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Edward Littleton, 1st Baron Lyttleton (also Littelton) (158927 August 1645), from
In 1641, when the previous keeper, John Finch, fled into exile, Littleton was appointed Lord Keeper of the Great Seal. He was raised to the Peerage as Baron Lyttelton of Munslow.
As the Lord Keeper Littleton had begun to display a certain amount of indifference to the royal cause. In January 1642, he refused to put the Great Seal to the proclamation for the arrest of five members and he also incurred the displeasure of Charles by voting for the
pp. 273–300
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lyttleton Of Mounslow, Edward Littleton, 1st Baron Littleton, Edward, Baron Littleton, Edward, Baron Littleton, Edward, Baron Barons in the Peerage of England Burials at Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford Chief Justices of the Common Pleas 17th-century English lawyers English MPs 1614 English MPs 1625 Lord Keepers Recorders of London Members of Parliament for Caernarfon
Edward Littleton, 1st Baron Lyttleton (also Littelton) (158927 August 1645), from Munslow
Munslow is a small village and civil parish in Shropshire, England. It is situated on the B4368, northeast of the small town of Craven Arms, in the Corvedale, at around above sea level.
The village formed part of and gave its name to the hun ...
in Shropshire
Shropshire (; alternatively Salop; abbreviated in print only as Shrops; demonym Salopian ) is a landlocked historic county in the West Midlands region of England. It is bordered by Wales to the west and the English counties of Cheshire to th ...
, was a Chief Justice of North Wales
, area_land_km2 = 6,172
, postal_code_type = Postcode
, postal_code = LL, CH, SY
, image_map1 = Wales North Wales locator map.svg
, map_caption1 = Six principal areas of Wales common ...
. He was descended from the judge and legal scholar, Thomas de Littleton. His father, also Edward, had been Chief Justice of North Wales before him.Brooks (2004), ODNB
Education and career
He was educated atOxford
Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to the ...
before becoming a lawyer. In 1614 he became an MP for Bishop's Castle, Shropshire in the Addled Parliament. In 1625 he was again returned to Parliament
In modern politics, and history, a parliament is a legislative body of government. Generally, a modern parliament has three functions: Representation (politics), representing the Election#Suffrage, electorate, making laws, and overseeing ...
for Leominster and Caernarfon borough. In 1628 he was chairman of the ''Committee of Grievances'' upon whose report the Petition of Right was based.
As a member of the party opposed to the arbitrary measures of Charles I Charles I may refer to:
Kings and emperors
* Charlemagne (742–814), numbered Charles I in the lists of Holy Roman Emperors and French kings
* Charles I of Anjou (1226–1285), also king of Albania, Jerusalem, Naples and Sicily
* Charles I of ...
, Littleton had shown more moderation than some of his colleagues, and in 1634, three years after he had been chosen Recorder of London, the king attached him to his own side by appointing him Solicitor General. In the famous case about ship money, Sir Edward argued against John Hampden
John Hampden (24 June 1643) was an English landowner and politician whose opposition to arbitrary taxes imposed by Charles I made him a national figure. An ally of Parliamentarian leader John Pym, and cousin to Oliver Cromwell, he was one of th ...
. In 1640, he was made Chief Justice of the Common Pleas.
The Great Seal
In 1641, when the previous keeper, John Finch, fled into exile, Littleton was appointed Lord Keeper of the Great Seal. He was raised to the Peerage as Baron Lyttelton of Munslow.
As the Lord Keeper Littleton had begun to display a certain amount of indifference to the royal cause. In January 1642, he refused to put the Great Seal to the proclamation for the arrest of five members and he also incurred the displeasure of Charles by voting for the Militia ordinance
The Militia Ordinance was passed by the Parliament of England on 15 March 1642. By claiming the right to appoint military commanders without the king's approval, it was a significant step in events leading to the outbreak of the First English Civ ...
. However, he assured his friend Edward Hyde, afterwards Earl of Clarendon, that he had only taken this step to allay the suspicions of the parliamentary party who contemplated depriving him of the seal, and he undertook to send this to the King. He fulfilled his promise, and in May 1642, he himself joined Charles at York
York is a cathedral city with Roman origins, sited at the confluence of the rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. It is the historic county town of Yorkshire. The city has many historic buildings and other structures, such as a ...
, but it was some time before he regained the favour of the king and the custody of the seal.
Death
Littleton died atOxford
Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to the ...
on 27 August 1645; he left no sons and his barony became extinct. His only daughter, Anne, married her cousin, Sir Thomas Littleton, 2nd Baronet
Sir Thomas Littleton, 2nd Baronet (c. 1621 – 14 April 1681) was an English politician from the extended Littleton/Lyttelton family who sat in the House of Commons variously between 1640 and 1681.
Littleton was the son of Sir Adam Littleton, 1s ...
. Their son, Sir Thomas Littleton (c. 1647–1710), was Speaker of the House of Commons Speaker of the House of Commons is a political leadership position found in countries that have a House of Commons, where the membership of the body elects a speaker to lead its proceedings.
Systems that have such a position include:
* Speaker of ...
from 1698 to 1700, and Treasurer of the Navy from 1700 to 1710.
Notes
References
*Christopher W. Brooks, 'Littleton, Edward, Baron Littleton (1589–1645)’, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, Sept 2004; online edn, Jan 2008 *Further reading
* *John Campbell Campbell, ''Lives of the Lord Chancellors and Keepers of the Great Seal of England: From the Earliest Times Till the Reign of King George IV,'' John Murray, 185pp. 273–300
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lyttleton Of Mounslow, Edward Littleton, 1st Baron Littleton, Edward, Baron Littleton, Edward, Baron Littleton, Edward, Baron Barons in the Peerage of England Burials at Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford Chief Justices of the Common Pleas 17th-century English lawyers English MPs 1614 English MPs 1625 Lord Keepers Recorders of London Members of Parliament for Caernarfon