Sir John Friend or Freind (died 1696), was an English conspirator.

Life

Friend was the eldest son of John Friend, a brewer, who resided in the precinct of St. Katharine's, near the Tower of London. He followed his father's business. He built the "stately brewhouse" called the Phœnix in the Minories, and amassed considerable wealth. For a while he maintained a fine country residence at Hackney. In 1683 Friend was appointed a commissioner of excise. As Colonel of the

Honourable Artillery Company The Honourable Artillery Company (HAC) is a reserve regiment in the British Army. Incorporated by royal charter in 1537 by King Henry VIII, it is the oldest regiment in the British Army and is considered the second-oldest military unit in the w ...

(HAC), Friend, on occasion of their feast, 26 June 1684, had the honour of entertaining James, Duke of York and Prince George of Denmark at a banquet in the Artillery Ground. Though a Protestant, he remained a faithful adherent of James II, by whom he was knighted 3 August 1685. After the Glorious Revolution Friend was expelled from the HAC at a meeting held in February 1689–90, and lost his seat at the board of excise. However, by a treasury order dated 18 December 1690, he was relieved from the payment of excise duties. James sent him a colonel's commission to raise a regiment of horse against event of the French invading in

Kent Kent is a county in South East England and one of the home counties. It borders Greater London to the north-west, Surrey to the west and East Sussex to the south-west, and Essex to the north across the estuary of the River Thames; it faces ...

; but, observes Burnet, 'his purse was more considered than his head, and was open on all occasions as the party applied to him'. He refused, however, to take any share in the assassination plot against William III, although he kept the secret. On the discovery of the conspiracy he was arraigned for

high treason Treason is the crime of attacking a state authority to which one owes allegiance. This typically includes acts such as participating in a war against one's native country, attempting to overthrow its government, spying on its military, its diplo ...

at the Old Bailey, 23 March 1696, and was denied the assistance of counsel by Chief-justice

Sir John Holt Sir John Holt (23 December 1642 – 5 March 1710) was an English lawyer who served as Lord Chief Justice of England from 17 April 1689 to his death. He is frequently credited with playing a major role in ending the prosecution of witches in Eng ...

. The

Treason Act 1695 The Treason Act 1695 (7 & 8 Will 3 c 3) is an Act of the Parliament of England which laid down rules of evidence and procedure in high treason trials. It was passed by the English Parliament but was extended to cover Scotland in 1708 and Irel ...

which allowed counsel in cases of treason came into operation two days later. Friend was convicted and sentenced to death. He protested that the witnesses against him "were

Papists The words Popery (adjective Popish) and Papism (adjective Papist, also used to refer to an individual) are mainly historical pejorative words in the English language for Roman Catholicism, once frequently used by Protestants and Eastern Orthodox ...

, and not to be believed against Protestants". He refused to betray his confederates to a committee of the House of Commons of England. Together with Sir

William Parkyns Sir William Parkyns or Perkins (1649?–1696) was an English lawyer and Jacobite conspirator, executed for high treason. Life The son of William Parkyns, a London merchant, he was born in London about 1649. He was admitted to the Inner Temple in ...

, Friend was executed at

Tyburn Tyburn was a manor (estate) in the county of Middlesex, one of two which were served by the parish of Marylebone. The parish, probably therefore also the manor, was bounded by Roman roads to the west (modern Edgware Road) and south (modern O ...

3 April 1696. They received absolution at the scaffold from three nonjuring clergymen. Friend's remains were barbarously set up at Temple Bar, 'a dismal sight,’ says Evelyn, 'which many pitied'. Aylmer, the bookseller, for printing Friend's trial, 'wherein his lordship (i.e. Holt) is misrepresented,’ was arrested by order of Holt in May. Friend was twice married. According to Le Neve, "Mr. Gibbon, John, write a little pamphlet called the whole life & conversation of Sr Jo. friend." The name is spelt either "Freind" or "Friend".

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Friend, John Year of birth missing 1696 deaths 17th-century births English knights People executed at Tyburn 17th-century Protestants People from Hackney Central People executed under the Stuarts for treason against England Executed people from London