John Eliot (statesman)
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Sir John Eliot (11 April 1592 – 27 November 1632) was an English statesman who was serially imprisoned in the
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, where he eventually died, by King
Charles I Charles I may refer to: Kings and emperors * Charlemagne (742–814), numbered Charles I in the lists of Holy Roman Emperors and French kings * Charles I of Anjou (1226–1285), also king of Albania, Jerusalem, Naples and Sicily * Charles I of ...
for advocating the rights and privileges of
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.


Early life

The son of Richard Eliot (1546 – 22 June 1609) and Bridget Carswell (c. 1542 – March 1617), he was born at Cuddenbeak, a farm on his father's
Port Eliot Port Eliot in the parish of St Germans, Cornwall, England, United Kingdom, is the ancestral seat of the Eliot family, whose present head is Albert Eliot, 11th Earl of St Germans. Port Eliot comprises a stately home with its own church, which ...
estate in
St Germans, Cornwall St Germans ( kw, Lannaled) is a village and civil parish in east Cornwall, England. It stands on the River Tiddy, just upstream of where that river joins the River Lynher; the water way from St Germans to the Hamoaze is also known as St Germ ...
. He was baptised on 20 April at St German's Priory, immediately next to Port Eliot. The Eliot family were an old
Devon Devon ( , historically known as Devonshire , ) is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in South West England. The most populous settlement in Devon is the city of Plymouth, followed by Devon's county town, the city of Exeter. Devon is ...
family that had settled in Cornwall. John Eliot was educated at
Blundell's School Blundell's School is a co-educational day and boarding independent school in the English public school tradition, located in Tiverton, Devon. It was founded in 1604 under the will of Peter Blundell, one of the richest men in England at the t ...
, Tiverton, and matriculated at
Exeter College, Oxford Exeter College (in full: The Rector and Scholars of Exeter College in the University of Oxford) is one of the Colleges of the University of Oxford, constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England and the fourth-oldest college of the un ...
, on 4 December 1607, and, leaving the university after three years, he studied law at one of the
Inns of Court The Inns of Court in London are the professional associations for barristers in England and Wales. There are four Inns of Court – Gray's Inn, Lincoln's Inn, Inner Temple and Middle Temple. All barristers must belong to one of them. They have ...
. He also spent some months travelling in France, Spain and Italy, in company, for part of the time, with young George Villiers, afterwards 1st
Duke of Buckingham Duke of Buckingham held with Duke of Chandos, referring to Buckingham, is a title that has been created several times in the peerages of England, Great Britain, and the United Kingdom. There have also been earls and marquesses of Buckingham. ...
.


Parliamentary career

Eliot was only twenty-two when he began his parliamentary career as Member of Parliament for St Germans in the "
Addled Parliament The Parliament of 1614 was the second Parliament of England of the reign of James VI and I, which sat between 5 April and 7 June 1614. Lasting only two months and two days, it saw no bills pass and was not even regarded as a Parliament by its c ...
" of 1614. In May 1618, he 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 1615, through the patronage of Buckingham, he obtained the appointment of
Vice-Admiral of Devon The holder of the post Vice-Admiral of Devon was responsible for the defence of the county of Devon, England. History As a Vice-Admiral, the post holder was the chief of naval administration for his district. His responsibilities included pres ...
, with large powers for the defence and control of the commerce of the county. It was not long before the characteristic energy with which he performed the duties in his office involved him in difficulties. After many attempts, in 1623, he succeeded by a clever but dangerous manoeuvre in entrapping the famous pirate
John Nutt John Nutt (before 1600 – after 1632) was an English pirate. He was one of the more notorious brigands of his time, raiding the coast of southern Canada and western England for over three years before his capture by Sir John Eliot in 1623. Hi ...
, who had for years plagued the southern coast, inflicting immense damage upon English commerce. However, the pirate, having a powerful protector at court in Sir
George Calvert George Calvert, 1st Baron Baltimore (; 1580 – 15 April 1632), was an English politician and colonial administrator. He achieved domestic political success as a member of parliament and later Secretary of State under King James I. He lost m ...
, the secretary of state, was pardoned; while the Vice-Admiral, upon charges which could not be substantiated, was flung into the
Marshalsea The Marshalsea (1373–1842) was a notorious prison in Southwark, just south of the River Thames. Although it housed a variety of prisoners, including men accused of crimes at sea and political figures charged with sedition, it became known, in ...
prison, and detained there nearly four months. A few weeks after his release, Eliot was elected Member of Parliament for Newport
Conrad Russell Conrad Sebastian Robert Russell, 5th Earl Russell, (15 April 1937 – 14 October 2004), was a British historian and politician. His parents were the philosopher and mathematician Bertrand Russell and his third wife Patricia Russell. He was al ...
, 'Eliot, Sir John (1592–1632)',
Oxford 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 ...
, Oxford University Press, September 2004; online edn, October 200
accessed 16 December 2007
/ref> (February 1624). On 27 February, he delivered his first speech, in which he at once revealed his great powers as an orator, demanding boldly that the liberties and privileges of Parliament, repudiated by
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 (1334–13 ...
in the former Parliament, should be secured. In the first Parliament of
Charles I Charles I may refer to: Kings and emperors * Charlemagne (742–814), numbered Charles I in the lists of Holy Roman Emperors and French kings * Charles I of Anjou (1226–1285), also king of Albania, Jerusalem, Naples and Sicily * Charles I of ...
, in 1625, he urged the enforcement of the laws against the
Roman Catholics The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
. Meanwhile, he had continued the friend and supporter of Buckingham and greatly approved of the war with Spain. Buckingham's incompetence, however, and the bad faith with which both he and the King continued to treat the parliament, alienated Eliot. Distrust of his former friend quickly grew in Eliot's mind to a certainty of his criminal ambition. Returned to the parliament of 1626 as Member for St Germans and in the absence of other leaders of the opposition whom the King had secured by nominating them sheriffs, Eliot found himself the leader of the House. He immediately demanded an inquiry into the recent disaster at
Cádiz Cádiz (, , ) is a city and port in southwestern Spain. It is the capital of the Province of Cádiz, one of eight that make up the autonomous community of Andalusia. Cádiz, one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in Western Europe, ...
. On 27 March, he made an open and daring attack upon Buckingham and his administration. He was not intimidated by the King's threatening intervention on 29 March, and persuaded the House to defer the actual grant of the subsidies and to present a remonstrance to the King, declaring its right to examine the conduct of ministers. On 8 May, he was one of the managers who carried Buckingham's impeachment to the Lords and, on 10 May, he delivered the charges against him, comparing him in the course of his speech to
Sejanus Lucius Aelius Sejanus (c. 20 BC – 18 October AD 31), commonly known as Sejanus (), was a Roman soldier, friend and confidant of the Roman Emperor Tiberius. Of the Equites class by birth, Sejanus rose to power as prefect of the Praetorian Guar ...
. Next day, Eliot was sent to the
Tower A tower is a tall Nonbuilding structure, structure, taller than it is wide, often by a significant factor. Towers are distinguished from guyed mast, masts by their lack of guy-wires and are therefore, along with tall buildings, self-supporting ...
. When the Commons declined to proceed with business as long as Eliot and Sir
Dudley Digges Sir Dudley Digges (19 May 1583 – 18 March 1639) was an English diplomat and politician who sat in the House of Commons between 1610 and 1629. Digges was also a "Virginia adventurer," an investor who ventured his capital in the Virginia ...
(who had been imprisoned with him) were in confinement, they were released, and Parliament was dissolved on 15 June. Eliot was immediately dismissed from his office of Vice-Admiral of Devon, and, in 1627, he was again imprisoned for refusing to pay a forced loan, but liberated shortly before the assembling of the Parliament of 1628, to which he was returned as Member for Cornwall. He joined in the resistance now organised to arbitrary taxation, was foremost in the promotion of the
Petition of Right The Petition of Right, passed on 7 June 1628, is an English constitutional document setting out specific individual protections against the state, reportedly of equal value to Magna Carta and the Bill of Rights 1689. It was part of a wider ...
, continued his outspoken censure of Buckingham, and after the latter's assassination in August, led the attack, in the session of 1629, on the ritualists and
Arminians Arminianism is a branch of Protestantism based on the theological ideas of the Dutch Reformed theologian Jacobus Arminius (1560–1609) and his historic supporters known as Remonstrants. Dutch Arminianism was originally articulated in the ''Rem ...
. In February, the great question of the right of the King to levy
tonnage and poundage Tonnage and poundage were duties and taxes first levied in Edward II's reign on every tun (cask) of imported wine, which came mostly from Spain and Portugal, and on every pound weight of merchandise exported or imported. Traditionally tonnage an ...
came up for discussion. On the King ordering an adjournment of Parliament, the speaker, Sir John Finch, was held down in the chair by Denzil Holles and
Benjamin Valentine Benjamin Valentine (prob. bapt. 9 March 1584 - June 1652), was an English politician and Member of Parliament. Of obscure origins, he attached himself to various influential politicians and favourites and rose to prominence with the support of Wi ...
while Eliot's resolutions against illegal taxation and innovations in religion were read to the House. In consequence, Eliot, with eight other members, was imprisoned on 4 March in the Tower. He refused to answer in his examination, relying on his
parliamentary privilege Parliamentary privilege is a legal immunity enjoyed by members of certain legislatures, in which legislators are granted protection against civil or criminal liability for actions done or statements made in the course of their legislative duties. ...
and, on 29 October, was again sent to the Marshalsea. On 26 January, he appeared at the bar of the King's Bench, in front of
Lord Chief Justice Lord is an appellation for a person or deity who has authority, control, or power over others, acting as a master, chief, or ruler. The appellation can also denote certain persons who hold a title of the peerage in the United Kingdom, or are ...
Sir
Nicholas Hyde Sir Nicholas Hyde (c. 1572 – 25 August 1631) was Lord Chief Justice of England. Origins Hyde was born at Wardour, in Wiltshire, a son of Lawrence Hyde (d. 1590) of West Hatch, Wiltshire, MP for Heytesbury in 1584, by his second wife Anne ...
, with Holles and Valentine, to answer a charge of conspiracy to resist the King's order, and refusing to acknowledge the jurisdiction of the court (see ''R v. Eliot, Hollis and Valentine''.) He was fined £2000 and ordered to be imprisoned during the King's pleasure and till he had made submission. This he steadfastly refused. While some of the prisoners appear to have had certain liberty allowed to them, Eliot's confinement in the Tower was made exceptionally severe. Charles's anger had always been directed chiefly against him, not only as his own political antagonist but also as the prosecutor and bitter enemy of Buckingham; "an outlawed man," he described him, "desperate in mind and fortune."


Works

Eliot languished in prison for some time, during which he wrote several works: *''Negotium posterorum'', an account of the parliament in 1625; *''The Monarchie of Man'', a political treatise; *''De jure majestatis, a Political Treatise of Government'', which is in large part a summary of a work by Henning Arnisaeus; *''An Apology for Socrates'', his own defence.


Death and burial

In the spring of 1632, he fell into a decline. In October he petitioned Charles for permission to go into the country, but leave could be obtained only at the price of submission and was finally refused. He died of consumption on 27 November 1632, and was buried at St Peter's Ad Vincula Church within the Tower. When his son requested permission to move the body to St Germans, Charles refused, saying: "Let Sir John Eliot be buried in the church of that parish where he died." The suspicious manner of Eliot's death, as the result of the King's implacability and severe treatment, had more effect, probably, than any other single incident in embittering and precipitating the dispute between King and parliament. Eliot was a great orator, inspired by enthusiasm and high ideals, which he was able to communicate to his hearers by his eloquence. In 1668, the
House of Lords The House of Lords, also known as the House of Peers, is the Bicameralism, upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Membership is by Life peer, appointment, Hereditary peer, heredity or Lords Spiritual, official function. Like the ...
reversed his conviction, restating the law in
Strode's case Strode's Case 3 ''Howell's State Trials'' 294 is one of the earliest and most important English cases dealing with parliamentary privilege. Facts Richard Strode was a Member of Parliament from Devon, England. In 1512, he introduced a bill to a ...
, affirming that the conviction "...was an illegal judgment, and against the freedom and privilege of Parliament".


Family

In June 1609, Eliot married Radigund (or Rhadagund), (c. 1595 – June 1628), daughter of Richard Gedie of Trebursye in Cornwall, by whom he had five sons and four daughters: # John Eliot (18 October 1612 – March 1685), who married Honora Norton (1611-1652), daughter of Sir
Daniel Norton Sir Daniel Norton (1568 – 4 July 1636) was an English landowner and politician who sat in the House of Commons at various times between 1621 and 1629. Norton was the son of Sir Richard Norton of Rotherfield. He was knighted at Whitehall on ...
# Richard Eliot (c. 1614 – unknown) - see below # Elizabeth Eliot (c. December 1616 – unknown), who married
Nathaniel Fiennes Nathaniel Fiennes (c. 1608 – 16 December 1669) was a younger son of the Puritan nobleman and politician, William Fiennes, 1st Viscount Saye and Sele. He sat in the House of Commons at various times between 1640 and 1659, and served with the ...
(1608-1669) as his first wife # Edward Eliot (c. July 1618 – 1710), who married Anna Fortescue, sister of Sir Peter Fortescue # Bridget Eliot (c. April 1620 – unknown), who married Sir Peter Fortescue (1620-85), 1st Baronet # Radigunda Eliot (c. October 1622 – unknown) # Susanna Eliot (c. October 1624 – BEF 1663), who married Edward Norton (1618–80), son of Sir
Daniel Norton Sir Daniel Norton (1568 – 4 July 1636) was an English landowner and politician who sat in the House of Commons at various times between 1621 and 1629. Norton was the son of Sir Richard Norton of Rotherfield. He was knighted at Whitehall on ...
# Thomas Eliot (c. September 1626 – BEF 1630) # Nicholas Eliot (c. June 1628 – BEF 1689), who married Katherine Prideaux (1632–89) The current Earls of St Germans (1815 creation) are descended from the youngest son, Nicholas.


Richard Eliot

Richard Eliot was the wayward second son of Sir John Eliot and Rhadigund Geddy. Richard went to the
University of Oxford , mottoeng = The Lord is my light , established = , endowment = £6.1 billion (including colleges) (2019) , budget = £2.145 billion (2019–20) , chancellor ...
at his father's suggestion, but did not fare well with academic life. He became embroiled at Oxford in various difficulties, which are mentioned without further detail in his father's writings. Further problems ensued when Richard failed or refused to visit his father in the Tower. As a result, Richard seems to have disappeared compared to his siblings. It is known that he went to the Low Countries under Sir Edward Howard around February 1632. Richard died before 1669 when his brothers, John and Edward, argued over the inheritance of Richard's lands in Cornwall.''Life of Sir J. Eliot'', by J Forster (1864) General
Granville Elliott Major-General Granville Elliott, 1st Count Elliott (7 October 1713 – 10 October 1759), was a British military officer who served with distinction in several other European armies and subsequently in the British Army. He fought at the Batt ...
(1713 - 1759) spent much time and effort trying to prove that Richard Eliot had married
Catherine Killigrew Major-General Granville Elliott, 1st Count Elliott (7 October 1713 – 10 October 1759), was a British military officer who served with distinction in several other European armies and subsequently in the British Army. He fought at the Battl ...
(1618 - 1689), and had a child George Elliott born around 1636. However, documents survive that show that Richard died ', i.e. a bachelor, and that, in 1656, Catherine was known as a spinster aged 38. It is likely, however, that George Elliott was the illegitimate son of Richard and Catherine. He was also progenitor of the Eliot military family.


Ancestors


References


Sources

* ''Life of Sir J. Eliot'', by J Forster (1864) as supplemented and corrected by * Gardiner's ''History of England'', vols. v.-vii., * *Eliot's writings, together with his ''Letter-Book'', have been edited by Dr Grosart.


External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Eliot, John 1592 births 1632 deaths 17th-century deaths from tuberculosis Politicians from Cornwall English non-fiction writers People educated at Blundell's School Alumni of Exeter College, Oxford People from St Germans, Cornwall John Eliot Tuberculosis deaths in England Members of the pre-1707 English Parliament for constituencies in Cornwall English MPs 1614 English MPs 1624–1625 English MPs 1625 English MPs 1626 English MPs 1628–1629 17th-century English writers 17th-century English male writers Prisoners in the Tower of London Inmates of the Marshalsea Burials at the Church of St Peter ad Vincula English male poets Knights Bachelor