Thomas Coventry, 1st Baron Coventry
Encyclopedia
Thomas Coventry, 1st Baron Coventry (1578 – 14 January 1640) was a prominent English lawyer, politician and judge during the early 17th century.
, in 1592, and the Inner Temple
in 1594, becoming bencher of the society in 1614, reader in 1616, and holding the office of treasurer from 1617 till 1621.
His exceptional legal abilities were rewarded early with official promotion. On 16 November 1616 he was made recorder of London in spite of Francis Bacon
's opposition, who, although allowing him to be "a well trained and an honest man," objected that he was "bred by my Lord Coke
and seasoned in his ways." On 14 March 1617 he was appointed Solicitor General
and was knighted.
to the Parliament
of 1621; and on 11 January in that year was made attorney-general. He took part in the proceedings against Bacon
for corruption, and was manager for the House of Commons
in the impeachment of Edward Floyd
for insulting the elector
and electress palatine.
On 1 November 1625 he was made lord keeper of the great seal
; in this capacity he delivered the Charles I
's reprimand to the Commons on 9 March 1626, when he declared that "liberty of counsel" alone belonged to them and not "liberty of control." On 10 April 1628 he received the title of Baron Coventry of Aylesborough in Worcestershire
. At the opening of parliament in 1628 he threatened that the king would use his prerogative if further thwarted in the matter of supplies. In the subsequent debates, however, while strongly supporting the king's prerogative against the claims of the parliament to executive power, he favoured a policy of moderation and compromise. He defended the right of the council in special circumstances to commit people to prison without showing cause, and to issue general warrants. He disapproved of the king's sudden dissolution of parliament, and agreed to the liberation on bail
of the seven imprisoned members on condition of their giving security for their good behaviour.
He showed less subservience than Bacon to the Duke of Buckingham
, and his resistance to the latter's pretensions to the office of Lord High Constable
greatly incensed the duke. Buckingham taunted Coventry with having gained his place by his favour; Coventry replied, "Did I conceive I had my place by your favour, I would presently unmake myself by returning the seal to his Majesty." After this defiance Buckingham's sudden death alone probably prevented Coventry's displacement.
He passed sentence of death on Lord Audley
in 1631, drafted and enforced the proclamation of 20 June 1632 ordering the country gentlemen to leave London, and in 1634 joined in William Laud
's attack on the Earl of Portland
for peculation. The same year, in an address to the judges, he supported the proposed levy of ship money
on the inland as well as the maritime counties on the plea of the necessity of effectually arming, "so that they might not be enforced to fight," "the wooden walls" being in his opinion "the best walls of this kingdom." He voted in Star Chamber to remove the Irish judge Doninick, Viscount Sarsfield
from office for corruption, censuring him severely for hearing a murder case in private and bullying the jury into returning a guilty verdict.
In the Star Chamber
Coventry was one of John Lilburne
's judges in 1637, but he generally showed conspicuous moderation, inclining to leniency in the cases of Richard Chambers
in 1629 for seditious speeches, and of Henry Sherfield
in 1632 for breaking painted glass in a church. He prevented also the hanging of men for resistance to impressment, and pointed out its illegality, since the men were not subject to martial law
. While contributing thirty horse to the Scottish expedition in 1638, and lending the king £10,000 in 1639, he gave no support to the forced loan levied upon the city in the latter year.
accuses him of mediocrity, but his contemporaries in general have united in extolling his judicial ability, his quick despatch of business and his sound and sterling character. Clarendon
in particular praises his statesmanship, and compares his capacity with Lord Strafford
's, adding, however, that he seldom spoke in the council except on legal business and had little influence in political affairs; to the latter circumstance he owed his exceptional popularity. He describes him as having "in the plain way of speaking and delivery a strange power of making himself believed," as a man of "not only firm gravity but a severity and even some morosity," as "rather exceedingly liked than passionately loved."
in the reign of Henry VI
), and of Margaret Jeffreys of Earls Croome, or Croome D'Abitot
, in Worcestershire
.
He married:
1. Sarah, (sister of Sir Edward Sebright of Besford in Worcestershire, and daughter of John Sebright by Anne Bullingham), by whom besides a daughter he had one son,
2. Elizabeth, daughter of John Aldersley of Spurstow, Cheshire, and widow of William Pitchford, by whom he had four more sons and four more daughters:
Thomas Coventry, 5th baron (d. 1699), was created an earl in 1697 with a special limitation, on failure of his own male issue, to that of Walter, youngest brother of the lord keeper, from whom the present earl of Coventry is descended.
Education and early legal career
He entered Balliol College, OxfordBalliol College, Oxford
Balliol College , founded in 1263, is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England but founded by a family with strong Scottish connections....
, in 1592, and the Inner Temple
Inner Temple
The Honourable Society of the Inner Temple, commonly known as Inner Temple, 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...
in 1594, becoming bencher of the society in 1614, reader in 1616, and holding the office of treasurer from 1617 till 1621.
His exceptional legal abilities were rewarded early with official promotion. On 16 November 1616 he was made recorder of London in spite of Francis Bacon
Francis Bacon
Francis Bacon, 1st Viscount St Albans, KC was an English philosopher, statesman, scientist, lawyer, jurist, author and pioneer of the scientific method. He served both as Attorney General and Lord Chancellor of England...
's opposition, who, although allowing him to be "a well trained and an honest man," objected that he was "bred by my Lord Coke
Edward Coke
Sir Edward Coke SL PC was an English barrister, judge and politician considered to be the greatest jurist of the Elizabethan and Jacobean eras. Born into a middle class family, Coke was educated at Trinity College, Cambridge before leaving to study at the Inner Temple, where he was called to the...
and seasoned in his ways." On 14 March 1617 he was appointed Solicitor General
Solicitor General for England and Wales
Her Majesty's Solicitor General for England and Wales, often known as the Solicitor General, is one of the Law Officers of the Crown, and the deputy of the Attorney General, whose duty is to advise the Crown and Cabinet on the law...
and was knighted.
Political and judicial career
He was returned for DroitwichDroitwich (UK Parliament constituency)
Droitwich was the name of a constituency of the House of Commons of England in 1295, and again from 1554, then of the House of Commons of Great Britain from 1707 to 1800 and of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1801 to 1918...
to the Parliament
Parliament of England
The Parliament of England was the legislature of the Kingdom of England. In 1066, William of Normandy introduced a feudal system, by which he sought the advice of a council of tenants-in-chief and ecclesiastics before making laws...
of 1621; and on 11 January in that year was made attorney-general. He took part in the proceedings against Bacon
Francis Bacon
Francis Bacon, 1st Viscount St Albans, KC was an English philosopher, statesman, scientist, lawyer, jurist, author and pioneer of the scientific method. He served both as Attorney General and Lord Chancellor of England...
for corruption, and was manager for the House of Commons
British House of Commons
The House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which also comprises the Sovereign and the House of Lords . Both Commons and Lords meet in the Palace of Westminster. The Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 650 members , who are known as Members...
in the impeachment of Edward Floyd
Edward Floyd
Edward Floyd, Floud or Lloyd was an Englishman impeached and sentenced by the House of Commons in 1621 for speaking disparagingly of Frederick V, Elector Palatine.-Early life:Floyd was a Roman Catholic barrister...
for insulting the elector
Frederick V, Elector Palatine
Frederick V was Elector Palatine , and, as Frederick I , King of Bohemia ....
and electress palatine.
On 1 November 1625 he was made lord keeper of the great seal
Lord Keeper of the Great Seal
The Lord Keeper of the Great Seal of England, and later of Great Britain, was formerly an officer of the English Crown charged with physical custody of the Great Seal of England. This evolved into one of the Great Officers of State....
; in this capacity he delivered the Charles I
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...
's reprimand to the Commons on 9 March 1626, when he declared that "liberty of counsel" alone belonged to them and not "liberty of control." On 10 April 1628 he received the title of Baron Coventry of Aylesborough in Worcestershire
Worcestershire
Worcestershire is a non-metropolitan county, established in antiquity, located in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes it is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three counties that comprise the "Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Warwickshire" NUTS 2 region...
. At the opening of parliament in 1628 he threatened that the king would use his prerogative if further thwarted in the matter of supplies. In the subsequent debates, however, while strongly supporting the king's prerogative against the claims of the parliament to executive power, he favoured a policy of moderation and compromise. He defended the right of the council in special circumstances to commit people to prison without showing cause, and to issue general warrants. He disapproved of the king's sudden dissolution of parliament, and agreed to the liberation on bail
Bail
Traditionally, bail is some form of property deposited or pledged to a court to persuade it to release a suspect from jail, on the understanding that the suspect will return for trial or forfeit the bail...
of the seven imprisoned members on condition of their giving security for their good behaviour.
He showed less subservience than Bacon to the Duke of Buckingham
George Villiers, 1st Duke of Buckingham
George Villiers, 1st Duke of Buckingham KG was the favourite, claimed by some to be the lover, of King James I of England. Despite a very patchy political and military record, he remained at the height of royal favour for the first two years of the reign of Charles I, until he was assassinated...
, and his resistance to the latter's pretensions to the office of Lord High Constable
Lord High Constable of England
The Lord High Constable of England is the seventh of the Great Officers of State, ranking beneath the Lord Great Chamberlain and above the Earl Marshal. His office is now called out of abeyance only for coronations. The Lord High Constable was originally the commander of the royal armies and the...
greatly incensed the duke. Buckingham taunted Coventry with having gained his place by his favour; Coventry replied, "Did I conceive I had my place by your favour, I would presently unmake myself by returning the seal to his Majesty." After this defiance Buckingham's sudden death alone probably prevented Coventry's displacement.
He passed sentence of death on Lord Audley
Mervyn Tuchet, 2nd Earl of Castlehaven
Mervyn Touchet , 2nd Earl of Castlehaven , convicted rapist and sodomite, was the son of George Tuchet, 1st Earl of Castlehaven and his wife, née Lucy Mervyn. He succeeded his father as 2nd Earl of Castlehaven and 12th Baron Audley on 20 February 1616/7...
in 1631, drafted and enforced the proclamation of 20 June 1632 ordering the country gentlemen to leave London, and in 1634 joined in William Laud
William Laud
William Laud was Archbishop of Canterbury from 1633 to 1645. One of the High Church Caroline divines, he opposed radical forms of Puritanism...
's attack on the Earl of Portland
Richard Weston, 1st Earl of Portland
Richard Weston, 1st Earl of Portland, KG , was Chancellor of the Exchequer and later Lord Treasurer of England under James I and Charles I, being one of the most influential figures in the early years of Charles I's Personal Rule and the architect of many of the policies that enabled him to rule...
for peculation. The same year, in an address to the judges, he supported the proposed levy of ship money
Ship money
Ship money refers to a tax that Charles I of England tried to levy without the consent of Parliament. This tax, which was only applied to coastal towns during a time of war, was intended to offset the cost of defending that part of the coast, and could be paid in actual ships or the equivalent value...
on the inland as well as the maritime counties on the plea of the necessity of effectually arming, "so that they might not be enforced to fight," "the wooden walls" being in his opinion "the best walls of this kingdom." He voted in Star Chamber to remove the Irish judge Doninick, Viscount Sarsfield
Viscount Sarsfield
The title Viscount Sarsfield was created in 1627 in the Peerage of Ireland for Sir Dominick Sarsfield.who was Chief Justice of the Irish Common Pleas. The title was forfeit in 1691 by the 4th Viscount for his part in the Williamite war in Ireland....
from office for corruption, censuring him severely for hearing a murder case in private and bullying the jury into returning a guilty verdict.
In the Star Chamber
Star Chamber
The Star Chamber was an English court of law that sat at the royal Palace of Westminster until 1641. It was made up of Privy Counsellors, as well as common-law judges and supplemented the activities of the common-law and equity courts in both civil and criminal matters...
Coventry was one of John Lilburne
John Lilburne
John Lilburne , also known as Freeborn John, was an English political Leveller before, during and after English Civil Wars 1642-1650. He coined the term "freeborn rights", defining them as rights with which every human being is born, as opposed to rights bestowed by government or human law...
's judges in 1637, but he generally showed conspicuous moderation, inclining to leniency in the cases of Richard Chambers
Richard Harvey Chambers
Richard Harvey Chambers was a United States federal judge.-Biography:Chambers was born to William Rock and Lida Chambers in Danville, Illinois. Three months later, the family moved to Solomonville, Arizona, where his father worked as clerk of the district court of Graham County...
in 1629 for seditious speeches, and of Henry Sherfield
Henry Sherfield
Henry Sherfield was an English lawyer, a Member of Parliament for Salisbury in 1623 and 1626. Of Puritan views, he was an iconoclast, and was taken through a celebrated court case.-Life:...
in 1632 for breaking painted glass in a church. He prevented also the hanging of men for resistance to impressment, and pointed out its illegality, since the men were not subject to martial law
Martial law
Martial law is the imposition of military rule by military authorities over designated regions on an emergency basis— only temporary—when the civilian government or civilian authorities fail to function effectively , when there are extensive riots and protests, or when the disobedience of the law...
. While contributing thirty horse to the Scottish expedition in 1638, and lending the king £10,000 in 1639, he gave no support to the forced loan levied upon the city in the latter year.
Summary
Lord Coventry held the great seal for nearly fifteen years (1625-40), and was enabled to collect a large fortune. He was an able judge, and he issued some important orders in chancery, probably alluded to by Wood, who ascribes to him a tract on "The Fees of all law Officers". Bulstrode WhitelockeBulstrode Whitelocke
Sir Bulstrode Whitelocke was an English lawyer, writer, parliamentarian and Lord Keeper of the Great Seal of England.- Biography :...
accuses him of mediocrity, but his contemporaries in general have united in extolling his judicial ability, his quick despatch of business and his sound and sterling character. Clarendon
Edward Hyde, 1st Earl of Clarendon
Edward Hyde, 1st Earl of Clarendon was an English historian and statesman, and grandfather of two English monarchs, Mary II and Queen Anne.-Early life:...
in particular praises his statesmanship, and compares his capacity with Lord Strafford
Thomas Wentworth, 1st Earl of Strafford
Thomas Wentworth, 1st Earl of Strafford was an English statesman and a major figure in the period leading up to the English Civil War. He served in Parliament and was a supporter of King Charles I. From 1632 to 1639 he instituted a harsh rule as Lord Deputy of Ireland...
's, adding, however, that he seldom spoke in the council except on legal business and had little influence in political affairs; to the latter circumstance he owed his exceptional popularity. He describes him as having "in the plain way of speaking and delivery a strange power of making himself believed," as a man of "not only firm gravity but a severity and even some morosity," as "rather exceedingly liked than passionately loved."
Family
Lord Coventry was the eldest son of Sir Thomas Coventry, judge of the common pleas (a descendant of John Coventry, Lord Mayor of the City of LondonLord Mayor of London
The Right Honourable Lord Mayor of London is the legal title for the Mayor of the City of London Corporation. The Lord Mayor of London is to be distinguished from the Mayor of London; the former is an officer only of the City of London, while the Mayor of London is the Mayor of Greater London and...
in the reign of Henry VI
Henry VI of England
Henry VI was King of England from 1422 to 1461 and again from 1470 to 1471, and disputed King of France from 1422 to 1453. Until 1437, his realm was governed by regents. Contemporaneous accounts described him as peaceful and pious, not suited for the violent dynastic civil wars, known as the Wars...
), and of Margaret Jeffreys of Earls Croome, or Croome D'Abitot
Croome D'Abitot
Croome D'Abitot is a village and civil parish, which shares a joint parish council with Severn Stoke, in the Malvern Hills District in the county of Worcestershire, England. The parish church of St Mary Magdalene is situated in the grounds of Croome Court.Bridges, Tim Churches of Worcestershire,...
, in Worcestershire
Worcestershire
Worcestershire is a non-metropolitan county, established in antiquity, located in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes it is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three counties that comprise the "Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Warwickshire" NUTS 2 region...
.
He married:
1. Sarah, (sister of Sir Edward Sebright of Besford in Worcestershire, and daughter of John Sebright by Anne Bullingham), by whom besides a daughter he had one son,
- ThomasThomas Coventry, 2nd Baron CoventryThomas Coventry, 2nd Baron Coventry was an English politician who sat in the House of Commons between 1626 and 1629 and was subsequently a member of the House of Lords. He supported the Royalist cause in the English Civil War....
, who succeeded him as 2nd baron, and
2. Elizabeth, daughter of John Aldersley of Spurstow, Cheshire, and widow of William Pitchford, by whom he had four more sons and four more daughters:
- JohnJohn Coventry (Royalist)John Coventry was an English politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1641 to 1642.Coventry was the son of Thomas Coventry, 1st Baron Coventry by his second wife Elizabeth Aldersley, daughter of John Aldersley of Spurstow, Cheshire, and widow of William Pitchford...
, father of Sir John CoventryJohn CoventrySir John Coventry was son of John Coventry , the second son of lord keeper Thomas Coventry.Between 1655 and 1659, he travelled in the continent with his tutor the poet Edward Sherburne... - Francis,
- HenryHenry CoventryThe Honourable Henry Coventry was an English politician, who was Secretary of State for the Northern Department between 1672 and 1674 and the Southern Department between 1674 and 1680.-Origins and education:...
, Secretary of State (1672-1680) and - Sir William CoventryWilliam Coventry-Early life and Civil War:William was the son of the lord keeper Thomas Coventry, 1st Baron Coventry, by his second wife Elizabeth Aldersley. Coventry matriculated at Queens College, Oxford, at the age of fourteen...
, the statesman; - Anne married Sir William Savile, 3rd baronetSir William Savile, 3rd BaronetSir William Savile, 3rd Baronet was an English politician who sat in the House of Commons between 1640 and 1642. He fought on the Royalist side in the English Civil War and was killed in action....
(1629) and then Thomas ChicheleyThomas ChicheleySir Thomas Chicheley was a politician in England in the seventeenth century who fell from favour in the reign of James II. His name is sometimes spelt as Chichele....
of WimpoleWimpole HallWimpole Hall is a country house located within the Parish of Wimpole, Cambridgeshire, England, about 8½ miles southwest of Cambridge. The house, begun in 1640, and its 3,000 acres of parkland and farmland are owned by the National Trust and are regularly open to the public.Wimpole is...
(1645) - Mary married Sir Henry Frederick Thynne, 1st Baronet
- Margaret married Sir Anthony Ashley-Cooper, later Earl of Shaftesbury
- Dorothy married Sir John Pakington, 2nd BaronetSir John Pakington, 2nd BaronetSir John Pakington, 2nd Baronet was an English politician who sat in the House of Commons at various times between 1640 and 1679. He supported the Royalist cause in the English Civil War....
.
Thomas Coventry, 5th baron (d. 1699), was created an earl in 1697 with a special limitation, on failure of his own male issue, to that of Walter, youngest brother of the lord keeper, from whom the present earl of Coventry is descended.