John Savile, 1st Baron Savile of Pontefract facts for kids
John Savile, 1st Baron Savile (born 1556, died 1630) was an important English politician. He held many different jobs in the government during his life. He was a Member of Parliament (MP) for Lincoln and Yorkshire. He also served as a sheriff and a special record keeper called a custos rotulorum. Later, he became a trusted advisor to the king, known as a privy councillor. In 1627, he was given the title of Baron Savile.
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John Savile's Early Life
John Savile was born in 1556. His father was Sir Robert Savile, who lived in Barkston, Lincolnshire. Sir Robert had also been a sheriff for Lincolnshire. John's mother was Anne Hussey.
Savile's Political Career
John Savile started his political journey as a Member of Parliament (MP) for Lincoln in 1586. An MP is someone elected to represent people in the country's parliament. In 1590, he became the sheriff of Lincolnshire. A sheriff was a very important local official.
Serving Yorkshire in Parliament
In 1597, John Savile was elected as a knight of the shire for Yorkshire. This meant he represented the entire county in Parliament. He was elected again for Yorkshire in 1614, 1624, and 1626.
Rivalry with Thomas Wentworth
Savile had a long-standing rivalry with another powerful politician, Thomas Wentworth. They often disagreed and competed for important jobs. Savile was a custos rotulorum for the West Riding of Yorkshire. This job involved keeping important records. In 1615, he lost this job, and Wentworth took his place.
Savile tried to get his job back by asking the Duke of Buckingham for help. In 1617, Buckingham asked Wentworth to give up the job. However, Wentworth had strong support and kept the position.
Parliamentary Disputes
In 1624, Savile was elected for Yorkshire again, along with his son Thomas. But in 1625, Wentworth and Lord Fairfax won the election against him. Savile claimed the sheriff had stopped the voting when Wentworth was losing. After a big argument in Parliament, the election was cancelled. Wentworth was elected again in the new election.
However, in 1626, Savile won the seat once more. Wentworth had been made a sheriff to stop him from running in that election.
Later Achievements
Savile became very popular with the Duke of Buckingham. In 1626, he was reappointed as custos rotulorum, taking the job back from Wentworth. Soon after, he became a member of the Privy Council. This meant he was a close advisor to the king.
In 1627, he became the comptroller of the household. This was an important role in the royal court. On July 21, 1627, he was given the title of Baron Savile of Pontefract. He held this important job until he died on August 31, 1630, at the age of 74. He was buried in Batley church in Yorkshire.
Savile's Home Life
Around 1590, John Savile built a grand house called Howley Hall in Batley. It was described as a very elegant building. Even in 1900, its ruins were still visible. There's a story that the famous painter Rubens visited him there and painted a view of Pontefract for him.
John Savile was married twice. His first wife was Catherine, but they did not have any children. His second wife was Elizabeth Cary. With Elizabeth, he had five sons and three daughters. His oldest surviving son, Thomas Savile, later became the Earl of Sussex.
