency which was represented in the House of Commons of England and its successors, the House of Commons of Great Britain and the House of Commons of the United Kingdom....
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....
. His uncle and fellow MP Simon Norton
Simon Norton (MP)
Simon Norton was an English dyer politician who was active in local government in Coventry and sat in the House of Commons from 1640 to 1641....
was also a dyer and together they helped defeat the aims of a Coventry weaver who petitioned Parliament against cloth from Gloucestershire being brought into the city for dying. Jesson was not elected immediately 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...
in November 1640 but was brought in after the death of Norton in 1641. The City of Coventry: Parliamentary representation, A History of the County of Warwick: Volume 8: The City of Coventry and Borough of Warwick (1969), pp. 248-255. Date accessed: 07 February 2011 In 1647 Jesson successfully brought in a vote in parliament to de-garrison Coventry which had been under army and committee domination in the Civil War. He was excluded in 1648 under 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...
.
Jesson married Elizabeth Barker, daughter of Alderman John Barker. Their eldest son William was also MP for Coventry in 1660. Their grandson was Sir William Jesson of Burleigh Hall
Burleigh Hall
Burleigh Hall was a country house situated near Loughborough in the county of Leicestershire. Its land now forms part of the campus of Loughborough University.-History:...
, Loughborough.