Francis Thorpe facts for kids

Francis Thorpe (born 1595, died 1665) was an important English lawyer, judge, and politician. He lived during a very exciting and challenging time in English history, including the English Civil War and the period when England was ruled without a king.

Early Life and Law Career

Francis Thorpe was born in 1595. He was the oldest son of Roger Thorpe and Elizabeth Danyell. He started his education at Gray's Inn in 1611, which was a famous place for training lawyers. He also studied at St John's College, Cambridge, and earned his first degree in 1613.

After his studies, Thorpe became a lawyer in 1621. He quickly became a respected member of the legal community. He was made a judge, known as a "recorder," in the town of Beverley in 1623. He also served as a recorder for Kingston upon Hull from 1639. When King Charles I visited Hull in 1639, Francis Thorpe was chosen to give the public speech welcoming him.

The English Civil War

The 1640s were a time of great conflict in England, known as the First English Civil War. This war was fought between those who supported King Charles I and those who supported the Parliament. Francis Thorpe chose to side with Parliament. He even served in Parliament's army and became a colonel.

In 1645, he was elected to represent the area of Richmond in the Long Parliament. This showed his growing importance in Parliament. He also helped manage the properties of the Duke of Buckingham in Yorkshire, which had been taken by Parliament. In 1648, Parliament made him a "serjeant-at-law," which was a very high rank for a lawyer.

England Without a King

In January 1649, Francis Thorpe was asked to be one of the judges for the trial of King Charles I. However, he never actually attended the court. After the king was executed and England became a Commonwealth (ruled by Parliament), Thorpe continued to serve as a judge. In June 1649, he was appointed to a high position in the exchequer, which was like a treasury court.

By 1650, some people who supported the king thought that Thorpe was only pretending to support Oliver Cromwell, who was the leader of England at the time. In 1652, Thorpe was elected to represent Beverley in Parliament. He also served as a judge for the western part of England.

However, Francis Thorpe eventually had disagreements with Oliver Cromwell. In 1655, he was asked to try people who had rebelled against Cromwell in the west of England. Thorpe and another judge, Sir Richard Newdigate, had concerns about how quickly they were being asked to try these cases and whether the charges were truly treason. Because of their hesitation, Cromwell removed them from their positions in May 1655.

Being removed from his job made Thorpe more popular in the north of England. He was elected to represent Yorkshire in Parliament in 1656. However, Cromwell prevented him from taking his seat. Thorpe was one of many members who protested this decision. He eventually took his seat in Parliament in 1658 and stayed there until Parliament was dissolved. By this time, he was clearly an opponent of Cromwell.

The King Returns

When King Charles II returned to the throne in 1660, this period was called the English Restoration. Francis Thorpe asked for a special pardon from the new king. He argued that he had opposed the king's execution and had refused to try royalists (people who supported the king) during the Yorkshire uprising.

During a debate about pardoning people who had supported Parliament, Thorpe was mentioned as someone who should not be pardoned. He had been accused of keeping a large sum of money (£25,000) that belonged to the government. Some people even compared him to an old judge who was sentenced to death for taking bribes. However, in the end, Francis Thorpe was included in the act of indemnity, which meant he was pardoned.

Francis Thorpe passed away at his home near Leeds in 1665. He was buried at Bardsey church on June 7, 1665.

His Writings

Francis Thorpe also wrote some important texts. His speech given in York on March 20, 1649, was published. In this work, he tried to explain why the king's execution was justified and why Parliament's actions were right. He used ideas from writers who supported a republic (a country without a king).

Another speech by Thorpe, given in the House of Commons in 1658, was printed in a book called Thomas Burton's Diary.

Family Life

Francis Thorpe was married to Elizabeth. She was the daughter of William Oglethorpe and had been married twice before. She outlived Francis and passed away in 1666. She was also buried at Bardsey, where her son, William Wise, built a monument to remember her.