Laurence Braddon facts for kids

Laurence Braddon (died 29 November 1724) was an English politician and writer. He strongly believed that Arthur Capell, 1st Earl of Essex was murdered. Braddon faced serious consequences for trying to prove this murder.

Early Life and Career

Laurence Braddon was the second son of William Braddon. His family came from Treworgy, a place in St Gennys, Cornwall, England. He chose to study law at the Inner Temple, which is a professional association for lawyers in London.

In 1681, Braddon was recognized for his knowledge and elected as a Fellow of the Royal Society. This was a great honor, showing he was a respected scholar and thinker of his time.

Investigating a Mysterious Death

In 1683, a nobleman named Arthur Capell, 1st Earl of Essex died while held in the Tower of London. Many people, including Laurence Braddon, believed the Earl of Essex had been murdered, not that he had taken his own life. Braddon was determined to find out the truth.

He started looking for clues and evidence in London. He even heard a rumor that news of the Earl's death was known in Marlborough very early, perhaps even before it officially happened. Braddon quickly traveled there to investigate this lead.

Facing Legal Trouble

When the government found out about Braddon's investigations, they arrested him. He was accused of trying to spread the idea that the Earl of Essex was murdered. He was also accused of trying to get people to say they saw things that would support this idea.

In 1684, Braddon was put on trial. He was found responsible for trying to prove the murder and spreading these beliefs. He was ordered to pay a large fine of 1,000 pounds. He also had to promise to behave well for the rest of his life.

Braddon was sent to prison and stayed there for five years. He was finally set free when William III came to England, which changed the political situation.

Later Life and Writings

After his release from prison, Laurence Braddon continued his legal career. In 1693, he officially became a lawyer. Two years later, in 1695, he got a job as a solicitor for the wine license office. This job paid him 100 pounds a year.

Braddon passed away on Sunday, November 29, 1724.

Most of Laurence Braddon's writings were about the death of the Earl of Essex. He wrote several books and pamphlets trying to prove the Earl was murdered. Some of his notable works include:

• "Enquiry into and Detection of the Barbarous Murther of the late Earl of Essex" (1689)
• "Essex's Innocency and Honour vindicated" (1690)
• "Murther will out" (1692)
• "True and Impartial Narrative of the Murder of Arthur, Earl of Essex" (1729)

He also wrote a book called "Bishop Burnet's late History charg'd with great Partiality and Misrepresentation" (1725). In this book, he disagreed with how Bishop Burnet described the Earl of Essex's death in his own history book.

Besides his writings on the Earl of Essex, Braddon also wrote about other topics. He published books about the rules for the Company of Watermen and Lightermen, which were groups of people who worked on boats. He also wrote about helping poor people. In his work "The Miseries of the Poor are a National Sin, Shame, and Danger" (1717), he suggested creating groups to help the poor and encourage arts and crafts.