Sir James Harington of Exton (c. 1511 – 1592) was a 16th-century

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

public servant who fulfilled a number of legal, legislative and law enforcement duties and was

knighted A knight is a person granted an honorary title of knighthood by a head of state (including the Pope) or representative for service to the monarch, the Christian denomination, church or the country, especially in a military capacity. Knighthood ...

in 1565.

Public career

James Harington's legal career began at a young age when he was called to the

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 1536. He served as

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 ...

Kesteven The Parts of Kesteven ( or ) are a traditional division of Lincolnshire, England. This division had long had a separate county administration (quarter sessions), along with the two other Parts of Lincolnshire, Lindsey and Holland. Etymology Th ...

Lincolnshire Lincolnshire (abbreviated Lincs.) is a county in the East Midlands of England, with a long coastline on the North Sea to the east. It borders Norfolk to the south-east, Cambridgeshire to the south, Rutland to the south-west, Leicestershire ...

in 1547, and in

Rutland Rutland () is a ceremonial county and unitary authority in the East Midlands, England. The county is bounded to the west and north by Leicestershire, to the northeast by Lincolnshire and the southeast by Northamptonshire. Its greatest len ...

he became

sheriff A sheriff is a government official, with varying duties, existing in some countries with historical ties to England where the office originated. There is an analogous, although independently developed, office in Iceland that is commonly transla ...

in 1553 and Justice of the Peace circa 1559. He continued to fulfill the duties of sheriff in 1560-61 and, following his knighthood in June 1565, returned to those duties in 1566–67, 1578–79 and, near the end of his life, in 1586–87. Additionally, by 1569, he served as Rutland Commissioner Musters. He was elected as a

knight of the shire Knight of the shire ( la, milites comitatus) was the formal title for a member of parliament (MP) representing a county constituency in the British House of Commons, from its origins in the medieval Parliament of England until the Redistributio ...

(MP) for

in seven Parliamentary elections between 1554 and 1589. Harington attended the funeral of

Mary, Queen of Scots Mary, Queen of Scots (8 December 1542 – 8 February 1587), also known as Mary Stuart or Mary I of Scotland, was Queen of Scotland from 14 December 1542 until her forced abdication in 1567. The only surviving legitimate child of James V of Scot ...

Parentage, marriage and descendants

Sir James Harington was the son of John Harington of Exton (died 1554) and Elizabeth Moton. In 1539 he married Lucy, the daughter of

Sir William Sidney Sir William Sidney (1482?–1554) was an English courtier under Henry VIII and Edward VI. Life He was eldest son of Nicholas Sidney, by Anne, sister of William Brandon (standard-bearer), Sir William Brandon. In 1511 he accompanied Thomas Darcy, ...

Penshurst Penshurst is a historic village and civil parish located in a valley upon the northern slopes of the Kentish Weald, at the confluence of the River Medway and the River Eden, within the Sevenoaks district of Kent, England. The village is situa ...

Kent Kent is a county in South East England and one of the home counties. It borders Greater London to the north-west, Surrey to the west and East Sussex to the south-west, and Essex to the north across the estuary of the River Thames; it faces ...

. Their children included; *

John Harington, 1st Baron Harington of Exton John Harington, 1st Baron Harington (1539/40 – 23 August 1613) of Exton in Rutland, was an English courtier and politician. Family He was the eldest son and heir of Sir James Harington (c. 1511–1592) of Exton, by his wife Lucy Sidney (c. 1 ...

(1539–1613), married

Anne Keilway Anne, alternatively spelled Ann, is a form of the Latin female given name Anna. This in turn is a representation of the Hebrew Hannah, which means 'favour' or 'grace'. Related names include Annie. Anne is sometimes used as a male name in the ...

, their children were;

John Harington, 2nd Baron Harington of Exton John Harington, 2nd Baron Harington of Exton (1592 – 27 February 1614), of Burley-on-the-Hill, Rutland was a young English peer and politician. He was the Lord Lieutenant of Rutland and Baron Harington of Exton. Early life He was the surviv ...

(1592–1614),

Lucy Russell, Countess of Bedford Lucy Russell, Countess of Bedford ( Harington; 1580–1627) was a major aristocratic patron of the arts and literature in the Elizabethan and Jacobean eras, the primary non-royal performer in contemporary court masques, a letter-writer, and a ...

, and Frances Harington (1587-1615), wife of Sir Robert Chichester. *Sir

Henry Harington Henry Harington M.D. (1727–1816) was an English physician, musician and author. Life Born at Kelston, Somerset during September 1727, he was the son of Henry Harington of Kelston, and of Mary, daughter of Richard Backwell. On 17 December 17 ...

Bagworth Bagworth is a village and former civil parish, now in the parish of Bagworth and Thornton, in the Hinckley and Bosworth district, in Leicestershire, England, west of Leicester. In 1931 the parish had a population of 1568. History The village ...

, and

Baltinglass Baltinglass, historically known as Baltinglas (), is a town in south-west County Wicklow, Ireland. It is located on the River Slaney near the border with County Carlow and County Kildare, on the N81 road. Etymology The town's Irish name, ''Be ...

, Wicklow (d. 1613), married (1) Cecilia Agar, (2) Ruth Pilkington (d. 1627), daughter of

James Pilkington James Pilkington may refer to: *James Pilkington (bishop) James Pilkington (1520–1576), was the first Protestant Bishop of Durham from 1561 until his death in 1576. He founded Rivington Grammar School and was an Elizabethan author and orator. ...

Bishop of Durham. * Sir James Harrington, 1st Baronet of Ridlington (1542-1614), married Frances Sapcote. Their children included Bridget Markham (1579-1609), and Anne, who married (1) Thomas Foljambe, (2) John Molyneux of

Teversal Teversal is a small village in the Ashfield district of Nottinghamshire, England, west of Mansfield, close to Sutton-in-Ashfield and the boundary with Derbyshire. Former names include ''Tevershalt'', ''Teversholt'', ''Tyversholtee'', ''Teve ...

Elizabeth Harington Elizabeth Harington (died in 1618) was an English aristocrat. Life Elizabeth Harington was the daughter of James Harington (lawyer), James Harington of Exton, Rutland, Exton and Lucy Sidney, the daughter of Sir William Sidney of Penshurst, Kent. ...

(d. 1618), who married Edward Montagu of Boughton *Frances Harington, married Sir William Leigh of

Newnham Regis King's Newnham (otherwise known as Newnham Regis) is a village and civil parish located just under west of the town of Rugby and east of Coventry. For population details see Church Lawford. It is within the borough of Rugby and Warwickshire co ...

(b. 1553), their children included Sir Francis Leigh (b. 1578).''HMC 6th Report: Leconfield'' (London, 1877), p. 312. *

Margaret Harington Margaret Harington (died 1601) an English woman in 16th-century Spain. Biography Margaret Harington was third daughter of Sir James Harington and Lucy Sidney, the daughter of Sir William Sidney of Penshurst, Kent. In July 1559 Margaret Haringto ...

, married Don Benito Cisneros, buried in

Zafra Zafra () is a town situated in the Province of Badajoz (Extremadura, Spain), and the capital of the comarca of Zafra - Río Bodión. It has a population of 16,677, according to the 2011 census. Zafra is the hometown of Fray Ruy Lopez, author ...

(Spain) *Catherine Harington, married Sir Edward Dymoke (d. 1 Aug 1624), Champion to King James (a grandson of Edward Clinton, Lord High Admiral) *Mary Harington, married Sir

Edward Wingfield of Kimbolton Sir Edward Wingfield of Kimbolton (c.1562-1603), member of Parliament and author of a masque. Wingfield was the son of Thomas Wingfield of Kimbolton and Honora Denny. He was member of Parliament for Huntingdonshire in 1586, 1589, and 1593. Win ...

Mabel Harington Mabel Harington (died 1603), was a courtier to Elizabeth I of England and the sixth daughter of Sir James Harington and Lucy Harington, the daughter of Sir William Sidney of Penshurst, Kent. She married Sir Andrew Noel of Dalby and Brooke, hav ...

, who married Sir

Andrew Noel Andrew Noel or Nowell (died 1607) was an English landowner and Member of Parliament. He was a second son of Andrew Noel of Dalby and Brooke and Elizabeth Hopton. His father left his estates to the younger Andrew, rather than his eldest son, Joh ...

Sarah Harington Sarah Harington (1565–1629) was an English courtier. Sarah or Sara Harington was a daughter of Sir James Harington of Exton and Lucy Sidney, the daughter of Sir William Sidney of Penshurst, Kent. Sarah and her sisters were literary patrons and ...

, married (1)

Francis Hastings, Baron Hastings Francis Hastings, Lord Hastings (1560 – 17 December 1595) was the son of George Hastings, 4th Earl of Huntingdon and Dorothy Port. He married Sarah Harington, daughter of Sir James Harington and Lucy Sydney. They had five children: * Catherine ...

, (2) Sir George Kingsmill, (3)

Edward la Zouche, 11th Baron Zouche Edward la Zouche, 11th Baron Zouche (6 June 1556 – 18 August 1625) was an English diplomat. He is remembered chiefly for his lone vote against the condemnation of Mary, Queen of Scots, and for organising the stag hunt where his guest, the Arc ...

, (4) Sir

Thomas Edmondes Sir Thomas Edmonds (1563 – 20 September 1639) was an English diplomat and politician who served under three successive monarchs, Queen Elizabeth I, Kings James I and Charles I, and occupied the office of Treasurer of the Royal Household from ...

Theodosia Harington Theodosia Harington, Lady Dudley (died 1649) was an English aristocrat who was abandoned by her husband, but maintained connections at court through her extensive family networks. Early life She was the eighth daughter of Sir James Harington of ...

(d. 1649), married

Edward Sutton, 5th Baron Dudley Edward Sutton, 5th Baron Dudley (baptised 17 September 1567 – 23 June 1643) was a major landowner, mainly in Staffordshire and Worcestershire, and briefly a Member of the House of Commons of England. Through his intemperate behaviour he won wi ...

, their children included

Mary (Dudley) Sutton, Countess of Home Mary (Dudley) Sutton, Countess of Home (1586–1644), was a landowner, living in England and Scotland. Early years and marriage Mary (Dudley) Sutton, born 2 October 1586, was the eldest daughter of Edward Sutton, 5th Baron Dudley (d. 1643) and ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Harington, James 1510s births 1590s deaths People from Rutland English knights People from Lincolnshire High Sheriffs of Rutland English MPs 1554–1555 English MPs 1555 English MPs 1558 English MPs 1559 English MPs 1572–1583 English MPs 1586–1587 English MPs 1589 16th-century English judges

James James is a common English language surname and given name: *James (name), the typically masculine first name James * James (surname), various people with the last name James James or James City may also refer to: People * King James (disambiguat ...