William Montagu (judge)
Encyclopedia
Sir William Montagu was an English judge and politician who sat in the House of Commons
variously between 1640 and 1676.
Montagu was the son of Edward Montagu, 1st Baron Montagu of Boughton
. He was educated at Oundle School
and admitted at Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge
on 15 April 1632. He was admitted at the Middle Temple
on 22 October 1635.
In April 1640, Montagu was elected Member of Parliament
for Huntingdon
in the Short Parliament
. He was called to the bar on 11 February 1642.
In 1660, Montagu was elected MP for Cambridge University
in the Convention Parliament. He was elected MP for Stamford
in 1661 for the Cavalier Parliament
and sat until 1676. He became attorney-general to the Queen in 1662, holding the post until 1676. He was Treasurer on Middle Temple in 1663 and Autumn reader in 1664. In 1676 he became serjeant-at-law and was Chief Baron of the Exchequer from 1676 to 1686. He sat on the Bench at several of the Popish Plot
trials, and appeared just as credulous as the other judges; but at the trial of Titus Oates
for perjury in 1685, under pressure from Jeffreys, claimed that he had never thought Oates a credible witness. He was removed from the bench in 1686 because he refused to give an unqualified opinion in favour of the prerogative of dispensation. He was assessor to the Convention in 1689.
Montagu died in 1706 and was buried at Weekley
.
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...
variously between 1640 and 1676.
Montagu was the son of Edward Montagu, 1st Baron Montagu of Boughton
Edward Montagu, 1st Baron Montagu of Boughton
Edward Montagu, 1st Baron Montagu of Boughton was an English politician. He was one of the key founders of what is known today as Guy Fawkes Night through his sponsorship, in Parliament, of the Observance of 5th November Act 1605. His support for King Charles I led to his arrest in August 1642...
. He was educated at Oundle School
Oundle School
Oundle School is a co-educational British public school located in the ancient market town of Oundle in Northamptonshire. The school has been maintained by the Worshipful Company of Grocers of the City of London since its foundation in 1556. Oundle has eight boys' houses, five girls' houses, a day...
and admitted at Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge
Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge
Sidney Sussex College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge in England.The college was founded in 1596 and named after its foundress, Frances Sidney, Countess of Sussex. It was from its inception an avowedly Puritan foundation: some good and godlie moniment for the mainteynance...
on 15 April 1632. He was admitted at the Middle Temple
Middle Temple
The Honourable Society of the Middle Temple, commonly known as Middle Temple, is one of the four Inns of Court exclusively entitled to call their members to the English Bar as barristers; the others being the Inner Temple, Gray's Inn and Lincoln's Inn...
on 22 October 1635.
In April 1640, Montagu 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 Huntingdon
Huntingdon (UK Parliament constituency)
Huntingdon is a county constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election....
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 was called to the bar on 11 February 1642.
In 1660, Montagu was elected MP 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 the Convention Parliament. He was elected MP 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 1661 for the Cavalier Parliament
Cavalier Parliament
The Cavalier Parliament of England lasted from 8 May 1661 until 24 January 1679. It was the longest English Parliament, enduring for nearly 18 years of the quarter century reign of Charles II of England...
and sat until 1676. He became attorney-general to the Queen in 1662, holding the post until 1676. He was Treasurer on Middle Temple in 1663 and Autumn reader in 1664. In 1676 he became serjeant-at-law and was Chief Baron of the Exchequer from 1676 to 1686. He sat on the Bench at several of the Popish Plot
Popish Plot
The Popish Plot was a fictitious conspiracy concocted by Titus Oates that gripped England, Wales and Scotland in Anti-Catholic hysteria between 1678 and 1681. Oates alleged that there existed an extensive Catholic conspiracy to assassinate Charles II, accusations that led to the execution of at...
trials, and appeared just as credulous as the other judges; but at the trial of Titus Oates
Titus Oates
Titus Oates was an English perjurer who fabricated the "Popish Plot", a supposed Catholic conspiracy to kill King Charles II.-Early life:...
for perjury in 1685, under pressure from Jeffreys, claimed that he had never thought Oates a credible witness. He was removed from the bench in 1686 because he refused to give an unqualified opinion in favour of the prerogative of dispensation. He was assessor to the Convention in 1689.
Montagu died in 1706 and was buried at Weekley
Weekley
Weekley is a small village and civil parish in the English county of Northamptonshire. At the time of the 2001 census, the parish's population was 242 people. Weekley is just off the A43 road north of Kettering. It is administered as part of the borough of Kettering. Of the 56 houses in the village...
.