John Pyne facts for kids

John Pyne (died 1679) was an English politician. He was a Member of Parliament (MP) for many years between 1625 and 1653. He strongly supported the Parliamentary side during the English Civil War. However, he later disagreed with Oliver Cromwell, who was a powerful leader at the time. When the king returned to power (the Restoration), John Pyne was not included in the general pardon given to others.

Early Life and Political Start

John Pyne was the son of Thomas Pyne. His mother was Amey Hanham. Her father was Thomas Hanham, a lawyer from Dorset.

In 1625, John Pyne was first elected as a Member of Parliament for Poole. He was re-elected in 1626 and 1628. He served until 1628. This was when King Charles I decided to rule without Parliament for eleven years. In 1629, after his father had passed away, John Pyne inherited his family's lands. These included important estates like Crewkerne.

Role in the English Civil War

In April 1640, Pyne was again elected as an MP for Poole. This was for the Short Parliament. He was elected once more for Poole in November 1640 for the Long Parliament. When the English Civil War began, he was a Lieutenant-Colonel. He was part of Lord Paulet's Somerset Trained Band. This was a local group of 800 soldiers.

However, Lord Paulet supported the King. John Pyne led his regiment to join the Parliamentarian side. In August 1642, his regiment was defeated by the Royalists. This happened at the Battle of Marshall's Elm. But they still fought in the Siege of Sherborne in September. They were also active at the Second Battle of Modbury in February 1643.

In 1643, Pyne became a colonel of the local soldiers in Somerset. He also helped collect taxes for Parliament. He was a strong supporter of a republic. He did not like the Church's power. But he stopped taking part when he saw what he thought were Oliver Cromwell's plans. He strongly disagreed with the trial and death of King Charles I.

Challenges After the War

John Pyne also refused to join any secret plans. These happened after Oliver Cromwell's death. He did not join any plots leading up to the return of the king. This was when King Charles II came back to the throne. However, Pyne was one of only twenty people who were not pardoned. This was part of the Act of Oblivion. This act was supposed to forgive people for their actions during the war.

Eventually, Pyne and his oldest son received a pardon. This was signed in 1660. It seems that the Civil War made him much poorer. He likely sold or borrowed against his property. This was to pay off debts and possibly fines. John Pyne passed away in 1679. He was very old at that time.

His Family

John Pyne married Eleanor Hanham. She was from London and Wimborne. She had a good amount of money and several estates. Eleanor died in 1662 when she was 53 years old. She left him with four sons and two daughters. In 1668, Pyne married a second time. His second wife was Amey White. She died in 1692 and they had no children.

Pyne decided that his oldest son, also named John Pyne, would not inherit his lands. This son died without marrying in 1696. His second son, Arthur, died in Aleppo. So, John Pyne's estates went to his third son, Charles.