Sir John Barrington, 3rd Baronet

Sir John Barrington, 3rd Baronet (1605 – 24 March 1683) of Barrington Hall, Essex was an English lawyer and politician who sat in the House of Commons at various times between 1645 and 1679.

Life[edit]

Barrington was the eldest son of Sir Thomas Barrington, 2nd Baronet and his first wife Frances Gobert, daughter of John Gobert.[1] He was educated at Trinity College, Cambridge.[2] In 1635, after being called to the bar from Gray's Inn, Barrington was knighted at Whitehall,[3] and in 1644, he succeeded his father as baronet. His father died heavily in debt, and as a result the son later spent some time in the Fleet Prison.[4] Barrington sent a petition to parliament alleging that his stepmother Judith Barrington was removing timber from the family estate to sell and that this damaged its value. There were a large number of legal disputes although Judith's biographer, Caroline M. K. Bowden, believes that his stepmother had the expertise and that she was in the right.[5]

Barrington was nominated to be one of the High Court Judges in the trial of King Charles I of England in 1649, Barrington, although he was a family connection of Oliver Cromwell. He refused to attend its meetings and declined to sign the warrant for the king's execution.[1] From 1645 to 1648 and again from 1660 to 1679, he was a Member of Parliament (MP) for Newtown. He was a rather inactive member, due partly to his increasingly ill health.[3] In 1654 he was High Sheriff of Essex and also High Sheriff of Hertfordshire.[3]

Barrington was married to Dorothy Lytton, daughter of Sir William Lytton.[6] They had five sons and nine daughters.[6] Barrington was buried at Hatfield Broadoak, a week after his death.[3] His eldest son had died in his lifetime, and thus the baronetcy passed in turn to his grandsons John and Charles.[4]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b Burke, John (1841). John Bernard Burke (ed.). A Genealogical and Heraldic History of the Extinct and Dormant Baronetcies of England, Ireland and Scotland (2nd ed.). London: Scott, Webster, and Geary. pp. 43–44.
  2. ^ "Barrington, John (BRNN633J)". A Cambridge Alumni Database. University of Cambridge.
  3. ^ a b c d History of Parliament Online - Barrington, Sir John
  4. ^ a b George Edward Cokayne Complete Baronetage 1900
  5. ^ Bowden, Caroline M. K. (23 September 2004). "Barrington [née Lytton], Judith, Lady Barrington (d. 1657), gentlewoman". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. Vol. 1 (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/46469. ISBN 978-0-19-861412-8. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
  6. ^ a b Kimber, Edward (1771). Richard Johnson (ed.). The Baronetage of England: Containing a Genealogical and Historical Account of All the English Baronets. Vol. I. London: Thomas Wotton. p. 43.
Parliament of England
Preceded by Member of Parliament for Newtown
1645–1648
With: John Bulkeley
Succeeded by
Not represented in Rump Parliament
Preceded by
Not represented in restored Rump
Member of Parliament for Newtown
1660–1679
With: Sir Henry Worsley 1660–1666
Sir Robert Worsley 1666–1677
Sir John Holmes 1677–1679
Succeeded by
Baronetage of England
Preceded by Baronet
(of Barrington Hall)
1644–1683
Succeeded by
John Barrington