Maynard Colchester (4 March 1665 – 1715), of Westbury Court and the Wilderness, was an English lawyer and politician who sat in the

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 ...

and British House of Commons from 1701 to 1708. Colchester was the eldest son of Sir Duncombe Colchester of Westbury Court and the Wilderness and his wife Elizabeth Maynard, daughter of Sir John Maynard . He matriculated at

Exeter College, Oxford (Let Exeter Flourish) , old_names = ''Stapeldon Hall'' , named_for = Walter de Stapledon, Bishop of Exeter , established = , sister_college = Emmanuel College, Cambridge , rector = Sir Richard Trainor ...

in 1681 and was admitted at

Middle Temple The Honourable Society of the Middle Temple, commonly known simply as Middle Temple, is one of the four Inns of Court exclusively entitled to call their members to the English Bar as barristers, the others being the Inner Temple, Gray's Inn ...

in 1682. In 1689, he was called to the bar. He married Jane Clarke (died 1741), daughter of Sir Edward Clarke of St. Peter Cheap and Gutter Lane, London, on 28 January 1690. He succeeded his father in 1694.COLCHESTER, Maynard (1665-1715), of Westbury Court, Westbury-on-Severn, and the Wilderness, Abbinghall, Glos.
History of Parliament. Retrieved 17 June 2018. In 1697 he was

Colonel Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge o ...

of the Red Regiment of Gloucestershire Militia at

St Briavels St Briavels (pronounced ''Brevels'', once known as 'Ledenia Parva' (Little Lydney)), is a medium-sized village and civil parish in the Royal Forest of Dean in west Gloucestershire, England; close to the England-Wales border, and south of Colef ...

. Colchester was appointed Commissioner for superstitious lands, Gloucestershire in 1692. He was a member of SPCK in 1699, and was one of the founding members of the

Society of the Propagation of the Gospel United Society Partners in the Gospel (USPG) is a United Kingdom-based charitable organization (registered charity no. 234518). It was first incorporated under Royal Charter in 1701 as the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Part ...

in 1701. He was elected

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 o ...

for

Gloucestershire Gloucestershire ( abbreviated Glos) is a county in South West England. The county comprises part of the Cotswold Hills, part of the flat fertile valley of the River Severn and the entire Forest of Dean. The county town is the city of Gl ...

at the second general election of 1701. He was re-elected at the general elections of 1702 and 1705. He did not stand in 1708. He was appointed verderer of the Forest of Dean from about 1709 for the rest of his life. In 1710 he became deputy constable of St Briavels Castle, Gloucestershire. Colchester died on 25 June 1715, and was buried at Westbury, Gloucestershire. His tomb was sculpted by Thomas Green of Camberwell.Dictionary of British Sculptors 1660-1851 by Rupert Gunnis p.179 His two sons predeceased him and a daughter Jane married Thomas Morgan of Ruperra, Glamorgan. She inherited the estates of her uncle Thomas Clarke.

References

Members of the Parliament of England for Gloucestershire English MPs 1702–1705 1665 births 1715 deaths Gloucestershire Militia officers English MPs 1701–1702 English MPs 1705–1707 {{18thC-England-MP-stub