Sir John Harington ( – 25 August 1553) of

Exton, Rutland Exton is a village in Rutland, England. The population was 607 at the 2011 census. The civil parish was abolished in 2016 and merged with Horn to form Exton and Horn. The village The village's name means 'farm/settlement which has oxen'. Th ...

, was an English politician.

Career

He was the eldest son of Sir John Harington of Exton, who he succeeded in 1524. He was a

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 ...

for Rutland and Lincolnshire and held a number of other positions such as Bailiff of Leicester and Esquire of the Body. He served as

High Sheriff of Rutland This is a list of sheriffs and high sheriffs of the English county of Rutland. The 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 enforcement offic ...

from 1520 to 1521, 1533 to 1534, 1540 to 1541 and from 1552 until his death, for Warwickshire and Leicestershire from 1532 to 1533 and for

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 ...

from 1537 to 1538. He was elected a

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 ...

of the

Parliament of England The Parliament of England was the legislature of the Kingdom of England from the 13th century until 1707 when it was replaced by the Parliament of Great Britain. Parliament evolved from the great council of bishops and peers that advised t ...

for

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 ...

in 1529, 1539 and 1542. He was knighted in 1542 and became treasurer to Thomas Manners, 1st Earl of Rutland, during the expedition to Scotland. Harington continued in his capacity as Treasurer for many years. Notably in 1543–1544 when he was treasurer to Charles Brandon, 1st Duke of Suffolk, Henry VIII's lieutenant in the North. He was also involved in the campaign in France from 1544, where he was vice-treasurer of the armed forces. Upon returning from France in 1547, he served Henry Manners, 2nd Earl of Rutland. In later years, Harington's credibility came under scrutiny, when his servant,

John Bradford John Bradford (1510–1555) was an English Reformer, prebendary of St. Paul's, and martyr. He was imprisoned in the Tower of London for alleged crimes against Queen Mary I. He was burned at the stake on 1 July 1555. Life Bradford was born ...

, resigned his post over monies allegedly defrauded from the King. The precise nature of these irregularities has never been fully ascertained.

Personal life

Harington married Elizabeth, the daughter and heiress of Robert Moton of Peckleton, Leicestershire. He had five sons, two of whom were MPs, and four daughters. His five sons were James Harington, (b.c.1511) MP for Rutland, Edmund (b.c.1521), Robert (b.c.1525), Edward Harington (b.c. 1526), MP for

Fowey Fowey ( ; kw, Fowydh, meaning 'Beech Trees') is a port town and civil parish at the mouth of the River Fowey in south Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. The town has been in existence since well before the Norman invasion, with the local ch ...

, and John (b.c.1529). He died in London on 28 August 1553, and was carried back to Rutland for burial. His funeral trappings were described by

Henry Machyn Henry Machyn (1496/1498 – 1563) was an English clothier and diarist in 16th century London. Machyn's ''Chronicle'', which was written between 1550 and 1563, is primarily concerned with public events: changes on the throne, state visits, i ...

.Ian Grimble, ''The Harington Family'' (New York, n.d.), p. 72.

References

15th-century births 1553 deaths English justices of the peace English knights English MPs 1529–1536 English MPs 1539–1540 English MPs 1542–1544 Esquires of the Body John 1499 High Sheriffs of Leicestershire High Sheriffs of Lincolnshire High Sheriffs of Rutland High Sheriffs of Warwickshire {{1529-England-MP-stub