Francis Harvey (MP for Northampton) facts for kids

Francis Harvey (born 1611, died 1703) was an English lawyer and politician. He was a member of the House of Commons, which is like a part of the government that helps make laws. He served there at different times between 1656 and 1661.

Early Life and Education

Francis Harvey was born in 1611 in Weston Favell, Northamptonshire. He was the son of William Harvey.

When he was 14, in 1627, Francis started studying at St Edmund Hall, Oxford, which is a college at Oxford University. He earned his first degree, a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.), in 1629.

After university, he studied law. In 1637, he officially became a lawyer at Middle Temple, one of the places where lawyers are trained in London.

Political Career

Francis Harvey became involved in politics during a very interesting time in English history.

Serving in Parliament

In 1656, Francis Harvey was chosen to be a Member of Parliament (MP) for Northampton. An MP is someone elected to represent their area in the House of Commons. He served in a government assembly called the Second Protectorate Parliament.

He was elected again for Northampton in 1659. This time, he served in the Third Protectorate Parliament.

Challenges in Parliament

In 1660, Francis Harvey was elected as an MP for Northampton once more. This was for the Convention Parliament. However, he was removed from his seat on June 21, 1660, after someone complained about the election. This is called being "unseated on petition."

He was elected again in 1661 for the Cavalier Parliament. But his election was again questioned and later declared invalid on June 13, 1661.

Later Life and Family

In 1667, Francis Harvey became the treasurer of his legal society, Middle Temple. This was an important role in the legal community.

In 1665, Francis Harvey married Elizabeth Dickens. She was a widow from London.

Francis Harvey lived to be 91 years old. He passed away in 1703 and was buried in the Temple Church on March 30, 1703.