Christopher Hatton (died 1619) facts for kids
Sir Christopher Hatton (born March 5, 1581 – died September 10, 1619) was an important English politician. He served in the English Parliament between 1601 and 1614. He was also a big supporter of artists, helping famous composers like Tobias Hume and Orlando Gibbons.
Early Life and Family
Christopher Hatton was the oldest son of John Hatton and Jane Shute. He was related to an even more famous person named Sir Christopher Hatton (1540-1591), who was a favorite of Queen Elizabeth I. When the older Sir Christopher's heir passed away, young Christopher inherited his family's lands in 1597. He went to Cambridge University around 1599.
His Career in Politics
In 1601, Christopher Hatton was chosen to be a Member of Parliament for Buckingham. This meant he helped make laws for the country.
On March 13, 1602, he married Alice Fanshawe. Her father, Thomas Fanshawe, was also an important person in the government.
King James I liked Christopher Hatton. In 1603, the King made him a knight, giving him the special title of Knight of the Bath. Later, in 1606, Hatton became a Member of Parliament for Bedford. In 1614, he was elected MP for Huntingdon.
In 1616, his wife's brother, Henry Fanshawe, passed away. Henry had a very important job called the "remembrancer of the exchequer." This job was usually passed down in the Fanshawe family. Christopher Hatton took over this job temporarily to hold it for Henry's young son, Thomas. He kept this job for the rest of his life.
Sir Christopher Hatton died when he was 38 years old in 1619. He was buried in Westminster Abbey, a very famous church in London. He had at least one son and one daughter. His son, Christopher Hatton, 1st Baron Hatton, later became a Baron, which is a noble title.
Supporting the Arts
Sir Christopher Hatton loved music and helped many artists. He was a special supporter of the composer Tobias Hume. Hume even dedicated his music book, Poeticall Musicke, to Sir Christopher.
Hatton was also a close friend and supporter of another famous composer, Orlando Gibbons. Gibbons dedicated his collection of songs, First Set of Madrigals and Motets, to Hatton. This collection included one of the most well-known English madrigals, The Silver Swan.
In his dedication, Gibbons wrote something interesting:
The songs were mostly composed in your own house, and therefore properly belong to you, as Lord of the Soil; the language they speak you provided them, I only furnished them with Tongues to utter the same name.
This quote makes some people wonder if Sir Christopher Hatton helped write some of the words for Gibbons' songs. However, there is no clear proof of this. It's also unlikely that Gibbons lived in Hatton's house, but their friendship might have meant Hatton gave him a special room to compose music. It's thought that Gibbons' children, Christopher and Alice, were named after Sir Christopher Hatton and his wife, Alice.
