Peregrine Bertie (MP for Lincolnshire) facts for kids

Sir Peregrine Bertie (c. 1584–1639) was an English soldier and landowner from Lincolnshire during the time of King James I. He was elected to Parliament in 1614, helped improve land in his area, and fought in several wars in Europe. He and his older brother, Lord Willoughby, often had disagreements with Lord Norreys.

Early Life and Education

Peregrine was the second son of a famous soldier named Peregrine Bertie, 13th Baron Willoughby de Eresby. He started studying at Corpus Christi College, Cambridge in 1594. In 1599, he traveled to France.

When his father passed away in 1601, Peregrine inherited a large house in Norfolk and a property in London called Willoughby House. He later studied law at the Middle Temple starting in 1605.

Working for the Prince

In 1610, Peregrine Bertie began working for Prince Henry, who was the king's son. On June 2nd, he was made a Knight of the Bath. This was a special honor given when Prince Henry was officially named Prince of Wales.

Later that year, Peregrine had a serious disagreement with Lord Norreys. Lord Norreys was known for arguing with Peregrine's brother, Lord Willoughby. Peregrine was badly hurt in his shoulder during this conflict. By 1611, both Peregrine and his brother were serving as officers in the Dutch Army.

Parliament and Later Conflicts

In 1612, Peregrine became a member of the Virginia Company, which was involved in setting up colonies in America. He also traveled to Spa that year to improve his health.

Prince Henry died at the end of 1612. In the autumn of 1613, Peregrine went abroad again and had another disagreement with Lord Norreys. This made King James very unhappy.

In 1614, Peregrine ran for Parliament in Lincolnshire against Sir Thomas Monson. Peregrine won and became a representative for the area in what was known as the Addled Parliament. We don't have many records of what he did there.

By the end of 1614, Peregrine became very ill, and there were rumors that he might die. This gave Lord Norreys a chance to try and make peace with him. However, their peace didn't last long, as they were arguing again by the autumn of 1615.

Family and Other Activities

By this time, Peregrine had married Margaret (who passed away in 1642). She was the daughter of Sir Nicholas Saunderson, 1st Baronet. They had three sons: Robert, Peregrine, and Nicholas. They also had three daughters: Mildred (who married Robert Levinz), Sophia, and Elizabeth (who married Francis Barnard).

In 1619, Peregrine joined the Amazon Company, which was trying to start a colony in Guyana. He was also appointed a gamekeeper for the Ancaster heath in Ancaster. In 1620, he offered to join a group led by Sir Horace Vere to help the Palatinate in Europe, but he didn't actually go. The next year, he became a justice of the peace for the Parts of Lindsey area.

Military Service and Land Work

In 1624, Bertie was appointed to a special group dealing with recusants (people who refused to attend Church of England services) in Lincolnshire. That same year, he and Lord Willoughby went to the Netherlands to fight against the Spanish.

The next year, he was made a major in the army. While he was abroad, he was also appointed to several groups working on improving land in Lincolnshire, such as the Deeping Fen and the River Glen.

He was later called back and made a colonel, leading a regiment in the difficult Île de Ré expedition. This was his last military campaign. After this, he returned to working on draining the fens (marshy lands). This work sometimes caused disagreements with the Bishop of Ely.

In 1634, he became a freeman of Boston, Lincolnshire. In 1635, he was appointed a commissioner for swans, which involved counting and marking swans. Sir Peregrine Bertie died in 1639 from gout and was buried on November 13th at St Giles in the Fields.