Sir John Lyttelton (28 October 1519 – 15 February 1590) was an English nobleman, politician, knight, and landowner from the

Lyttelton family The Lyttelton family (sometimes spelled Littleton) is a British nobility, British aristocratic family. Over time, several members of the Lyttelton family were made knights, baronets and peers. Hereditary titles held by the Lyttelton family inclu ...

during the Tudor period.

Biography

John Lyttelton was the son of Sir John Littleton (c. 1500–1533), son of Sir William Littleton (1450–1507), knighted after the

Battle of Stoke The Battle of Stoke Field on 16 June 1487 may be considered the last battle of the Wars of the Roses, since it was the last major engagement between contenders for the throne whose claims derived from descent from the houses of Lancaster and Yo ...

, and his second wife, Mary Whittington, in turn the eldest son and heir of Sir

Thomas de Littleton Sir Thomas de Littleton or de Lyttleton KB ( 140723 August 1481) was an English judge, undersheriff, Lord of Tixall Manor, and legal writer from the Lyttelton family. He was also made a Knight of the Bath by King Edward IV. Family Thomas ...

(d. 1481), justice and author of ''Littleton's Tenures''. His mother was Elizabeth (née Talbot, d. 1581), daughter and coheiress of Sir Gilbert Talbot of Grafton, Worcestershire (died 1542). John Lyttelton's brother, George (1528–1600), became a prominent lawyer; there is a monument to him in

St John the Baptist Church, Bromsgrove The Church of St John the Baptist, Bromsgrove is a Grade I listed parish church in the Church of England in Bromsgrove. History The church belonged to a particularly large Parish during the early Norman period. Henry III arranged for the churc ...

. John Lyttelton was of age in 1541. He was made

Constable A constable is a person holding a particular office, most commonly in criminal law enforcement. The office of constable can vary significantly in different jurisdictions. A constable is commonly the rank of an officer within the police. Other peop ...

Dudley Castle Dudley Castle is a ruined fortification in the town of Dudley, West Midlands, England. Originally a wooden motte and bailey castle built soon after the Norman Conquest, it was rebuilt as a stone fortification during the twelfth century but subs ...

and keeper of the old and new parks there in 1553. He was knighted by

Elizabeth I Elizabeth I (7 September 153324 March 1603) was Queen of England and Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death in 1603. Elizabeth was the last of the five House of Tudor monarchs and is sometimes referred to as the "Virgin Queen". El ...

Kenilworth Kenilworth ( ) is a market town and Civil parishes in England, civil parish in the Warwick (district), Warwick District in Warwickshire, England, south-west of Coventry, north of Warwick and north-west of London. It lies on Finham Brook, a ...

in 1566. He was a Member of the

Council of Wales and the Marches The Court of the Council in the Dominion and Principality of Wales, and the Marches of the same, commonly called the Council of Wales and the Marches () or the Council of the Marches, was a regional administrative body based in Ludlow Castle wi ...

, a Deputy Lieutenant and 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

Worcestershire Worcestershire ( , ; written abbreviation: Worcs) is a county in the West Midlands of England. The area that is now Worcestershire was absorbed into the unified Kingdom of England in 927, at which time it was constituted as a county (see His ...

. He purchased the manor of

Halesowen Halesowen ( ) is a market town in the Metropolitan Borough of Dudley, in the county of West Midlands, England. Historically an exclave of Shropshire and, from 1844, in Worcestershire, the town is around from Birmingham city centre, and from ...

(formerly of

Halesowen Abbey Halesowen Abbey was a Premonstratensian abbey in Halesowen, England of which only ruins remain. Founded by Peter des Roches with a grant of land from John of England, King John, the abbey's official year of inauguration was 1218. It acquired two ...

) from Lord Robert Dudley (later Earl of Leicester) in 1558. He bought the manor of Hagley from John St. Leger in 1565. These together with

Frankley Frankley is a village and civil parish in Worcestershire. The modern Frankley estate is part of the New Frankley civil parish in Birmingham, and has been part of the city since 1995. The parish has a population of 122. History Frankley is lis ...

and

Upper Arley Upper Arley () is a village and civil parish near Kidderminster in the Wyre Forest District of Worcestershire, England. Historically part of Staffordshire, the village had a population of 741 at the 2011 census. Amenities The Arley railwa ...

(which he inherited) were the core of the family estate. Save that Upper Arley devolved away from the male line, this has remained in the hands of the family ever since, though parts were sold off in the 20th century.

Family and descendants

He married Bridget Pakington (b. 1522), the daughter of Sir John Pakington. Their children included: * Elizabeth Lyttleton (1546 – 4 June 1594), who in 1564 married Sir Francis Willoughby (d. 16 November 1596) of

Wollaton Hall Wollaton Hall is an Elizabethan country house of the 1580s standing on a small but prominent hill in Wollaton Park, Nottingham, England. The house is now Nottingham Natural History Museum, with Nottingham Industrial Museum in the outbuildings ...

Nottinghamshire Nottinghamshire (; abbreviated Notts.) is a landlocked county in the East Midlands region of England, bordering South Yorkshire to the north-west, Lincolnshire to the east, Leicestershire to the south, and Derbyshire to the west. The traditi ...

. * His heir,

Gilbert Gilbert may refer to: People and fictional characters * Gilbert (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters *Gilbert (surname), including a list of people Places Australia * Gilbert River (Queensland) * Gilbert River (South ...

(c. 1570–1599), who was the father of John († 1601) and Humphrey († 1606) * Margaret Lyttleton, who in 1561 married Samuel Marrow of

Berkswell Berkswell ( ) is a village and civil parish in the Metropolitan Borough of Solihull, county of West Midlands, England. Historically in Warwickshire, Berkswell is situated in the rural east of the borough, approximately 2 miles (3.25 km) ...

(died 1610). Their daughter Bridget Marrow was a keeper of the

jewels of Anne of Denmark The jewels of Anne of Denmark (1572–1619), wife of James VI and I and queen consort of Scotland and England, are known from accounts and inventories, and their depiction in portraits by artists including Paul van Somer. A few pieces survive. Som ...

.Jemma Field, 'A Cipher of A and C set on the one Syde with diamonds: Anna of Denmark’s Jewellery and the Politics of Dynastic Display', Erin Griffey, ''Sartorial Politics in Early Modern Europe'' (Amsterdam, 2019), p. 143. * Amphylis Lyttleton, who married William Barnaby of

Brockhampton Brockhampton may refer to: *Brockhampton (band), an American self-described "boy band" and music collective *Brockhampton, Gloucestershire, Cotswold, England * Brockhampton, Tewkesbury, a location In geography, location or place are used to deno ...

Notes

References

* * * * * * * ''Burkes Peerage and Baronetage'' (1939), s.v. Cobham, Viscount {{DEFAULTSORT:Lyttelton, Sir John Members of the Parliament of England for Worcestershire Deputy Lieutenants of Worcestershire English knights

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 ...

1519 births 1590 deaths 16th-century English people