John Harington, 1st Baron Harington (1539/40 – 23 August 1613) of Exton in

Rutland Rutland is a ceremonial county in the East Midlands of England. It borders Leicestershire to the north and west, Lincolnshire to the north-east, and Northamptonshire to the south-west. Oakham is the largest town and county town. Rutland has a ...

, 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. 1520 – c. 1591), daughter of Sir William Sidney by his wife, Anne Pagenham. His family was said to have held 'the most extensive estates in Rutland during the late sixteenth century'.

Career

He entered 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 association for barristers and judges. To be called to the Bar and practice as a barrister in England and Wa ...

in 1558, and was elected a Member of Parliament for

in 1571. He was a Commissioner of the Peace for Kesteven from about 1559 to 1593, and was a servant to

Robert Dudley, 1st Earl of Leicester Robert Dudley, 1st Earl of Leicester (24 June 1532 – 4 September 1588) was an English statesman and the favourite of Elizabeth I from her accession until his death. He was a suitor for the queen's hand for many years. Dudley's youth was ove ...

in the

Netherlands , Terminology of the Low Countries, informally Holland, is a country in Northwestern Europe, with Caribbean Netherlands, overseas territories in the Caribbean. It is the largest of the four constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Nether ...

in 1585 and was Keeper of

Kenilworth Castle Kenilworth Castle is a castle in the town of Kenilworth in Warwickshire, England, managed by English Heritage; much of it is in ruins. The castle was founded after the Norman Conquest of 1066; with development through to the Tudor period. It ...

, Warwickshire (1588–1590) for

Ambrose Dudley, 3rd Earl of Warwick Ambrose Dudley, 3rd Earl of Warwick, Knight of the Garter, KG (c. 1530 – 21 February 1590) was an English peerage, nobleman and general, and an elder brother of Queen Elizabeth I's favourite, Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester. Their ...

. He was appointed Sheriff of Warwickshire for 1582 and was

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

ed in 1584 by Sir Henry Sidney at Sir Thomas Henneage's house in London. Harington was a

Knight of the Shire Knight of the shire () 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 Redistribution of Seats Act 1885 ...

(MP) for

Warwickshire Warwickshire (; abbreviated Warks) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the West Midlands (region), West Midlands of England. It is bordered by Staffordshire and Leicestershire to the north, Northamptonshire to the east, Ox ...

in 1586, when he accompanied

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 List of Scottish monarchs, Queen of Scotland from 14 December 1542 until her forced abdication in 1567. The only surviving legit ...

through Warwickshire on her way to

Fotheringhay Fotheringhay is a village and civil parish in North Northamptonshire, England. It is north-east of Oundle and around west of Peterborough. It is most noted for being the site of Fotheringhay (or Fotheringay) Castle which was razed in 1627. ...

Northamptonshire Northamptonshire ( ; abbreviated Northants.) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the East Midlands of England. It is bordered by Leicestershire, Rutland and Lincolnshire to the north, Cambridgeshire to the east, Bedfordshi ...

. He was again MP for Rutland in 1593 and 1601 and was made Deputy Lieutenant of Rutland and

during the 1590s. He was also

High Sheriff of Rutland This is a list of sheriffs and high sheriffs of the English county of Rutland. The high sheriff, sheriff is the oldest secular office under the Crown: there has been a Sheriff of Rutland since 1129. Formerly the sheriff was the principal law enf ...

for 1594, 1598 and 1602. Harington was keeper of

from 1588 to 1590 for Ambrose Dudley,

Earl of Warwick Earl of Warwick is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom which has been created four times in English history. The name refers to Warwick Castle and the town of Warwick. Overview The first creation came in 1088, and the title was held b ...

. His daughter Lucy married Edward Russell, the nephew of the Earl of Warwick's widow Anne Russell, Countess of Warwick. On New Year's Day 1596 he produced a performance of ''

Titus Andronicus ''The Lamentable Tragedy of Titus Andronicus'', often shortened to ''Titus Andronicus'', is a Shakespearean tragedy, tragedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1588 and 1593. It is thought to be Shakespeare's first t ...

'' and a

masque The masque was a form of festive courtly entertainment that flourished in 16th- and early 17th-century Europe, though it was developed earlier in Italy, in forms including the intermedio (a public version of the masque was the pageant). A mas ...

written by his brother-in-law Sir Edward Wingfield at his house at Burley-on-the-Hill. A contemporary noted that he paid for the extravagant household, horses, and hunting of his daughter Lucy and the Earl of Bedford, and was forced to lease out his lands on unfavourable terms to raise money. On 23 April 1603 he entertained King

James I James I may refer to: People *James I of Aragon (1208–1276) * James I of Sicily or James II of Aragon (1267–1327) * James I, Count of La Marche (1319–1362), Count of Ponthieu * James I, Count of Urgell (1321–1347) *James I of Cyprus (1334� ...

on his journey from Scotland at Burley with dinner and a welcoming speech written by

Samuel Daniel Samuel Daniel (1562–1619) was an English poet, playwright and historian in the late-Elizabethan and early- Jacobean eras. He was an innovator in a wide range of literary genres. His best-known works are the sonnet cycle ''Delia'', the epic ...

. James left for

Burghley House Burghley House () is a grand sixteenth-century English country house near Stamford, Lincolnshire. It is a leading example of the Elizabethan prodigy house, built and still lived in by the senior (Exeter) branch of the Cecil family and is Grade ...

followed by Harington's hounds. He returned on 25 April and fell off his horse, injuring his arm, and after staying the night left in Harington's coach. He was created Baron Harington of Exton in July 1603 at the coronation of King James. He was made guardian of that king's daughter, Princess

Elizabeth Elizabeth or Elisabeth may refer to: People * Elizabeth (given name), a female given name (including people with that name) * Empress Elisabeth (disambiguation), lists various empresses named ''Elisabeth'' or ''Elizabeth'' * Princess Elizabeth ...

. The high cost of entertaining the Princess ruined him. As partial recompense Harington was granted a licence to mint the first copper farthings by the king. Princess Elizabeth married

Frederick V, Elector Palatine Frederick may refer to: People * Frederick (given name), the name Given name Nobility = Anhalt-Harzgerode = * Frederick, Prince of Anhalt-Harzgerode (1613–1670) = Austria = * Frederick I, Duke of Austria (Babenberg), Duke of Austria fro ...

and Lord Harington accompanied her to the

Electoral Palatinate The Electoral Palatinate was a constituent state of the Holy Roman Empire until it was annexed by the Electorate of Baden in 1803. From the end of the 13th century, its ruler was one of the Prince-electors who elected the Holy Roman Empero ...

. At

Heidelberg Heidelberg (; ; ) is the List of cities in Baden-Württemberg by population, fifth-largest city in the States of Germany, German state of Baden-Württemberg, and with a population of about 163,000, of which roughly a quarter consists of studen ...

two of his servants fought with Andrew Keith, a Scottish courtier who had insulted his wife. Harington died at

Worms, Germany Worms (; ) is a city in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany, situated on the Upper Rhine about south-southwest of Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main. It had about 84,646 inhabitants . A pre-Roman foundation, Worms is one of the oldest cities in northern ...

on his way home in 1613. After his death his estate at Exton was sold to pay his creditors, being purchased by Sir Baptist Hicks.

Family

He married Anne Keilway (d. 1620), daughter of Robert Keilway, Surveyor of the

Court of Wards and Liveries The Court of Wards and Liveries was a court established during the reign of Henry VIII in England. Its purpose was to administer a system of feudalism, feudal dues; but as well as the revenue collection, the court was also responsible for wa ...

. Their children included: * John Harington, 2nd Baron Harington of Exton (1592–1614), eldest son and heir; * Lucy Harington, wife of Edward Russell, 3rd Earl of Bedford. *Frances Harington, Lady Chichester (1587-1615), 1st wife of Sir Robert Chichester (1578–1627), Knight, of

Raleigh Raleigh ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of North Carolina. It is the List of municipalities in North Carolina, second-most populous city in the state (after Charlotte, North Carolina, Charlotte) ...

, in the parish of Pilton in Devon. Her kneeling effigy survives Pilton Church, with the Harington arms. She danced at court in '' The Masque of Beauty'' on 10 January 1608.Ian Grimble, ''The Harington Family'' (New York, 1957), p. 151.

References

* , - {{DEFAULTSORT:Harington of Exton, John Harington, 1st Baron 16th-century births 1613 deaths People from Rutland People of Elizabethan Ireland Lord-lieutenants of Rutland Deputy lieutenants of Rutland Deputy lieutenants of Warwickshire Barons Harington of Exton Peers of England created by James I Members of the Inner Temple High sheriffs of Rutland High sheriffs of Warwickshire English MPs 1586–1587 English MPs 1593 English MPs 1601 16th-century English nobility Sheriffs of Warwickshire Household of Elizabeth Stuart, Queen of Bohemia

John John is a common English name and surname: * John (given name) * John (surname) John may also refer to: New Testament Works * Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John * First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John * Second E ...