Sir Henry Ford (January 1617Vivian, p.350 – 1684), of Nutwell in Devon was four times MP for Tiverton between 1664 and 1685 and twice Secretary to the

Lord Lieutenant of Ireland Lord Lieutenant of Ireland (), or more formally Lieutenant General and General Governor of Ireland, was the title of the chief governor of Ireland from the Williamite Wars of 1690 until the Partition of Ireland in 1922. This spanned the Kingdo ...

, 1669–70 and 1672–73.

Origins

Ford was the eldest son of Henry Ford (d.1616) of

Bagtor Bagtor is an historic estate in the parish of Ilsington in Devon, England. It was the birthplace of John Ford (1586-c.1639) the playwright and poet. The Elizabethan mansion of the Ford family survives today at Bagtor as the service wing of a la ...

in the parish of Ilsington, Devon by his wife Katharine Drake, daughter and sole heiress of George Drake of Spratshays in Littleham, Devon. His grandfather was Thomas Ford (1556–1610) of Bagtor in the parish of Ilsington, by his wife Elizabeth Popham (d.1629) of the Popham family of

Huntworth Huntworth is a small hamlet and farming community (population approximately 50), within the civil parish of North Petherton east of the M5 motorway from Bridgwater, Somerset, England. Huntworth was in the news on 5/12/19 as it was the epicent ...

in Somerset. Her monument exists in Ilsington Church. Thomas Ford's grandfather was John Ford (d.1538) of Ashburton (the son and heir of William Ford of

Chagford Chagford is a market town and civil parish on the north-east edge of Dartmoor, in Devon, England, close to the River Teign and the A382, 4 miles (6 km) west of Moretonhampstead. The name is derived from ''chag'', meaning gorse or broom, and ...

,) who purchased the estate of Bagtor in the parish of Ilsington, which his male heirs successively made their seat. The Elizabethan mansion of the Fords survives today at Bagtor as the service wing of a later house appended in about 1700. Sir Henry Ford was a nephew of the dramatist John Ford (1586-c.1639)

Early life

Henry Ford was born in January 1617 and was baptised at Littleham on 19 January 1617, four months after his father's death in September 1616. His mother remarried five years later in 1621 to John Clobery. Henry matriculated at Exeter College, Oxford on 21 November 1634 aged 17, 'Alumni Oxonienses, 1500–1714: Flooke-Fyrmin', Alumni Oxonienses 1500–1714 (1891), pp. 510–541. Date accessed: 23 June 2012
/ref> and went home to look after his inheritance.

Parliamentary career

In April 1660 Ford was elected Member of Parliament for Lostwithiel in the Convention Parliament, but his election was declared void on 5 May. He purchased Nutwell Court, in

Woodbury Woodbury may refer to: Geography Antarctica *Woodbury Glacier, a glacier on Graham Land, British Antarctic Territory Australia * Woodbury, Tasmania, a locality in Australia England * Woodbury, Bournemouth, an area in Dorset *Woodbury, East Devo ...

, near

Exeter Exeter () is a city in Devon, South West England. It is situated on the River Exe, approximately northeast of Plymouth and southwest of Bristol. In Roman Britain, Exeter was established as the base of Legio II Augusta under the personal comm ...

, which he made his home. He was put in the Commission of the Peace for the county, and was lieutenant-colonel in the militia for the eastern division of the shire, of which he was likewise a deputy-lieutenant. He was elected a fellow of the Royal Society in 1663 On 6 April 1664 he was elected MP for Tiverton in a by-election to the Cavalier Parliament. History of Parliament Online – Ford, Henry
/ref> In 1669 he accompanied John, lord Robartes, the lord-lieutenant, to Ireland as secretary of state, but 'to his no little damage and disappointment' was recalled along with his chief the very next year. In 1672 Ford, having been knighted at Whitehall on 20 July in that year, served in the same capacity for Arthur Capel, 1st Earl of Essex. He did not, however, continue in office long, 'for being sent into England on some important affair, contrived by those who were willing to put him out of the way, he returned no more unto Ireland'. The fact was that his brusque, overbearing manner made him everywhere disliked. He was re-elected MP for Tiverton in the two elections of 1679 and in 1681. Ford died in 1684, aged 65, at Nutwell Court, and was buried in Woodbury Church.

Family

Ford left a son Charles, supposed to have died in his minority, and three daughters, married to Drake, Holwell, and Egerton.(Lysons, Magna Britannia, vol. vi. pt: ii. p. 571)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ford, Henry 1619 births 1684 deaths Fellows of Exeter College, Oxford English knights Year of birth uncertain Fellows of the Royal Society English MPs 1661–1679 English MPs 1679 English MPs 1680–1681 English MPs 1681 Chief Secretaries for Ireland