Edward Popham (1581–1641) was an English Member of Parliament for Bridgewater in 1621, 1624, 1625 and 1626, and was also

Sheriff of Somerset The office of High Sheriff of Somerset is an ancient shrievalty which has been in existence since the 11th century. Originally known as the "Sheriff of Somerset", the role was retitled on 1 April 1974, under the provisions of the Local Government A ...

for the year 1622/23.

Biography

Popham was born on 11 November 1581. He was the eldest son of Alexander Popham of Huntworth and Dowsabell, daughter John Bayley of ?

Salisbury, Wiltshire Salisbury ( ) is a cathedral city in Wiltshire, England with a population of 41,820, at the confluence of the rivers Avon, Nadder and Bourne. The city is approximately from Southampton and from Bath. Salisbury is in the southeast of Wil ...

, and educated in the law at the

Middle Temple The Honourable Society of the Middle Temple, commonly known simply as Middle Temple, is one of the four Inns of Court exclusively entitled to call their members to the English Bar as barristers, the others being the Inner Temple, Gray's Inn an ...

(1600). He was a cousin of

Edward Popham Edward Popham (1610–1651) was a general at sea during the English Civil War. Popham supported parliament in the English Civil War. He was elected M.P. for Minehead in 1644. He commanded a force in Somerset and Dorset. He was appointed a commis ...

, the Naval Commander and MP. He inherited estates from his father in 1602. In May 1607 Popham abandoned the law to sail on an expedition to establish a colony at Sagadahoc, Maine. This colony, established by his great-uncle,

Lord Chief Justice Lord is an appellation for a person or deity who has authority, control, or power over others, acting as a master, chief, or ruler. The appellation can also denote certain persons who hold a title of the peerage in the United Kingdom, or are ...

Sir John Popham, and led by his uncle, the Bridgwater merchant George Popham, failed within two years. Popham was a

Justice of the Peace A justice of the peace (JP) is a judicial officer of a lower or ''puisne'' court, elected or appointed by means of a commission ( letters patent) to keep the peace. In past centuries the term commissioner of the peace was often used with the sa ...

for Somerset from 1607 to 1626 and was appointed

for 1622–1623. He was elected MP for Bridgewater in 1621, 1624, 1625 and 1626. Popham was constantly beset by financial difficulties and was forced to sell his estates and around 1630 was forced to flee to France to escape his debtors. He died childless and bequeathed his remaining estate, to which his title was by now disputed, to his brother.

Family

Popham married twice: firstly Dorothy (died 1614), the daughter of Richard Bartlett of Berkshire, with whom he had a son who predeceased him and secondly Anne, the daughter of Henry Gifford and the widow of Sir John Portman of Orchard Portman, Somerset.

Notes

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Popham, Edward 1581 births 1641 deaths High Sheriffs of Somerset English MPs 1621–1622 English MPs 1624–1625 English MPs 1625 English MPs 1626

Edward Edward is an English given name. It is derived from the Anglo-Saxon name ''Ēadweard'', composed of the elements '' ēad'' "wealth, fortune; prosperous" and '' weard'' "guardian, protector”. History The name Edward was very popular in Anglo-Sa ...