Francis Wingfield
Encyclopedia
Francis Wingfield or Francis Wingfeild (born September 1628) was a Stamford
lawyer
in the mid-seventeenth century. He went on to become Member of Parliament
for Stamford
in 1660 and first Serjeant-at-law
to Charles II of England
in 1677.
in September 1628, was the fourth son of Sir John Wingfield and Frances, daughter of Edward Cromwell, 3rd Baron Cromwell
of Oakham
. According to traditional tales, Frances Wingfield, his mother, entertained Oliver Cromwell
and saved the town of Stamford from destruction, by allowing the gates to be closed.
He later became a lawyer at Gray's Inn
.
He married twice, with his first wife Anne, the daughter of Edward Palmer of Stoke Doyle
, he had two sons and a daughter, Frances, later the wife of Richard Butler of Hundleby
.
With his second wife, Lucy Ashfield or Lucia Poultney, daughter of the Governor of York, he had two sons and three daughters, two of the daughters, Lucy (1668) and Sarah (1671) died in infancy, the third Anne (1673) married John Cock.
and the first of the English Restoration
, and hence the first for some twenty years. The returning officer for Stamford could not determine the winner of the election between Wingfield, backed by the Cecils, and the incumbent John Weaver, thereby calling a double return. Eventually, Wingfield was returned for Stamford in 1660, although not without some confusion as the following two entries from journal of the House of Commons
for 9 May 1660 show:
He only sat for one year.
on his flight to Newark
before surrendering himself to the Scots. At the same time he bought Hills Orchard, a half acre plot presumably as a garden to Barnwell House, from John Cecil, 4th Earl of Exeter
. The house passed to his daughter Frances Butler.
, Wingfield was promoted to Serjeant-at-law
.
Stamford, Lincolnshire
Stamford is a town and civil parish within the South Kesteven district of the county of Lincolnshire, England. It is approximately to the north of London, on the east side of the A1 road to York and Edinburgh and on the River Welland...
lawyer
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
in the mid-seventeenth century. He went on to become Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
for Stamford
Stamford (UK Parliament constituency)
Stamford was a constituency in the county of Lincolnshire of the House of Commons for the Parliament of England to 1706 then of the Parliament of Great Britain from 1707 to 1800 and of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1801 to 1918...
in 1660 and first Serjeant-at-law
Serjeant-at-law
The Serjeants-at-Law was an order of barristers at the English bar. The position of Serjeant-at-Law , or Sergeant-Counter, was centuries old; there are writs dating to 1300 which identify them as descended from figures in France prior to the Norman Conquest...
to Charles II of England
Charles II of England
Charles II was monarch of the three kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland.Charles II's father, King Charles I, was executed at Whitehall on 30 January 1649, at the climax of the English Civil War...
in 1677.
Early life and family
Francis, born at TickencoteTickencote
Tickencote is a small village in the county of Rutland in the East Midlands of England.-Geography:The parish essentially stretches along the A1 from the Bloody Oaks to the Casterton junction. At the far north of the parish, the Warren Plantation is on the north-east side of the A1. To the...
in September 1628, was the fourth son of Sir John Wingfield and Frances, daughter of Edward Cromwell, 3rd Baron Cromwell
Edward Cromwell, 3rd Baron Cromwell
Edward Cromwell, 3rd Baron Cromwell of Oakham was an English peer.-Life:Cromwell was the son of Henry Cromwell, 2nd Baron Cromwell of Oakham and Lady Mary Paulet....
of Oakham
Oakham
-Oakham's horseshoes:Traditionally, members of royalty and peers of the realm who visited or passed through the town had to pay a forfeit in the form of a horseshoe...
. According to traditional tales, Frances Wingfield, his mother, entertained Oliver Cromwell
Oliver Cromwell
Oliver Cromwell was an English military and political leader who overthrew the English monarchy and temporarily turned England into a republican Commonwealth, and served as Lord Protector of England, Scotland, and Ireland....
and saved the town of Stamford from destruction, by allowing the gates to be closed.
He later became a lawyer at Gray's Inn
Gray's Inn
The Honourable Society of Gray's Inn, commonly known as Gray's Inn, is one of the four Inns of Court in London. To be called to the Bar and practise as a barrister in England and Wales, an individual must belong to one of these Inns...
.
He married twice, with his first wife Anne, the daughter of Edward Palmer of Stoke Doyle
Stoke Doyle
Stoke Doyle is a village and civil parish in East Northamptonshire in England, two miles south-west of Oundle.-Governance:It is represented on the parish council of Pilton, Stoke Doyle and Wadenhoe, on East Northamptonshire District Council and Northamptonshire County Council...
, he had two sons and a daughter, Frances, later the wife of Richard Butler of Hundleby
Hundleby
Hundleby is a village, civil parish, and suburb of the town of Spilsby, Lincolnshire, England.The village of Hundelbi appears in Domesday Book and the Lord of the Manor in 1086 was Ivo Tallboys....
.
With his second wife, Lucy Ashfield or Lucia Poultney, daughter of the Governor of York, he had two sons and three daughters, two of the daughters, Lucy (1668) and Sarah (1671) died in infancy, the third Anne (1673) married John Cock.
1660 election
The 1660 election to the Convention Parliament of 1660 was the first after the Long ParliamentLong Parliament
The Long Parliament was made on 3 November 1640, following the Bishops' Wars. It received its name from the fact that through an Act of Parliament, it could only be dissolved with the agreement of the members, and those members did not agree to its dissolution until after the English Civil War and...
and the first of the English Restoration
English Restoration
The Restoration of the English monarchy began in 1660 when the English, Scottish and Irish monarchies were all restored under Charles II after the Interregnum that followed the Wars of the Three Kingdoms...
, and hence the first for some twenty years. The returning officer for Stamford could not determine the winner of the election between Wingfield, backed by the Cecils, and the incumbent John Weaver, thereby calling a double return. Eventually, Wingfield was returned for Stamford in 1660, although not without some confusion as the following two entries from journal of the House of Commons
House of Commons of England
The House of Commons of England was the lower house of the Parliament of England from its development in the 14th century to the union of England and Scotland in 1707, when it was replaced by the House of Commons of Great Britain...
for 9 May 1660 show:
He only sat for one year.
Barnwell House
In January 1662 he bought Barnwell House in Clipshill, Stamford from William Wolfe, then occupied by Elizabeth Cromwell, widow. The house was the last resting place of Charles ICharles I of England
Charles I was King of England, King of Scotland, and King of Ireland from 27 March 1625 until his execution in 1649. Charles engaged in a struggle for power with the Parliament of England, attempting to obtain royal revenue whilst Parliament sought to curb his Royal prerogative which Charles...
on his flight to Newark
Newark-on-Trent
Newark-on-Trent is a market town in Nottinghamshire in the East Midlands region of England. It stands on the River Trent, the A1 , and the East Coast Main Line railway. The origins of the town are possibly Roman as it lies on an important Roman road, the Fosse Way...
before surrendering himself to the Scots. At the same time he bought Hills Orchard, a half acre plot presumably as a garden to Barnwell House, from John Cecil, 4th Earl of Exeter
John Cecil, 4th Earl of Exeter
John Cecil, 4th Earl of Exeter was an English peer and member of the House of Lords, styled Lord Burghley from 1640 to 1643.He inherited the earldom from his father David Cecil, 3rd Earl of Exeter in 1643....
. The house passed to his daughter Frances Butler.
Serjeant-at-law
In 1677, supported by Robert BertieRobert Bertie, 3rd Earl of Lindsey
Robert Bertie, 3rd Earl of Lindsey, 16th Baron Willoughby de Eresby, PC, FRS was a British Hereditary Peer. He was the son of Montagu Bertie, 2nd Earl of Lindsey and Martha Cokayne. His mother died shortly after his birth about July 1641.From 1661 to 1666 he was Member of Parliament for Boston in...
, Wingfield was promoted to Serjeant-at-law
Serjeant-at-law
The Serjeants-at-Law was an order of barristers at the English bar. The position of Serjeant-at-Law , or Sergeant-Counter, was centuries old; there are writs dating to 1300 which identify them as descended from figures in France prior to the Norman Conquest...
.