Henry Mildmay (25 November 1619 – 3 December 1692) was an English politician who sat in the
House of Commons
The House of Commons is the name for the elected lower house of the bicameral parliaments of the United Kingdom and Canada. In both of these countries, the Commons holds much more legislative power than the nominally upper house of parliament. T ...
at various times between 1654 and 1692. He fought in the
Parliamentary
A parliamentary system, or parliamentarian democracy, is a system of democratic governance of a state (or subordinate entity) where the executive derives its democratic legitimacy from its ability to command the support ("confidence") of the ...
army in the
English Civil War
The English Civil War (1642–1651) was a series of civil wars and political machinations between Parliamentarians (" Roundheads") and Royalists led by Charles I ("Cavaliers"), mainly over the manner of England's governance and issues of re ...
.
Biography
Mildmay was the eldest son of Sir Henry Mildmay of Graces,
Little Baddow
Little Baddow is a village to the east of Chelmsford, Essex. The name ''Baddow'' comes from an Old English word meaning 'bad water', and which was the original name of the River Chelmer. The village is positioned on one of the many elevated hills ...
and his second wife Amy Gurdon, daughter of
Brampton Gurdon of Assington, Suffolk. He was educated at
Felsted School
(Keep your Faith)
, established =
, closed =
, type = Public schoolIndependent day and boarding
, religion = Church of England
, president =
, head_label = Headmaster
, head = Chris Townsend
, r_head_l ...
under Martin Holbeach and entered
Gray's Inn
The Honourable Society of Gray's Inn, commonly known as Gray's Inn, is one of the four Inns of Court (professional associations for barristers and judges) in London. To be called to the bar in order to practise as a barrister in England and W ...
in 1632. His father died in 1639 and he succeeded to the estate at Little Baddow. He was captain of horse in the Parliamentary army in 1642 and was a colonel in 1643. Also in 1643 he was commissioner for levying money for Essex, commissioner for defence for the eastern association and commissioner for execution of ordinances. He was commissioner for militia for Middlesex in 1644 and commissioner for assessment for Essex from 1644 to 1652. In 1645 he was commissioner for new model ordinance for Essex 1645, commissioner for defence for Ely 1645, governor of Cambridge Castle and became
J.P. for until July 1660.In 1648 he was commissioner for militia for Essex. He was commissioner for assessment for Shropshire from 1650 to 1652 and JP for Shropshire from 1650 to 1653.
In 1654, Mildmay 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 o ...
for
Essex
Essex () is a county in the East of England. One of the home counties, it borders Suffolk and Cambridgeshire to the north, the North Sea to the east, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent across the estuary of the River Thames to the south, and Grea ...
in the
First Protectorate Parliament
The First Protectorate Parliament was summoned by the Lord Protector Oliver Cromwell under the terms of the Instrument of Government. It sat for one term from 3 September 1654 until 22 January 1655 with William Lenthall as the Speaker of the Ho ...
. He was also commissioner for scandalous ministers for Essex in 1654. In 1656 he was re-elected MP for Essex in the
Second Protectorate Parliament
The Second Protectorate Parliament in England sat for two sessions from 17 September 1656 until 4 February 1658, with Thomas Widdrington as the Speaker of the House of Commons. In its first session, the House of Commons was its only chamber; in ...
. He was commissioner for assessment for Essex in 1657. In 1659 he was elected MP for
Maldon
Maldon (, locally ) is a town and civil parish on the Blackwater estuary in Essex, England. It is the seat of the Maldon District and starting point of the Chelmer and Blackwater Navigation. It is known for Maldon Sea Salt which is produced ...
in the
Third Protectorate Parliament
The Third Protectorate Parliament sat for one session, from 27 January 1659 until 22 April 1659, with Chaloner Chute and Thomas Bampfylde as the Speakers of the House of Commons. It was a bicameral Parliament, with an Upper House having a po ...
. He was also commissioner for militia for Essex in 1659. In January 1660 he was commissioner for assessment for Essex and in March 1660 he was commissioner for militia for Essex and Middlesex. In April 1660 he was re-elected MP for Maldon in the
Convention Parliament when he was involved in a double return but was allowed to take his seat. He was commissioner for assessment for Middlesex from August 1660 to 1663. He did not stand for the
Cavalier Parliament
The Cavalier Parliament of England lasted from 8 May 1661 until 24 January 1679. It was the longest English Parliament, and longer than any Great British or UK Parliament to date, enduring for nearly 18 years of the quarter-century reign of C ...
at a time when his kinsman
Henry Mildmay
Sir Henry Mildmay (ca. 1593–1668) was an English politician who sat in the House of Commons at various times between 1621 and 1659. He supported the Parliamentarian cause in the English Civil War and was one of the Regicides of Charles I of ...
was in disgrace. He became JP for Essex in 1664 but in 1672 he was found to have plotted false accusations against his enemy
John Bramston and was turned out of all commissions. In 1679 he was returned as MP for Essex in both elections, and was re-elected in 1681, 1689 and 1690. He was restored as JP for Essex in April 1688 and was commissioner for assessment for Essex from 1689 to 1690.
Mildmay died at the age of 83 and was buried at Little Baddow.
Family
Mildmay married firstly Cicely Barker, daughter of Walter Barker of Haughmond, Shropshire, and had two daughters. He married secondly Mary Mildmay daughter of Robert Mildmay of Overton, Northamptonshire on 30 June 1657 and had four sons and five daughters. The eldest daughter Mary (1660–1724) married
Charles Goodwin, owner of Rowfant in Sussex.
Notes
References
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mildmay, Henry
1619 births
1692 deaths
Burials in Essex
Roundheads
Members of Gray's Inn
People educated at Felsted School
People from the City of Chelmsford
English MPs 1654–1655
English MPs 1656–1658
English MPs 1659
English MPs 1660
English MPs 1679
English MPs 1680–1681
English MPs 1681
English MPs 1689–1690
English MPs 1690–1695