Sir Wilfrid Lawson, 1st Baronet, of
Isel Hall, Cumberland
Isel Hall is an ancient Cumbrian residence that sits on a steep rise on the northern banks of the River Derwent, south of Bassenthwaite Lake, east-north-east of Cockermouth, with views over the Lake District fells and Skiddaw. It was once ...
(c. 1610–1688) was an English landowner and politician who sat in the
House of Commons
The House of Commons is the name for the elected lower house of the bicameral parliaments of the United Kingdom and Canada. In both of these countries, the Commons holds much more legislative power than the nominally upper house of parliament. ...
from 1660 to 1679.
Life
Lawson was born in 1610, the son of William Lawson, and his wife Judith Bewley, daughter of William Bewley of Hesket. His great uncle was
Sir Wilfred Lawson who acquired the family estate of Isel in Elizabethan times and served as MP for Cumberland. Lawson matriculated at
Queen's College, Oxford
The Queen's College is a constituent college of the University of Oxford, England. The college was founded in 1341 by Robert de Eglesfield in honour of Philippa of Hainault. It is distinguished by its predominantly neoclassical architecture, ...
on 21 November 1628, aged 17. He was knighted by Charles I on 28 February 1641.
[ History of Parliament Online - Lawson, Sir Wilfred]
/ref>
Although knight
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 church or the country, especially in a military capacity. Knighthood finds origins in the Gr ...
ed by 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 1641, and appointed to the position of ship money
Ship money was a tax of medieval origin levied intermittently in the Kingdom of England until the middle of the 17th century. Assessed typically on the inhabitants of coastal areas of England, it was one of several taxes that English monarchs cou ...
sheriff
A sheriff is a government official, with varying duties, existing in some countries with historical ties to England where the office originated. There is an analogous, although independently developed, office in Iceland that is commonly transla ...
and a nominee to the commission of array
A commission of array was a commission given by English sovereigns to officers or gentry in a given territory to muster and array the inhabitants and to see them in a condition for war, or to put soldiers of a country in a condition for military ...
, Lawson became active on parliaments
In modern politics, and history, a parliament is a legislative body of government. Generally, a modern parliament has three functions: representing the electorate, making laws, and overseeing the government via hearings and inquiries. Th ...
behalf at the start of the English Civil War
The English Civil War (1642–1651) was a series of civil wars and political machinations between Parliamentarians (" Roundheads") and Royalists led by Charles I ("Cavaliers"), mainly over the manner of England's governance and issues of re ...
. He set up a garrison on St Herbert's Island, Derwent Water
Derwentwater, or Derwent Water, is one of the principal bodies of water in the Lake District National Park in north west England. It lies wholly within the Borough of Allerdale, in the county of Cumbria.
The lake occupies part of Borrowda ...
, then part of his estate, and became commander-in-chief for Cumberland
Cumberland ( ) is a historic county in the far North West England. It covers part of the Lake District as well as the north Pennines and Solway Firth coast. Cumberland had an administrative function from the 12th century until 1974. From 19 ...
in 1644. He held local office throughout the Interregnum
An interregnum (plural interregna or interregnums) is a period of discontinuity or "gap" in a government, organization, or social order. Archetypally, it was the period of time between the reign of one monarch and the next (coming from Latin '' ...
, and sat for the county in Richard Cromwell
Richard Cromwell (4 October 162612 July 1712) was an English statesman who was the second and last Lord Protector of the Commonwealth of England, Scotland and Ireland and son of the first Lord Protector, Oliver Cromwell.
On his father's death ...
’s Parliament. But his loyalty to the Rump
Rump may refer to:
* Rump (animal)
** Buttocks
* Rump steak, slightly different cuts of meat in Britain and America
* Rump kernel, software run in userspace that offers kernel functionality in NetBSD
Politics
*Rump cabinet
* Rump legislature
* Ru ...
was suspect, and he was imprisoned.
In 1643, he attempted to seize Carlisle
Carlisle ( , ; from xcb, Caer Luel) is a city that lies within the Northern England, Northern English county of Cumbria, south of the Anglo-Scottish border, Scottish border at the confluence of the rivers River Eden, Cumbria, Eden, River C ...
Castle for the Parliament; however, the local gentry and the militia
A militia () is generally an army or some other fighting organization of non-professional soldiers, citizens of a country, or subjects of a state, who may perform military service during a time of need, as opposed to a professional force of r ...
routed the parliamentarians and pursued them to Abbey Holme, only to release them on the understanding that they would discontinue their belligerence.
In 1652, he assisted a group of Cromwell’s supporter’s when they laid waste to Rydal Hall. His acts of aggression also included the persecution of the Quaker
Quakers are people who belong to a historically Protestant Christian set of Christian denomination, denominations known formally as the Religious Society of Friends. Members of these movements ("theFriends") are generally united by a belie ...
community. He became High Sheriff of Cumberland
The sheriff is the oldest secular office under the Crown. Formerly the sheriff was the principal law enforcement officer in the county but over the centuries most of the responsibilities associated with the post have been transferred elsewhere or ...
in 1635, 1645–1647, and 1652–1657 and succeeded his father c.1654, inheriting Isel Hall.
In 1659, Lawson 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 of ...
(MP) for Cumberland
Cumberland ( ) is a historic county in the far North West England. It covers part of the Lake District as well as the north Pennines and Solway Firth coast. Cumberland had an administrative function from the 12th century until 1974. From 19 ...
in the Third Protectorate Parliament
The Third Protectorate Parliament sat for one session, from 27 January 1659 until 22 April 1659, with Chaloner Chute and Thomas Bampfylde as the Speakers of the House of Commons. It was a bicameral Parliament, with an Upper House having a powe ...
. He was re-elected MP for Cumberland in 1660 for the Convention Parliament. An inactive Member of the Convention, he was appointed to 11 committees, including the committee of elections and privileges and those for the land purchases and indemnity bills. After the Restoration
Restoration is the act of restoring something to its original state and may refer to:
* Conservation and restoration of cultural heritage
** Audio restoration
** Film restoration
** Image restoration
** Textile restoration
* Restoration ecology
...
he was named to the committees to inquire into impropriate rectories and unauthorized Anglican
Anglicanism is a Western Christian tradition that has developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the context of the Protestant Reformation in Europe. It is one of th ...
publications.
On 7 July, Christopher Clapham
Christopher Clapham (1608–1686) of Beamsley near Skipton in Yorkshire, England, was a politician who sat in the House of Commons in 1659 and 1660.
Origins
Clapham was the eldest son of George Clapham (d.1629) of Beamsley, by his wife Marth ...
introduced a proviso to the indemnity bill requiring Lawson to make reparations to Sir Jordan Crosland and his wife for the plunder of Rydal Hall. Lawson, in his only recorded speech, 'made his defence, saying he never saw any plate or moneys', which plea the House accepted.
At the general election of 1661, Lawson transferred to a borough seat at Cockermouth
Cockermouth is a market town and civil parish in the Borough of Allerdale in Cumbria, England, so named because it is at the confluence of the River Cocker as it flows into the River Derwent. The mid-2010 census estimates state that Cocke ...
, where he enjoyed a strong burgage
Burgage is a medieval land term used in Great Britain and Ireland, well established by the 13th century.
A burgage was a town ("borough" or "burgh") rental property (to use modern terms), owned by a king or lord. The property ("burgage tenement ...
interest until 1679. However, he proved to be one of the least active Members of the Cavalier
The term Cavalier () was first used by Roundheads as a term of abuse for the wealthier royalist supporters of King Charles I and his son Charles II of England during the English Civil War, the Interregnum, and the Restoration (1642 – ). It ...
Parliament, and apparently veered towards the Court
A court is any person or institution, often as a government institution, with the authority to adjudicate legal disputes between parties and carry out the administration of justice in civil, criminal, and administrative matters in accordance ...
. He left no trace in the Journals till the 1666 session when he was added to the elections committee, and appointed to those to inquire into the charter
A charter is the grant of authority or rights, stating that the granter formally recognizes the prerogative of the recipient to exercise the rights specified. It is implicit that the granter retains superiority (or sovereignty), and that the rec ...
of the Canary Company and to consider a bill for the relief of poor prisoners.[
In 1688, shortly before his death, he purchased a ]baronetcy
A baronet ( or ; abbreviated Bart or Bt) or the female equivalent, a baronetess (, , or ; abbreviation Btss), is the holder of a baronetcy, a hereditary title awarded by the British Crown. The title of baronet is mentioned as early as the 14th ...
patent from James II James II may refer to:
* James II of Avesnes (died c. 1205), knight of the Fourth Crusade
* James II of Majorca (died 1311), Lord of Montpellier
* James II of Aragon (1267–1327), King of Sicily
* James II, Count of La Marche (1370–1438), King C ...
, at a cost of around £2,000. and purchased Brayton from the Salkeld family.
Family
Lawson died in 1688. He had married Jane Musgrave, sister of Sir Edward Musgrave, 1st Baronet of ova Scotia
, abbreviated as OVA and sometimes as OAV (original animation video), are Japanese animated films and series made specially for release in home video formats without prior showings on television or in theaters, though the first part of an OVA s ...
and had five sons and eight daughters, twelve of whom survived to be married. The following is the epitaph in the chancel of Isel church:
Here lies Sir Wilfrid Lawson, baronet, and his Lady Jane
He departed this life 13th day of December 1688 aged 79
And she the 8th June 1677 aged 65. Having married four
sons and eight daughters. Vivit post funers virtue.
His eldest son, William, married Milcah Strickland daughter of Sir William Strickland, 1st Baronet
Sir William Strickland, 1st Baronet (c. 1596 – 12 July 1673) was an English Member of Parliament who supported the parliamentary cause during the English Civil War.
Sir William Strickland was the eldest son of Walter Strickland of Boynton, i ...
of Boynton, Yorkshire and had a son Wilfrid
Wilfrid ( – 709 or 710) was an English bishop and saint. Born a Northumbrian noble, he entered religious life as a teenager and studied at Lindisfarne, at Canterbury, in Francia, and at Rome; he returned to Northumbria in about 660, and ...
and two daughters. But William having previously lost his eyesight died within the lifetime of his father.
Lawson settled the family estate at Isel on his grandson Wilfrid (son of his first son William), who subsequently became Sir Wilfrid Lawson, 2nd Baronet; and to Wilfrid
Wilfrid ( – 709 or 710) was an English bishop and saint. Born a Northumbrian noble, he entered religious life as a teenager and studied at Lindisfarne, at Canterbury, in Francia, and at Rome; he returned to Northumbria in about 660, and ...
, MP for Cockermouth, his second son, he bequeathed the manors of Brayton, Bassenthwaite
Bassenthwaite is a village and civil parish in the borough of Allerdale in Cumbria, historically part of Cumberland, within the Lake District National Park, England.
According to the 2001 census it had a population of 412, increasing to 481 ...
, Hensingham
Hensingham is a suburb of Whitehaven and former civil parish, now in the parish of Whitehaven, in the Copeland district, in the county of Cumbria, England. The ward population taken at the 2011 census was 4,145. In 1931 the parish had a popula ...
and Loweswater
Loweswater is one of the smaller lakes in the English Lake District. The village of Loweswater is situated to the east of the lake.
Geography
The lake is not far from Cockermouth and is also easily reached from elsewhere in West Cumbria. Th ...
so founding the line of ‘Brayton’ Lawson's upon whom the baronetcy descended on the failure of the Isel Lawsons. Wilfrid also predeceased his father, Brayton passing to his son Gilfrid.
Lawson lineage
The Lawsons are descended from John Lawson, who was Lord of Fawkegrave in Yorkshire
Yorkshire ( ; abbreviated Yorks), formally known as the County of York, is a Historic counties of England, historic county in northern England and by far the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its large area in comparison with other Eng ...
in 1216, the first year of Henry III. Through a long line of eminent ancestors we arrive at Sir Wilfrid Lawson (1545–1632), son of Thomas Lawson of Ushworth (died 1559). Following the death of Thomas Salkeld of Whitehall, Mealsgate
Mealsgate is a village in Cumbria, England, historically within Cumberland.
Location
Mealsgate is situated on the old Roman Road between Carlisle and the Roman fort of Derventio at Papcastle . This road is now known as the A595. Mealsgate i ...
[Field p.226-7 (1937)] his estates including the building and land known as Brayton, passed to Salkeld's three surviving daughters. On 4 September 1658, Thomas Wyberg Esq., of St Bees
St Bees is a coastal village, civil parish and electoral ward in the Copeland district of Cumbria, England, on the Irish Sea.
Within the parish is St Bees Head which is the only Heritage Coast between Wales and Scotland and a Site of Special ...
, Joseph Patrickson of Howe
Howe may refer to:
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* Howe (surname), including a list of people and fictional characters
* Howe Browne, 2nd Marquess of Sligo (1788–1845), Irish peer and colonial governor
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* Earl Howe, two titles, an ext ...
, and William Barwis of Paddigil signed a deed on behalf of their wives the three co-heiresses, transferring the Brayton Manorial Estates and other property valued at one thousand pounds to Sir Wilfrid Lawson of Isel, the 1st Baronet's great-uncle.
References
Bibliography
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Lawson, Wilfrid, 1st Baronet
1610 births
1688 deaths
Baronets in the Baronetage of England
Roundheads
High Sheriffs of Cumberland
Alumni of The Queen's College, Oxford
English MPs 1659
English MPs 1660
English MPs 1661–1679