Thomas Eden
Encyclopedia
Thomas Eden was an English jurist, academic and politician who sat in the House of Commons
from 1640 to 1645.
, Essex
and his wife Margaret Payton, daughter of Christopher Payton of Bury St. Edmunds
, Suffolk
, and was born in the south part of Sudbury
within the county of Essex. From Sudbury school he was sent to Pembroke Hall, Cambridge. He migrated to Trinity Hall, Cambridge
, where he was admitted a scholar on 31 December 1596. He was elected to a fellowship 10 July 1599, and afterwards he held for many years the office of reader of civil law
in his college. On 10 November 1613, being then LL.B., he was chosen to succeed Clement Corbet
as Professor of Law at Gresham College, London. In March 1615 he held a disputation for the degree of LL.D. before James I
at Cambridge which earned great applause. He was created doctor in the following year. On 4 November 1615 he was admitted a member of the College of Advocates at Doctors' Commons
.
Eden was elected Member of Parliament
for Cambridge University
in 1626. On 4 September 1626 he was chosen master of Trinity Hall on the resignation of Dr. Corbet. He was re-elected MP for Cambridge University in 1628 and sat until 1629 when King Charles decided to rule without parliament for eleven years. He was appointed chancellor of the diocese of Ely
in 1630, and he was also commissary
of Westminster, Bury St. Edmunds, and Sudbury, and one of the masters in chancery
.
In April 1640, Eden was re-elected MP for Cambridge in the Short Parliament
. He resigned his professorship at Gresham College on 27 July 1640. In November 1640 he was re-elected MP for Cambridge University for the Long parliament
. On 3 May 1641 he joined with those members of the House of Commons who took the protestation. The speaker informed the house on 7 Sept. 1642 that he had received commission from Dr. Eden, that he was also willing to lend £200 for the service of the king and parliament according to the propositions, to add to previous loans. On 28 February 1644 he took the Solemn League and Covenant
. In April 1645 he was one of the committee of parliament, consisting of six peers and twelve commoners, which was appointed by the two houses to manage the affairs of the admiralty.
Eden died in London on 18 July 1645, and was buried on 2 August in the chapel of Trinity Hall, Cambridge, where a mural monument with a Latin inscription was erected to his memory. A Latin oration was delivered at his funeral by Thomas Exton
.
Eden, who was highly commended as an advocate by Thomas Fuller
, was a munificent benefactor to Trinity Hall.
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...
from 1640 to 1645.
Life
Eden was the youngest son of Richard Eden of South HanningfieldSouth Hanningfield
South Hanningfield is a small village and civil parish in south Essex, England. It is located approximately south-southeast of the county town of Chelmsford, and approximately 5 km South Hanningfield is a small village and civil parish in south Essex, England. It is located approximately ...
, Essex
Essex
Essex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England, and one of the home counties. It is located to the northeast of Greater London. It borders with Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent to the South and London to the south west...
and his wife Margaret Payton, daughter of Christopher Payton of Bury St. Edmunds
Bury St. Edmunds
Bury St Edmunds is a market town in the county of Suffolk, England, and formerly the county town of West Suffolk. It is the main town in the borough of St Edmundsbury and known for the ruined abbey near the town centre...
, Suffolk
Suffolk
Suffolk is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in East Anglia, England. It has borders with Norfolk to the north, Cambridgeshire to the west and Essex to the south. The North Sea lies to the east...
, and was born in the south part of Sudbury
Sudbury, Suffolk
Sudbury is a small, ancient market town in the county of Suffolk, England, on the River Stour, from Colchester and from London.-Early history:...
within the county of Essex. From Sudbury school he was sent to Pembroke Hall, Cambridge. He migrated to Trinity Hall, Cambridge
Trinity Hall, Cambridge
Trinity Hall is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge, England. It is the fifth-oldest college of the university, having been founded in 1350 by William Bateman, Bishop of Norwich.- Foundation :...
, where he was admitted a scholar on 31 December 1596. He was elected to a fellowship 10 July 1599, and afterwards he held for many years the office of reader of civil law
Civil law (legal system)
Civil law is a legal system inspired by Roman law and whose primary feature is that laws are codified into collections, as compared to common law systems that gives great precedential weight to common law on the principle that it is unfair to treat similar facts differently on different...
in his college. On 10 November 1613, being then LL.B., he was chosen to succeed Clement Corbet
Clement Corbet
-Life:He was the sixth son of Sir Miles Corbet of Sprowston, Norfolk, who was high sheriff of that county in 1591, by Katherine, daughter of Sir Christopher Heydon. He was admitted a scholar of Trinity Hall, Cambridge, on 7 December 1592, took the degree of LL.B. in 1598, was elected a fellow of...
as Professor of Law at Gresham College, London. In March 1615 he held a disputation for the degree of LL.D. before James I
James I of England
James VI and I was King of Scots as James VI from 24 July 1567 and King of England and Ireland as James I from the union of the English and Scottish crowns on 24 March 1603...
at Cambridge which earned great applause. He was created doctor in the following year. On 4 November 1615 he was admitted a member of the College of Advocates at Doctors' Commons
Doctors' Commons
Doctors' Commons, also called the College of Civilians, was a society of lawyers practising civil law in London. Like the Inns of Court of the common lawyers, the society had buildings with rooms where its members lived and worked, and a large library...
.
Eden was elected 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 Cambridge University
Cambridge University (UK Parliament constituency)
Cambridge University was a university constituency electing two members to the British House of Commons, from 1603 to 1950.-Boundaries, Electorate and Election Systems:...
in 1626. On 4 September 1626 he was chosen master of Trinity Hall on the resignation of Dr. Corbet. He was re-elected MP for Cambridge University in 1628 and sat until 1629 when King Charles decided to rule without parliament for eleven years. He was appointed chancellor of the diocese of Ely
Diocese of Ely
The Diocese of Ely is a Church of England diocese in the Province of Canterbury. It is headed by the Bishop of Ely, who sits at Ely Cathedral in Ely. There is one suffragan bishop, the Bishop of Huntingdon. The diocese now covers Cambridgeshire and western Norfolk...
in 1630, and he was also commissary
Commissary
A commissary is someone delegated by a superior to execute a duty or an office; in a formal, legal context, one who has received power from a legitimate superior authority to pass judgment in a certain cause or to take information concerning it.-Word history:...
of Westminster, Bury St. Edmunds, and Sudbury, and one of the masters in chancery
Court of Chancery
The Court of Chancery was a court of equity in England and Wales that followed a set of loose rules to avoid the slow pace of change and possible harshness of the common law. The Chancery had jurisdiction over all matters of equity, including trusts, land law, the administration of the estates of...
.
In April 1640, Eden was re-elected MP for Cambridge in the Short Parliament
Short Parliament
The Short Parliament was a Parliament of England that sat from 13 April to 5 May 1640 during the reign of King Charles I of England, so called because it lasted only three weeks....
. He resigned his professorship at Gresham College on 27 July 1640. In November 1640 he was re-elected MP for Cambridge University for 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...
. On 3 May 1641 he joined with those members of the House of Commons who took the protestation. The speaker informed the house on 7 Sept. 1642 that he had received commission from Dr. Eden, that he was also willing to lend £200 for the service of the king and parliament according to the propositions, to add to previous loans. On 28 February 1644 he took the Solemn League and Covenant
Solemn League and Covenant
The Solemn League and Covenant was an agreement between the Scottish Covenanters and the leaders of the English Parliamentarians. It was agreed to in 1643, during the First English Civil War....
. In April 1645 he was one of the committee of parliament, consisting of six peers and twelve commoners, which was appointed by the two houses to manage the affairs of the admiralty.
Eden died in London on 18 July 1645, and was buried on 2 August in the chapel of Trinity Hall, Cambridge, where a mural monument with a Latin inscription was erected to his memory. A Latin oration was delivered at his funeral by Thomas Exton
Thomas Exton
Sir Thomas Exton was an English admiralty lawyer, Member of Parliament, and Master of Trinity Hall, Cambridge.-Life:His father was the admiralty lawyer John Exton. He entered Merchant Taylors' School in 1641, was admitted a member of Gray's Inn in 1648, and went to Trinity Hall, Cambridge, where...
.
Eden, who was highly commended as an advocate by Thomas Fuller
Thomas Fuller
Thomas Fuller was an English churchman and historian. He is now remembered for his writings, particularly his Worthies of England, published after his death...
, was a munificent benefactor to Trinity Hall.