Early life

Fenwick was the son of George Fenwick of Brinkburn

Brinkburn

Brinkburn is a parish in Northumberland, England. It is divided by the River Coquet.-External links:* *...

, Northumberland, and Dorothy, daughter of John Forster of Newham, was born about 1603. Fenwick was called to the bar 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...

 on 21 November 1631, and admitted ancient on 24 May 1650.

Settlement in America

He took an active part in the scheme for colonising Connecticut, signed the agreement of the patentees with John Winthrop the younger in 1635, and visited Boston in 1636. In 1639 he settled with his wife and family in Saybrook Colony

Saybrook Colony

The Saybrook Colony was established in late 1635 at the mouth of the Connecticut River in present day Old Saybrook, Connecticut by John Winthrop, the Younger, son of John Winthrop, the Governor of Massachusetts. The former was designated Governor by the original settlers which included Colonel...

 at the mouth of the Connecticut river

Connecticut River

The Connecticut River is the largest and longest river in New England, and also an American Heritage River. It flows roughly south, starting from the Fourth Connecticut Lake in New Hampshire. After flowing through the remaining Connecticut Lakes and Lake Francis, it defines the border between the...

, as agent for the patentees and governor of the fort of Saybrook..

Letters written by him during his residence in America are printed in the ‘Massachusetts Historical Collections,’ iv. 6, 365, v. 1, 223, and in the publications of the Prince Society

Prince Society

The Prince Society or Prince Society for Mutual Publication in Boston, Massachusetts, published "rare works, in print or manuscript, relating to America." It was named after Thomas Prince...

, ‘Hutchinson Papers,’ i. 120. At the meeting of the commissioners of the united colonies in 1643, Fenwick, as agent of the patentees, was one of the two representatives of Connecticut. On 5 December 1644 he sold the fort at Saybrook and its appurtenances to the Colony of Connecticut, pledging himself at the same time that all the lands mentioned in the patent should fall under the jurisdiction of Connecticut if it came into his power. The non-fulfilment of this promise led to numerous disputes, and in 1657 the colony refused to give his heirs possession of his estate until they paid 500£

Pound sign

The pound sign is the symbol for the pound sterling—the currency of the United Kingdom . The same symbol is used for similarly named currencies in some other countries and territories, such as the Irish pound, Gibraltar pound, Australian pound and the Italian lira...

 for non-fulfilment of the agreement and gave an acquittance of all claims. Fenwick returned to England in 1645. While living at Saybrook he lost his first wife; her monument is said to be still extant there.

Parliamentary career

On 20 Oct 1645 Fenwick was elected to the Long Parliament

Long 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...

 as member for Morpeth

Morpeth (UK Parliament constituency)

Morpeth was a borough constituency centred on the town of Morpeth in Northumberland represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of England until 1707, the Parliament of Great Britain from 1707 to 1800, and then the Parliament of the United Kingdom....

. During the Second English Civil War

Second English Civil War

The Second English Civil War was the second of three wars known as the English Civil War which refers to the series of armed conflicts and political machinations which took place between Parliamentarians and Royalists from 1642 until 1652 and also include the First English Civil War and the...

 he commanded a regiment of northern militia, took part in the defeat of Sir Richard Tempest by Lambert, relieved Holy Island

Holy Island

-Places:England* Lindisfarne, Northumberland, home of a medieval monasteryIreland* Inish Cealtra, near Mountshannon on the west shore of Lough DergScotland* Eileach an Naoimh, also known as Holy Isle, located in the Firth of Lorn...

, and recaptured Fenham Castle. On the surrender of Berwick he became governor of that place, apparently at first as deputy for Sir A. Haslerig. Fenwick was appointed one of the commissioners for the trial of the king

Charles 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...

, but did not act. In 1650 he took part in 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....

's invasion of Scotland, was made Governor of Leith and Edinburgh Castle

Edinburgh Castle

Edinburgh Castle is a fortress which dominates the skyline of the city of Edinburgh, Scotland, from its position atop the volcanic Castle Rock. Human habitation of the site is dated back as far as the 9th century BC, although the nature of early settlement is unclear...

 in December 1650, and took Hume Castle in February 1651. He was also one of the eight commissioners appointed for the government of Scotland in December 1651.

In the two parliaments of 1654 and 1656 he represented Berwick, and was one of the members excluded from the second of those parliaments..

Private life

According to his monument in the parish church of Berwick, Fenwick died on 15 March 1656–7, and this is confirmed by the fact that a new writ for Berwick was moved on 26 March 1657. His will, signed 8 March 1656–7, is printed in the ‘Public Records of Connecticut’. In some accounts Fenwick is confused with Lieutenant-colonel Roger Fenwick, who was killed in the Battle of Dunkirk

Battle of the Dunes (1658)

The Battle of the Dunes, fought on 14 June , 1658, is also known as the Battle of Dunkirk. It was a victory of the French army, under Turenne, against the Spanish army, led by John of Austria the Younger and Louis II de Condé...

, 4 June 1658. Fenwick was twice married: first, to Alice, daughter of Sir Edward Apsley of Thakenham, Sussex, and widow of Sir John Boteler of Teston

Teston

Teston is a village in the Maidstone District of Kent, England. It is located on the A26 road out of Maidstone, four miles from the town centre. There is a narrow stone bridge over the River Medway here....

, Kent (he died 2 August 1634).