Christopher Lewknor facts for kids
Christopher Lewknor (born 1598, died 1653) was an English politician. He was a member of the House of Commons, which is like a part of today's Parliament. He served there at different times between 1628 and 1641. During the English Civil War, he supported the King's side, known as the Royalists.
Early Life and Family
Christopher Lewknor was the fourth son of Richard Lewknor. His mother was Eleanor Broome. Christopher's family lived in West Dean, Sussex. His older brother, Richard Lewknor, also became a Member of Parliament.
When Christopher was about five years old, his father died in 1603. His mother later married Sir William Oglander. They had more children, including Sir John Oglander, who also became a politician. Christopher received some money each year from his grandfather, Sir Richard Lewknor. His grandfather was a important judge.
Christopher decided to follow his grandfather's path into law. He studied at the Middle Temple starting in 1617. He became a lawyer there in 1625. After becoming a lawyer, Christopher worked for the Percy family as their legal advisor.
Time in Parliament
In 1628, Christopher Lewknor was chosen as a Member of Parliament for Midhurst. He held this position until 1629. At that time, King Charles I decided to rule England without Parliament for eleven years. Christopher did not speak much in Parliament, but he did take notes on what happened.
In 1636, Christopher was part of a group working to protect timber. This was important because the iron trade in Sussex was growing. By the early 1630s, he was also a recorder for Chichester. This meant he was a judge in the city.
In April 1640, he was elected MP for Chichester in the Short Parliament. He was elected again for Chichester in November 1640 for the Long Parliament. He stayed in Parliament until 1642. He was removed because he supported the King's side, the Royalists.
Christopher joined the King's army. He also attended the Oxford Parliament in 1644. He earned a special law degree from Oxford in 1642.
In August 1642, Christopher Lewknor supported the mayor of Chichester. The mayor called for men to join the King's army. Christopher was in charge of collecting money and silver for the King. On August 28, 1642, he took part in talks during the Siege of Portsmouth. In January 1643, he was held as a prisoner at Windsor Castle. He was made a knight on December 18, 1644. He was at the siege of Salcombe Castle in early 1646. In 1651, Parliament ordered his lands to be sold.
Later Life
Christopher Lewknor wrote his will on July 1, 1653. He said he was "sick in body." He likely died soon after this. On September 5, Sir Edward Hyde mentioned that Christopher had been "dead these many months."
Christopher had married Mary May on May 7, 1619. She was already a widow. They had two daughters together before Mary died in 1642. Christopher Lewknor did not have any sons. However, two of his grandsons later became Members of Parliament. These were Christopher Knight for Arundel in 1698 and William Knight for Midhurst in 1713.
