Edward Wynter facts for kids

Sir Edward Wynter (born 1560, died 1619) was an English sailor and landowner. He was also a Member of Parliament, serving in the House of Commons at different times between 1587 and 1601. Edward Wynter helped develop the iron industry on his family's land in Lydney, located in the Forest of Dean. These ironworks became very important later during the English Civil War for the Royalist side. His marriage to Lady Anne Somerset meant that his children grew up with strong Roman Catholic beliefs.

Early Life and Adventures

Edward Wynter was the oldest son of Admiral Sir William Wynter from Lydney, Gloucestershire. His mother was Mary Langton. He started studying at Brasenose College, Oxford in 1577 when he was 17. He later studied law at the Inner Temple in 1579.

In 1587, he was chosen to be a Member of Parliament for Newport. Wynter also sailed to the Caribbean with Sir Francis Drake on a voyage in 1585-1586. He was the Captain of a ship called the Aid. During this trip, his brother Nicholas Wynter was lost at sea.

In August 1588, Wynter served on his father's ship to fight against the Spanish Armada. This was a huge fleet of Spanish ships trying to invade England. His father died in February 1589. Edward then took his father's place as a Member of Parliament for Gloucestershire. He inherited his father's large estate around Lydney. Around this time, Wynter was involved in a serious incident with Henry Walsh in Marylebone. He received a royal pardon for this.

Capture and Imprisonment

Soon after, Edward Wynter decided to travel abroad. In 1589, he was captured and sold as a prisoner to the Spanish ambassador in France, Bernardino de Mendoza. He was first held in Amiens, France. Later, he was moved to the castle of Antwerp in what is now Belgium. He was held there for almost four years.

While he was imprisoned, lawsuits were brought against him in England. He could not defend himself properly. He became a hostage, meaning the Spanish wanted to trade him for Don Pedro de Valdes. Valdes was a Spanish general captured by the English during the Spanish Armada battle. When Wynter was finally released, he was expected to pay a large amount of money for Valdes's release.

Life at Lydney and Public Service

As the owner of Lydney church, Sir Edward Wynter appointed Antony Stirrey as the vicar in 1594. Stirrey stayed in this role for many years. Wynter was made a knight in 1595. On August 11 of that year, he married Lady Anne Somerset. She was the daughter of Edward Somerset, 4th Earl of Worcester.

We know a bit about Sir Edward's home life at Lydney from a legal case in 1597. A young African man named Edward, who was Wynter's godson, worked as a porter. He was called "Swarthye," which meant "black." He had authority over many younger servants. This shows that some Africans held important positions in English homes during this time. It is believed that Sir Edward brought him to England from Drake's expedition in 1585-86. In 1596, at Wynter's instruction, Swarthye disciplined John Guye, who had been Wynter's steward. Swarthye remained with the Wynter household until he died in 1627.

Wynter served as the High Sheriff of Gloucestershire from November 1598 to December 1599. On January 19, 1601, he became the Constable of St Briavels Castle and the Keeper of the Forest of Dean. He was elected as a Member of Parliament for Gloucestershire again in 1601. He later gave up his roles as constable and keeper in 1609.

Iron Production and Disputes

Sir Edward Wynter was very involved in producing iron in the Forest of Dean. This involved cutting down trees to make charcoal for fuel. It also meant digging for iron ore and coal. Wynter built furnaces near a stream in Lydney to extract metal from the ore. These furnaces needed water power to make the bellows work.

However, Wynter's work led to many arguments with the Freeminers and Commoners of the Forest. These were local people who believed they had traditional rights to use the forest's resources. They felt Wynter was taking away their rights and benefiting himself. In 1606-1607, Wynter took some Commoners to court, saying they were being mean to him. He bought rights to timber from the King in 1611. But this caused more arguments with the Commoners, who worried they wouldn't have any wood left. He gave up these timber rights in 1616.

Family and Legacy

Sir Edward Wynter died on March 3, 1619. He had several children:

• Edward Wynter (who died when he was a child)
• Sir John Wynter (around 1600-1676) became an important ironmaster. He was a strong Catholic and supported the King during the Civil War.
• Robert Wynter
• William Wynter
• Edward Wynter. This Edward Wynter and his brother Frederick Wynter traveled to Maryland in America in 1635. They were among the first people to help found this new settlement, which was a safe place for English Roman Catholics.
• Henry Frederick Wynter
• Elizabeth Wynter, who married Richard Monington.
• Anne Wynter (1597-1676), who married Benedict Hall. Two of their daughters, Cecilia and Catherine Hall, became nuns at a Benedictine Abbey in Cambrai in 1646. Their mother also joined them there later.
• Marie Winter (1604-1630) became a Benedictine nun in Brussels in 1618.

It's important to note that a different Sir Edward Winter (1621/22-1686) later became an administrator for the East India Company.