Henry Neville (writer) facts for kids

Henry Neville (1620–1694) was an English politician and writer. He was known for his stories and funny writings. His most famous work was The Isle of Pines, published in 1668. It was a tale about a shipwreck and a made-up, difficult society.

In 1651, Henry Neville joined the English Council of State. This group helped run England. He worked on foreign policy. Later, he disagreed with Oliver Cromwell, who was a powerful leader at the time. Neville even wrote some political pamphlets (short books) against Cromwell.

Who Was Henry Neville?

Henry Neville was born in 1620. He was the second son of Sir Henry Neville. His family lived at Billingbear House in Berkshire. His older brother, Richard Neville, was a soldier. His grandfather, Sir Henry Neville, had been an ambassador to France.

Early Life and Education

Henry Neville studied at Merton and University Colleges in Oxford. However, he left without getting a degree. When he was young, he married Elizabeth. She was the daughter of Richard Staverton. Her family's country home in Warfield became their estate. His wife sadly passed away when she was young.

Getting Involved in Politics

During the English Civil War, Henry traveled in Europe. He came back to England in 1645. In 1647, he wrote a funny story called The Parliament of Ladies. He published it without his name. This story made fun of some important women who supported Parliament. People thought it was a playful parody of the political writings common at the time. The book was very popular and was printed many times.

In April 1649, he was elected to Parliament. He became a Member of Parliament (MP) for Abingdon.

By the end of 1651, he was part of the English Council of State. But he strongly disagreed with Oliver Cromwell. Because of this, he stepped away from politics for a while.

After Cromwell died, Neville returned to Parliament. On December 30, 1658, he became the MP for Reading.

A Time of Change: After Cromwell

In the 1650s, Henry Neville became good friends with the philosopher James Harrington. He joined Harrington's group, which believed in a republic (a country without a king). Their friendship was so close that some people thought Neville helped Harrington write his famous book, Oceana.

On May 19, 1659, Neville was given a position on the new Council of State. In the 1660s, Neville traveled in Italy. There, he became friends with Ferdinando II de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany and other important people in Florence.

After the Restoration (when the king returned to power), Neville was arrested in October 1663. He was suspected of being involved in a plot against the government. This plot was known as the "Yorkshire rising" or the Farnley Wood Plot. He was held in the Tower of London. His grandfather had also been held there. In May 1664, he was released. He was not seen as a danger and was not punished.

His Writings and Ideas

After his arrest in 1663, Henry Neville spent the rest of his life writing and studying.

His pamphlet The Parliament of Ladies (1647) caused a lot of discussion. Other writers published responses and imitations of it. Soon after, another similar book appeared, The Ladies, a Second Time, Assembled in Parliament (1647). This might also have been written by Neville.

Three years later, another similar publication came out: Newes from the New Exchange, or, The Common-Wealth of Ladies (1650). It had two editions and also led to many responses.

In 1656, he published two short papers. These showed his disagreement with Oliver Cromwell.

Another such writing was Shuffling, Cutting and Dealing in a Game at Picquet. (1659).

The Isle of Pines: A Famous Story

In 1668, he published another funny story about gender and politics, The Isle of Pines. This book became very famous.

Sharing His Political Ideas

In 1680, he published Plato Redivivus. This was a political conversation where he argued that more people in England owned property. Because of this, he believed political power should be shared more widely. He encouraged King Charles II to reduce his own power. He thought this would help the king survive and be remembered well. He wanted Parliament to convince Charles to give the government's jobs to the House of Commons.

In 1675, Neville helped with a new edition of Machiavelli's works. He added a 'letter' that he had written himself.