Heneage Finch, 1st Earl of Nottingham,
PC (23 December 162018 December 1682),
Lord Chancellor
The Lord Chancellor, formally titled Lord High Chancellor of Great Britain, is a senior minister of the Crown within the Government of the United Kingdom. The lord chancellor is the minister of justice for England and Wales and the highest-ra ...
of
England
England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...
, was descended from the old family of
Finch, many of whose members had attained high legal eminence, and was the eldest son of
Sir Heneage Finch,
Recorder of London, by his first wife Frances Bell, daughter of
Sir Edmond Bell of
Beaupre Hall,
Norfolk
Norfolk ( ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in England, located in East Anglia and officially part of the East of England region. It borders Lincolnshire and The Wash to the north-west, the North Sea to the north and eas ...
.
Early career
He was the son of
Sir Heneage Finch, younger son of
Sir Moyle Finch, 1st Baronet and
Elizabeth Finch, later 1st Countess of Winchilsea (''née'' Heneage). In the register of
Oxford University
The University of Oxford is a collegiate research university in Oxford, England. There is evidence of teaching as early as 1096, making it the oldest university in the English-speaking world and the second-oldest continuously operating u ...
, he is entered as born in
Kent
Kent is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South East England. It is bordered by Essex across the Thames Estuary to the north, the Strait of Dover to the south-east, East Sussex to the south-west, Surrey to the west, and Gr ...
probably at the Finch ancestral seat of
Eastwell Park
Eastwell Park is a large area of parkland and a country estate in the civil parish of Eastwell, Kent, Eastwell, adjoining Ashford, Kent, in England. It was owned by the Earl of Winchilsea and Nottingham, Earls of Winchilsea for more than three c ...
in Kent.
He was educated at
Westminster
Westminster is the main settlement of the City of Westminster in Central London, Central London, England. It extends from the River Thames to Oxford Street and has many famous landmarks, including the Palace of Westminster, Buckingham Palace, ...
and at
Christ Church, Oxford
Christ Church (, the temple or house, ''wikt:aedes, ædes'', of Christ, and thus sometimes known as "The House") is a Colleges of the University of Oxford, constituent college of the University of Oxford in England. Founded in 1546 by Henry V ...
, where he remained until he became a member of the
Inner Temple
The Honourable Society of the Inner Temple, commonly known as the Inner Temple, is one of the four Inns of Court and is a professional association for barristers and judges. To be called to the Bar and practice as a barrister in England and Wa ...
in 1638. He was called to the bar in 1645, and soon obtained a lucrative practice.
Career
In April 1660, he was elected
Member of Parliament for
Canterbury
Canterbury (, ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and UNESCO World Heritage Site, in the county of Kent, England; it was a county borough until 1974. It lies on the River Stour, Kent, River Stour. The city has a mild oceanic climat ...
and
Mitchell in the
Convention Parliament and chose to sit for Canterbury.
[History of Parliament Online - Finch, Heneage]
/ref> Shortly afterwards he was appointed Solicitor General, in which capacity he served as the prosecutor of the regicides of Charles I, and was created a baronet
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 ...
the day after he was knight
A knight is a person granted an honorary title of a 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.
The concept of a knighthood ...
ed. In May 1661 he was elected MP for Oxford University
The University of Oxford is a collegiate research university in Oxford, England. There is evidence of teaching as early as 1096, making it the oldest university in the English-speaking world and the second-oldest continuously operating u ...
in the Cavalier Parliament
The Cavalier Parliament of England lasted from 8 May 1661 until 24 January 1679. With the exception of the Long Parliament, it was the longest-lasting English Parliament, and longer than any Great British or UK Parliament to date, enduring ...
.[ In 1665 the university created him a D.C.L. In 1670 he became ]Attorney General
In most common law jurisdictions, the attorney general (: attorneys general) or attorney-general (AG or Atty.-Gen) is the main legal advisor to the government. In some jurisdictions, attorneys general also have executive responsibility for law enf ...
, and in 1675 Lord Chancellor. He was created Baron Finch in January 1673 and Earl of Nottingham in May 1681.
Popish Plot
During the Popish Plot, he played an active part in the interrogation of witnesses and preparation of the Crown's evidence. He is said to have been sceptical about the credibility
of much of the evidence, and drew up a private report referring to the difficulties with Titus Oates' testimony. In general he behaved with moderation and restraint during the Plot, as shown most notably in his impartial conduct, as Lord High Steward, of the trial of William Howard, 1st Viscount Stafford, (apart from a curious remark that it was now clear that the Great Fire of London
The Great Fire of London was a major conflagration that swept through central London from Sunday 2 September to Wednesday 5 September 1666, gutting the medieval City of London inside the old London Wall, Roman city wall, while also extendi ...
was a Catholic conspiracy). Kenyon notes that during the examination of the informer Miles Prance, Finch threatened him with the rack, but such a lapse was most uncharacteristic of Finch, who was a humane and civilised man; in any case, the threat could hardly have been serious since the use of the rack had been declared illegal in 1628.
Finch and Nottingham House, now Kensington Palace
The original early 17th-century building was constructed in the village of Kensington
Kensington is an area of London in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, around west of Central London.
The district's commercial heart is Kensington High Street, running on an east–west axis. The north-east is taken up by Kensingt ...
as Nottingham House for the Earl of Nottingham. It was acquired from his heir, who was Secretary of State to William III, in 1689, because the King wanted a residence near London but away from the smoky air of the capital, because he was asthmatic. At that time Kensington was a suburban village location outside London, but more accessible than Hampton Court
Hampton Court Palace is a Listed building, Grade I listed royal palace in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, southwest and upstream of central London on the River Thames. Opened to the public, the palace is managed by Historic Royal ...
, a water journey on the Thames
The River Thames ( ), known alternatively in parts as the River Isis, is a river that flows through southern England including London. At , it is the longest river entirely in England and the second-longest in the United Kingdom, after th ...
. A private road was laid out from the Palace to Hyde Park Corner, broad enough for several carriages to travel abreast, part of which survives today as Rotten Row. The Palace was improved and extended by Sir Christopher Wren
Sir Christopher Wren FRS (; – ) was an English architect, astronomer, mathematician and physicist who was one of the most highly acclaimed architects in the history of England. Known for his work in the English Baroque style, he was ac ...
with pavilions attached to each corner of the central block, for it now needed paired Royal Apartments approached by the Great Stairs, a council chamber, and the Chapel Royal. Then, when Wren re-oriented the house to face west, he built north and south wings to flank the approach, made into a proper cour d'honneur that was entered through an archway surmounted by a clock tower. Nevertheless, as a private domestic retreat, it was referred to as Kensington House, rather than "Palace". The walled kitchen gardens at Kensington House supplied fruits and vegetables for the Court of St. James's.
Personal life
On 30 July 1646, he was married to Elizabeth Harvey, daughter of William Harvey
William Harvey (1 April 1578 – 3 June 1657) was an English physician who made influential contributions to anatomy and physiology. He was the first known physician to describe completely, and in detail, pulmonary and systemic circulation ...
's younger brother Daniel, and his wife Elizabeth Kinnersley.[Power, D’Arcy: "William Harvey", Longmans Green & Co., New York, 1898, Page 7.] Together, Elizabeth and Heneage were the parents of six children, including:['Faber-Flood', in Alumni Oxonienses 1500-1714, ed. Joseph Foster (Oxford, 1891), pp. 480-509. British History Online http://www.british-history.ac.uk/alumni-oxon/1500-1714/pp480-509 ccessed 25 October 2022]
Lord Nottingham died in Great Queen Street, London
London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...
on 18 December 1682. He was buried in the church of Ravenstone in Buckinghamshire. His son Daniel inherited his earldom, and would later also inherit the Earldom of Winchilsea.
Character
According to the ''Encyclopædia Britannica'' Eleventh Edition, his contemporaries on both sides of politics agree in their high estimate of his integrity, moderation and eloquence, while his abilities as a lawyer are sufficiently attested by the fact that he is still spoken of as the father of equity. His most important contribution to the statute book is ''The Statute of Frauds''. While attorney-general he superintended the edition of ''Sir Henry Hobart's Reports'' (1671). He also published ''Several Speeches and Discourses in the Tryal of the Judges of King Charles 1.'' (1660); ''Speeches to both Houses of Parliament'' (1679); ''Speech at the Sentence of Viscount Stafford'' (1680). He left ''Chancery Reports'' in MS., and notes on ''Coke's Institutes''.
File:FinchArms.svg, Arms of Finch: ''Argent, a chevron between three griffins passant sable''
File:Mrs Grimston, née Finch, afterwards Lady Elizabeth Grimston (1650-1675), by Peter Lely.jpg, His daughter Elizabeth (Peter Lely
Sir Peter Lely (14 September 1618 – 30 November 1680) was a painter of Dutch origin whose career was nearly all spent in England, where he became the dominant portrait painter to the court. He became a naturalised British subject and was kn ...
)
References
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External links
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Archives and papers
geni.com entry
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Nottingham, Heneage Finch, 1st Earl of
1620 births
1682 deaths
Finch, Heneage
People educated at Westminster School, London
Alumni of Christ Church, Oxford
Attorneys general for England and Wales
701
__NOTOC__
Year 701 ( DCCI) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Julian calendar, the 701st year of the Common Era (CE) and Anno Domini (AD) designations, the 701st year of the 1st millennium, the 1st year of the 8th century, and the ...
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Finch, Heneage
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English MPs 1661–1679
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English MPs 1660
Peers of England created by Charles II
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17th-century English knights
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