John Belasyse, 1st Baron Belasyse (or Bellasis) (24 June 1614 – 10 September 1689) was an English nobleman,

Royalist A royalist supports a particular monarch as head of state for a particular kingdom, or of a particular dynastic claim. In the abstract, this position is royalism. It is distinct from monarchism, which advocates a monarchical system of governme ...

officer and

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 of ...

, notable for his role during and after the

Civil War A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...

. He suffered a long spell of imprisonment during the

Popish Plot The Popish Plot was a fictitious conspiracy invented by Titus Oates that between 1678 and 1681 gripped the Kingdoms of England and Scotland in anti-Catholic hysteria. Oates alleged that there was an extensive Catholic conspiracy to assassinate C ...

, although he was never brought to trial. From 1671 until his death he lived in Whitton, near

Twickenham Twickenham is a suburban district in London, England. It is situated on the River Thames southwest of Charing Cross. Historically part of Middlesex, it has formed part of the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames since 1965, and the boroug ...

Middlesex Middlesex (; abbreviation: Middx) is a Historic counties of England, historic county in South East England, southeast England. Its area is almost entirely within the wider urbanised area of London and mostly within the Ceremonial counties of ...

Samuel Pepys Samuel Pepys (; 23 February 1633 – 26 May 1703) was an English diarist and naval administrator. He served as administrator of the Royal Navy and Member of Parliament and is most famous for the diary he kept for a decade. Pepys had no mariti ...

was impressed by his collection of paintings, which has long since disappeared.

Origins

He was born at Newburgh Grange, Yorkshire and was baptised on 24 July 1614 at

Coxwold Coxwold is a village and civil parish in the Hambleton District of North Yorkshire, England, in the North York Moors National Park. It is 18 miles north of York and is where the Rev. Laurence Sterne wrote '' A Sentimental Journey''. History ...

, Yorkshire. He was the second son of

Thomas Belasyse, 1st Viscount Fauconberg Thomas Belasyse, 1st Viscount Fauconberg (1577 – 18 April 1653), styled Baron Fauconberg between 1627 and 1643 and Sir Thomas Belasyse, 2nd Baronet between 1624 and 1627, was an English politician who sat in the House of Commons at various times ...

(1577–1652), a

for

Thirsk Thirsk is a market town and civil parish in the Hambleton district of North Yorkshire, England known for its racecourse; quirky yarnbomber displays, and depiction as local author James Herriot's fictional Darrowby. History Archeological fin ...

in the

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and

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Parliaments, by his wife Barbara Cholmondeley, a daughter of Sir Henry Cholmondeley of Roxby in Yorkshire..

Career

Civil War

Shortly after the start of the Civil War, he was "disabled" from sitting in the Long Parliament as he had joined the

cause. He raised six regiments of horse and foot soldiers at his own expense and took part in the

Battle of Edgehill The Battle of Edgehill (or Edge Hill) was a pitched battle of the First English Civil War. It was fought near Edge Hill and Kineton in southern Warwickshire on Sunday, 23 October 1642. All attempts at constitutional compromise between K ...

and the Battle of Brentford, both in 1642, the

First Battle of Newbury The First Battle of Newbury was a battle of the First English Civil War that was fought on 20 September 1643 between a Royalist army, under the personal command of King Charles, and a Parliamentarian force led by the Earl of Essex. Following ...

(1643), the Battle of Selby (1644), the

Battle of Naseby The Battle of Naseby took place on 14 June 1645 during the First English Civil War, near the village of Naseby in Northamptonshire. The Parliamentarian New Model Army, commanded by Sir Thomas Fairfax and Oliver Cromwell, destroyed the main R ...

(1645), as well as the sieges of

Reading Reading is the process of taking in the sense or meaning of Letter (alphabet), letters, symbols, etc., especially by Visual perception, sight or Somatosensory system, touch. For educators and researchers, reading is a multifaceted process invo ...

(1643),

Bristol Bristol () is a city, ceremonial county and unitary authority in England. Situated on the River Avon, it is bordered by the ceremonial counties of Gloucestershire to the north and Somerset to the south. Bristol is the most populous city in ...

and

Newark Newark most commonly refers to: * Newark, New Jersey, city in the United States * Newark Liberty International Airport, New Jersey; a major air hub in the New York metropolitan area Newark may also refer to: Places Canada * Niagara-on-the ...

and was wounded several times. He later became Lieutenant-General of the King's forces in the North of England, and Governor of

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 ...

and of Newark... At Oxford on 27 January 1645 he was raised to the peerage by King Charles I under the title of

Baron Belasyse Baron Belasyse was a title that was created twice in the Peerage of England. The first creation came on 27 January 1645 when the Honourable John Belasyse was made Baron Belasyse of Worlaby in the County of Lincoln. He was the second son of Thoma ...

Worlaby __NOTOC__ Worlaby is a village and civil parish in North Lincolnshire, England, south-west from Barton-Upon-Humber and north-east from Brigg. The population of the civil parish at the 2011 census was 547. It lies on the B1204, and to the e ...

, Lincolnshire. On 4 February 1665

recorded an anecdote about Belasyse's civil war activities in a diary entry:
:''To my office, and there all the morning. At noon, being invited, I to the Sun behind the

Change Change or Changing may refer to: Alteration * Impermanence, a difference in a state of affairs at different points in time * Menopause, also referred to as "the change", the permanent cessation of the menstrual period * Metamorphosis, or change, ...

to dinner to my Lord Bellasses – where a great deal of discourse with him – and some good. Among other at table, he told us a very handsome passage of the King's sending him his message about holding out the town of Newarke, of which he was then governor for the King. This message he sent in a Slugg-bullet, being writ in Cypher and wrapped up in lead and swallowed. So the messenger came to my Lord and told him he had a message from the King, but it was yet in his belly; so they did give him some physic, and out it came. This was a month before the King's flying to the Scotts; and therein he told him that at such a day, being 3 or 6 May, he should hear of his being come to the Scotts, being assured by the King of France that in coming to them, he should be used with all the Liberty, Honour and safety that could be desired. And at the just day he did come to the Scotts. He told us another odd passage: how the King, having newly put out Prince Rupert of his Generallshipp upon some miscarriage at Bristol, and Sir Rd. Willis of his governorshipp of Newarke at the entreaty of the gentry of the County, and put in my Lord Bellasses – the great officers of the King’s Army mutinyed, and came in that manner, with swords drawn, into the market-place of the town where the King was – which the King hearing, says, "I must to horse". And there himself personally, when everybody expected they would have been opposed, the King came and cried to the head of the Mutineers, which was Prince Rupert, "Nephew, I command you to be gone!" So the Prince, in all his fury and discontent, withdrew, and his company scattered – which they say was the greatest piece of mutiny in the world., Samuel Pepys, 4 February 1665''.

Interregnum

Belasyse is considered to have been one of the first members of the

Sealed Knot The Sealed Knot was a secret Royalist association which plotted for the Restoration of the Monarchy during the English Interregnum. The group was commissioned by King Charles II between November 1653 and February 1654 from his exile in Paris for ...

, a Royalist underground organisation, as was Sir Richard Willis, his predecessor as Governor of Newark. During the

Interregnum An interregnum (plural interregna or interregnums) is a period of discontinuity or "gap" in a government, organization, or social order. Archetypally, it was the period of time between the reign of one monarch and the next (coming from Latin '' ...

Belasyse was in frequent communication with King Charles II and his supporters in

Holland Holland is a geographical regionG. Geerts & H. Heestermans, 1981, ''Groot Woordenboek der Nederlandse Taal. Deel I'', Van Dale Lexicografie, Utrecht, p 1105 and former province on the western coast of the Netherlands. From the 10th to the 16th c ...

Charles II

After the Restoration of the Monarchy, Belasyse was appointed

Lord-Lieutenant of the East Riding of Yorkshire This is a list of people who have served as Lord Lieutenant for the East Riding of Yorkshire. The office was established after the English Restoration in 1660, when a Lord Lieutenant was appointed for each Riding of Yorkshire. Since 1721, all Lord ...

(1660–1673) and

Governor of Kingston upon Hull Below is a list of those who have held the office of Governor of Kingston upon Hull: Governors of Kingston upon Hull *1536: John Hallam *1546–1552: Sir Michael Stanhope (died 1552), Michael Stanhope (beheaded, 1552) *?-1639: Sir John Hotham, ...

(1661-1673), while from 1665 to 1666 he held the posts of

Governor of Tangier This is a list of governors of Tangier during the period when it was under European control. See also * Timeline of Tangier * English Tangier *Tangier {{Tangier Tangier Tangier Tangier Tangier Tangier ( ; ; ar, طنجة, Ṭanja) is a ...

and Captain-General of the forces in Africa. According to Samuel Pepys, he accepted the post only for the profit it brought. In 1666/67, Belasyse was in England; his appointment as Governor of Tangier was withdrawn and he was appointed

Captain of the Gentlemen-at-Arms The Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms is a post in the Government of the United Kingdom that has been held by the Government Chief Whip in the House of Lords The House of Lords, also known as the House of Peers, is the ...

. In 1672, he resigned this appointment as he was unwilling to take the Oath of Conformity introduced under the

Test Act The Test Acts were a series of English penal laws that served as a religious test for public office and imposed various civil disabilities on Roman Catholics and nonconformists. The underlying principle was that only people taking communion in t ...

Popish Plot

At the time of the plot of Titus Oates, Belasyse, along with four other Catholic peers, Henry Arundell, 3rd Baron Arundell of Wardour,

William Howard, 1st Viscount Stafford William Howard, 1st Viscount Stafford, FRS (30 November 1614 – 29 December 1680) was the youngest son of Thomas Howard, 21st Earl of Arundel, and his wife, the former Alethea Talbot. A Fellow of the Royal Society from 1665, he was a Royalist ...

William Herbert, 1st Marquis of Powis William Herbert, 1st Marquess of Powis, PC (16262 June 1696) was an English nobleman, best remembered for his suffering during the Popish Plot. He succeeded his father as 3rd Baron Powis in 1667 and was created Earl of Powis in 1674 by King ...

and

William Petre, 4th Baron Petre William Petre, 4th Baron Petre (1626 – 5 January 1684) was an English peer and victim of the Popish Plot. Petre was the eldest son of Robert Petre, third Baron Petre (1599–1638), and Mary (1603–1685), daughter of Anthony-Maria Browne, ...

, was denounced as a conspirator and formally

impeached Impeachment is the process by which a legislative body or other legally constituted tribunal initiates charges against a public official for misconduct. It may be understood as a unique process involving both political and legal elements. In ...

in Parliament. Belasyse was said to have been designated Commander-in-Chief of a supposed "Popish army" by the Jesuit Superior-General, Giovanni Paolo Oliva, but Charles II, according to Von Ranke, burst out laughing at the idea that this infirm old man, who could hardly stand on his feet due to

gout Gout ( ) is a form of inflammatory arthritis characterized by recurrent attacks of a red, tender, hot and swollen joint, caused by deposition of monosodium urate monohydrate crystals. Pain typically comes on rapidly, reaching maximal intensit ...

, would be able even to hold a pistol. He was a friend of the senior civil servant Edward Colman, an ardent and politically active Catholic, who was executed for his supposed part in the Plot in December 1678, and that Colman had visited Belasyse the night before he gave himself up to the authorities. However, Colman in fact seems to have been guilty of nothing more than indiscreet correspondence with the French Court in which he outlined his wildly impractical schemes for the advancement of the Catholic faith in England. Despite his frequent references to his old age and infirmity, Lord Belasyse lived on for another ten years. The impeached Catholic peers, though they endured a long imprisonment in the Tower, where Lord Petre died in 1683, were never brought to trial, apart from Stafford, who was executed in December 1680.

James II

Following the accession of king James II, Belasyse returned to favour and in July 1686 was appointed a

Privy Counsellor The Privy Council (PC), officially His Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council, is a privy council, formal body of advisers to the British monarchy, sovereign of the United Kingdom. Its membership mainly comprises Politics of the United King ...

and in 1687 was appointed as First Lord Commissioner of the Treasury which, on account of his Catholicism, caused political problems for the king, although in a Court dominated by extremists, he was regarded as moderate. He and the king had always been on friendly terms: after the death of his first wife

Anne Hyde Anne Hyde (12 March 163731 March 1671) was Duchess of York and Albany as the first wife of James, Duke of York, who later became King James II and VII. Anne was the daughter of a member of the English gentry – Edward Hyde (later created ...

, James had informally promised to marry Susan Belasyse, Belasyse's widowed daughter-in-law, "a lady of much life and vivacity", despite the fact that she was a staunch Protestant while he was a Catholic convert. The marriage was forbidden by Charles II, who told his younger brother that "it was too much that he had played the fool once (i.e. by marrying Anne Hyde, another commoner) and that it was not to be done a second time and at such an age". Susan was forced to surrender the written proofs of the engagement although she kept a secret copy.

Marriage and children

Belasyse married three times and by his first and third wives had at least sixteen children, many of whom died in infancy. His wives were as follows: *Firstly he married Jane Boteler, a daughter of Sir Robert Boteler by his wife Frances Drury, by whom he had issue: **Sir Henry Belasyse (died 1667), only surviving son and heir, who married his step-sister Susan Airmine (d.1713), a daughter of Sir William Airmine, 2nd Baronet by his wife Anne Crane. Unlike her husband's family, she was a Protestant. Henry predeceased his father, having been killed in a duel in 1667 following a drunken quarrel with the dramatist Thomas Porter (described by Samuel Pepys as the silliest, most trivial quarrel imaginable) and the title passed to his son

Henry Belasyse, 2nd Baron Belasyse Baron Belasyse was a title that was created twice in the Peerage of England. The first creation came on 27 January 1645 when the Honourable John Belasyse was made Baron Belasyse of Worlaby in the County of Lincoln. He was the second son of Thoma ...

(d.1691) who died with no sons, whereby the title became extinct. Unusually, in her widowhood Susan was created Baroness Belasyse of Osgodby in her own right, in 1674, which title expired on her death. After King Charles II had firmly vetoed her as a wife for his brother James, she remarried James Fortrey. *Secondly he married Anne Crane (d.1662), a daughter of

Sir Robert Crane, 1st Baronet Sir Robert Crane, 1st Baronet (1586 – February 1643) of Chilton, Suffolk and of Buckenham Tofts, Norfolk, was an English politician who sat in the House of Commons variously between 1614 and 1643. Crane was the son of Henry Crane of Chilton ...

by his second wife Susan Alington, and widow of Sir William Airmine, 2nd Baronet (1622-1658). *Thirdly he married Anne Paulet, a daughter of

John Paulet, 5th Marquis of Winchester John Paulet, 5th Marquess of Winchester (c. 1598 – 5 March 1675), styled Lord John Paulet until 1621 and Lord St John from 1621 to 1628, was the third but eldest surviving son of William Paulet and his successor as 5th Marquess of Winchester. ...

by his second wife Honora de Burgh.

Daughters

He had seven surviving daughters, by his first and third wives: * Isabel Belasyse, who married Thomas Stonor * Mary Belasyse, who married Robert Constable, 3rd Viscount of Dunbar. Samuel Pepys records meeting Mary Belasyse, later Lady Dunbar, in 1666, and was charmed by her passion for music: "the greatest I ever saw in my life". * Barbara Belasyse, who married Sir John Webbe, 3rd Baronet * Honora Belasyse, who married

George Nevill, 12th Baron Bergavenny George Nevill, ''de facto'' 12th (''de jure'' 1st) Baron Bergavenny (21 April 1665 – 26 March 1695) was an English peer. The son of George Nevill, 11th Baron Bergavenny and Mary Gifford, daughter of Thomas Gifford and Anne Brooksby, he succe ...

* Catherine Belasyse, who married John Talbot * Anne Belasyse * Elizabeth Belasyse (died 1699)

Death and burial

Monumnet to Lord Belasyse in St Giles in the Fields

He died on 10 September 1689 and was buried on 14 September 1689 at the church of

St Giles in the Fields St Giles in the Fields is the Anglican parish church of the St Giles district of London. It stands within the London Borough of Camden and belongs to the Diocese of London. The church, named for St Giles the Hermit, began as a monastery and ...

, London. A monument erected to his memory in the old Church was moved to the churchyard when the present Georgian church was built and subsequently decayed, but the inscribed tablet survives now in the south porch, reading as follows:
:''This Monument was Erected in the Year of Our Lord 1736. by the Pious Direction of the Honourable/Dame barbara webb wife of Sr. John Webb of Canford Magna in the County of Dorset Bart. and the Honourable/catherine talbot wife of the Honourable john talbot of Longford in the County of Salop Esq. Surviveing/Daughters and Coheirs of the Right Honourable john Lord belasyse Second Son of thomas Lord Viscount fauconberg, in memory of their most dear Father his wives and Children. Who for his Loyalty Prudence and Courage was promoted to Several Commands of great Trust by their/Majesty's King Charles the First and Second (Viz.) Having raised Six Regiments of Horse and Foot in the late Civil Wars/He commanded a Tertia in his Majesty's Armies att the Battles of Edge Hill, Newbury, and Knaseby, ye Seiges of Reading/and Bristol. Afterwards being made Governour of York and Commander in Chief of all his Majesty's Forces in/Yorkshire, He fought the Battle of Selby with the Lord Fairfax, then being Lieutenant General of ye Countys of Lincoln,/Nottingham, Darby, and Rutland, and Governour of Newark. He Valiantly defended that Garrison against the English/ and Scotch Armies, till his Majesty Came in Person to the Scotch Quarters and Commanded the surrender of it./At which time he also had the honour of being General of the Kings Horse Guards. in all which Services dureing/ the Wars and other Atchievements, he deported himself with eminent Courage & Conduct & received many wounds/Sustained Three Imprisonments in the Tower of London, and after the Happy Restauration of King charles the second/He was made Lord Lieutenant of the East Rideing of the County of York, Governour of Hull, General of His Majesty's/ Forces in Africa, Governour of Tangier, Captain of his Majesty's Guards of Gentlemen Pensioners, & First Lord/Commissioner of the Treasury to King james the Second. He dyed the 10th day of September 1689. whose remaines/are deposited in this Vault./ He married to his first wife jane daughter and Sole Heiress of Sr. robert boteler of woodhall in the/County of Hertford, Knt. by whom he had Sr. henry belasyse Knt. of the most Honourable Order of the Bath/interr'd in this Vault, mary Viscountess dunbar, and frances both Deceased/ He married to his second Wife ann Daughter and Coheir to Sr. robert crane of Chilton in ye County/of Suffolk Bart. who also lyes interr'd here. He married to his third Wife the Right Honourable the Lady ann powlet Second Daughter of the/Right Noble john Marquiss of Winchester, sister to charles late Duke of Bolton, and is here interr'd, the/Issue by that Marriage as above''.

Notes

References

* Cites: **Dugdale's ''Baronage''; **Fuller's ''Worthies, Yorkshire'', p. 220 (fol.); **Foster's ''Visitations of Yorkshire, 1584–1612'', and ''Pedigrees of the County Families of Yorkshire''; **Money's ''Battles of Newbury'', where is given a copy of the monumental brass in St. Giles' in the Fields, the church where Lord Belasyse was buried; **Klopp's ''Fall des Hauses Stuart''. * * Cites: ** Andrew J. Hopper, ''John Belasyse, 1st Baron Belasyse of Worlaby'',

Oxford DNB The ''Dictionary of National Biography'' (''DNB'') is a standard work of reference on notable figures from British history, published since 1885. The updated ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'' (''ODNB'') was published on 23 September ...

, 2004 ** Stuart Reid, ''All the King's Armies'' (Staplehurst 1998) * Cites: **Dodd, ''Church History of England'' (Brussels, 1742), III; **Gillow, ''Bibl. Dict. of Eng. Cath.'', I; **Keary in ''

Dictionary of National Biography The ''Dictionary of National Biography'' (''DNB'') is a standard work of reference on notable figures from British history, published since 1885. The updated ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'' (''ODNB'') was published on 23 September ...

'', IV, 142; **Clarendon, ''History of the Great Rebellion'', and Clarendon State Papers in the

Bodleian Library The Bodleian Library () is the main research library of the University of Oxford, and is one of the oldest libraries in Europe. It derives its name from its founder, Sir Thomas Bodley. With over 13 million printed items, it is the second- ...

. *