John Knight the Younger
Encyclopedia
Sir John Knight was an English
merchant and politician, MP
for Bristol
from 1689 to 1695. His uncle was also an MP for Bristol.
Knight was appointed a sheriff for Bristol in September 1681, and in this office he persecuted Dissenters
, arousing great controversy in the city. He was presented to King Charles II
in March at Newmarket and knighted. In April 1686 Knight alerted the mayor and the sheriffs of a Catholic meeting, resulting in the arrest of a priest. When the news reached the Catholic King James II
's court of Knight's behaviour, he was arrested by late May and had to explain himself before the Privy Council. A writ of habeas corpus
failed to release him but a Bristol jury acquitted him in November.
Having stood unsuccessfully at a by-election in December 1685, Knight was elected to the Convention Parliament
in 1689 for Bristol. Knight disagreed with the Whig doctrine that King James's flight from England had left the throne vacant. He therefore opposed making William and Mary
monarchs.
In 1693 he opposed the Naturalisation Bill which aimed to grant English citizenship to foreign Protestants resident in England. In a speech against the Bill, Knight said: "Let us first kick the bill out of the House; and then let us kick the foreigners out of the kingdom". Knight's speech was printed as a pamphlet and tens of thousands of copies circulated. But when the House of Commons saw the pamphlet they voted it as a "false, scandalous, and seditious" and to be burnt by the hangman. Knight disclaimed all knowledge of the pamphlet.
Knight was called a "violent tory" by Narcissus Luttrell
and a "coarse-minded and spiteful Jacobite
, who, if he had been an honest man, would have been a nonjuror
" by Thomas Babington Macaulay.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
merchant and politician, MP
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 Bristol
Bristol (UK Parliament constituency)
Bristol was a two member constituency, used to elect members to the House of Commons in the Parliaments of England , Great Britain and the United Kingdom . The constituency existed until Bristol was divided into single member constituencies in 1885.-Boundaries:The historic port city of Bristol, is...
from 1689 to 1695. His uncle was also an MP for Bristol.
Knight was appointed a sheriff for Bristol in September 1681, and in this office he persecuted Dissenters
English Dissenters
English Dissenters were Christians who separated from the Church of England in the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries.They originally agitated for a wide reaching Protestant Reformation of the Established Church, and triumphed briefly under Oliver Cromwell....
, arousing great controversy in the city. He was presented to King Charles II
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 March at Newmarket and knighted. In April 1686 Knight alerted the mayor and the sheriffs of a Catholic meeting, resulting in the arrest of a priest. When the news reached the Catholic King James II
James II of England
James II & VII was King of England and King of Ireland as James II and King of Scotland as James VII, from 6 February 1685. He was the last Catholic monarch to reign over the Kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland...
's court of Knight's behaviour, he was arrested by late May and had to explain himself before the Privy Council. A writ of habeas corpus
Habeas corpus
is a writ, or legal action, through which a prisoner can be released from unlawful detention. The remedy can be sought by the prisoner or by another person coming to his aid. Habeas corpus originated in the English legal system, but it is now available in many nations...
failed to release him but a Bristol jury acquitted him in November.
Having stood unsuccessfully at a by-election in December 1685, Knight was elected to the Convention Parliament
Convention Parliament (1689)
The English Convention was an irregular assembly of the Parliament of England which transferred the Crowns of England and Ireland from James II to William III...
in 1689 for Bristol. Knight disagreed with the Whig doctrine that King James's flight from England had left the throne vacant. He therefore opposed making William and Mary
William and Mary
The phrase William and Mary usually refers to the coregency over the Kingdoms of England, Scotland and Ireland, of King William III & II and Queen Mary II...
monarchs.
In 1693 he opposed the Naturalisation Bill which aimed to grant English citizenship to foreign Protestants resident in England. In a speech against the Bill, Knight said: "Let us first kick the bill out of the House; and then let us kick the foreigners out of the kingdom". Knight's speech was printed as a pamphlet and tens of thousands of copies circulated. But when the House of Commons saw the pamphlet they voted it as a "false, scandalous, and seditious" and to be burnt by the hangman. Knight disclaimed all knowledge of the pamphlet.
Knight was called a "violent tory" by Narcissus Luttrell
Narcissus Luttrell
Narcissus Luttrell was an English historian, diarist, and bibliographer, and briefly Member of Parliament for two different Cornish towns...
and a "coarse-minded and spiteful Jacobite
Jacobitism
Jacobitism was the political movement in Britain dedicated to the restoration of the Stuart kings to the thrones of England, Scotland, later the Kingdom of Great Britain, and the Kingdom of Ireland...
, who, if he had been an honest man, would have been a nonjuror
Nonjuring schism
The nonjuring schism was a split in the Church of England in the aftermath of the Glorious Revolution of 1688, over whether William of Orange and his wife Mary could legally be recognised as King and Queen of England....
" by Thomas Babington Macaulay.