John Poulett, 1st Baron Poulett facts for kids
John Poulett, 1st Baron Poulett (born 1585 – died 20 March 1649) was an important English politician and sailor. He lived in a place called Hinton St George in Somerset. John Poulett was a member of the House of Commons, which is like a part of the government, from 1610 to 1621. Later, he was given a special title and became a Baron, which is a type of noble.
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Early Life and Family
John Poulett was the son of Sir Anthony Poulett. His father was also a very important person. Sir Anthony was the Governor of Jersey and a Captain in the Queen's Guard for Queen Elizabeth. John's mother was Catherine Norris. Her father was Henry Norris, 1st Baron Norreys.
His Career in Government
John Poulett went to University College, Oxford for his education. After that, he studied law.
Working for Justice
By 1613, he became a Justice of the Peace for Somerset. This meant he helped keep law and order in the area. He held this job for many years. He was also chosen to be the Sheriff of Somerset for 1616 and 1617. The Sheriff was a top law enforcement officer in the county.
Serving in Parliament
John Poulett was elected to be a Member of Parliament several times. He represented Somerset in 1610 and 1614. Later, he represented Lyme Regis in 1621. Being a Member of Parliament meant he helped make laws for the country.
Becoming a Baron
On June 23, 1627, John Poulett was given the special title of Baron Poulett. This made him a member of the peerage, a group of high-ranking nobles.
He also worked with the Royal Navy. His job was to protect English trade ships and valuable cargo from attacks by Dutch ships.
Role in the Civil War
When the English Civil War began, John Poulett first signed a paper saying that King Charles I did not want to fight Parliament. However, when the fighting actually started on June 15, 1642, he chose to support the King. People who supported the King were called Royalists.
At that time, he was in charge of 800 soldiers from the Somerset Trained Bands. But most of these soldiers decided to join the Parliament's army instead. John Poulett was one of the main leaders during the Siege of Lyme Regis in Dorset. This was a big battle during the war.
After the war ended, Parliament forgave him. However, his family had to pay a large amount of money as a penalty.
John Poulett passed away on March 20, 1649.
Family Life
John Poulett married Elizabeth Kenn. She was from Kenn Court in Somerset. They had several children together:
- John Poulett, 2nd Baron Poulett
- Florence Poulett, who married Thomas Smith.
- Susan Poulett, who married Michael Warton.
- Margaret Poulett, who married Denys Rolle. Denys Rolle was the Sheriff of Devon in 1636.
- A daughter who married Colonel Richard Cholmondeley. He was a Royalist commander during the Civil War and was killed in 1644.
