Sir Christopher Hilliard or Hildyard (1567 – November 1634) was an English landowner and politician who sat in the House of Commons at various times between 1589 and 1629. Hilliard was the eldest son of Richard Hilliard of Routh, Yorkshire and his wife Jane Thweng, daughter of Marmaduke Thweng of Weaverthorpe. He was educated at

St John's College, Cambridge St John's College is a Colleges of the University of Cambridge, constituent college of the University of Cambridge founded by the House of Tudor, Tudor matriarch Lady Margaret Beaufort. In constitutional terms, the college is a charitable corpo ...

in 1584 and entered

Inner Temple The Honourable Society of the Inner Temple, commonly known as the Inner Temple, is one of the four Inns of Court and is a professional associations for barristers and judges. To be called to the Bar and practise as a barrister in England and Wal ...

in 1586. In 1589, he was elected

Member of Parliament A member of parliament (MP) is the representative in parliament of the people who live in their electoral district. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, this term refers only to members of the lower house since upper house members of ...

for Hedon. He was re-elected MP for Hedon in 1593 and 1597. He was a J.P. for the East Riding of Yorkshire by 1601. In 1601 he was re-elected MP for Hedon. He succeeded to the estates of his father and his uncle Christopher Hilliard in 1602. He was knighted in 1603 and was a member of the council in the north from July 1603 to November 1634. He was High Sheriff of Yorkshire from 1612 to 1613. In 1621 he was elected MP for

Beverley Beverley is a market town, market and minster (church), minster town and a civil parishes in England, civil parish in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England, of which it is the county town. The town centre is located south-east of York's centre ...

. He was elected MP for Hedon again in 1624 and was re-elected in 1625 1626 and 1628, sitting until 1629 when King Charles decided to rule without parliament for eleven years. History of Parliament Online - Christopher Hilliard
/ref> Hilliard died at the age of about 66 and was buried at Winestead on 23 November 1634. Hilliard married Elizabeth Welby, daughter of Henry Welby of Goxhill, Lincolnshire and his wife Alice White of Wallingwell on 13 July 1598. They had five sons and six daughters, including the politician Henry Hildyard and Sir Robert Hildyard, 1st Baronet.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hilliard, Christopher 1567 births 1654 deaths Alumni of St John's College, Cambridge Members of the Inner Temple Place of birth missing High Sheriffs of Yorkshire English MPs 1589 English MPs 1593 English MPs 1597–1598 English MPs 1601 English MPs 1604–1611 English MPs 1621–1622 English MPs 1624–1625 English MPs 1625 English MPs 1626 English MPs 1628–1629 Members of the Parliament of England for Hedon