Pynsent Chernock facts for kids

Sir Pynsent Chernock (born before 1670 – died 2 September 1734) was an important landowner and politician from Bedfordshire, England. He belonged to the Tory political party. He served as a Member of Parliament (MP) for Bedfordshire twice. His political journey involved winning elections, stepping back, and then trying again.

Early Life and Family

Pynsent Chernock was born sometime before the year 1670. He was the oldest son of Sir Villiers Chernock, who was the 2nd Baronet of Holcot (Hulcote), Bedfordshire. His mother was Anne Pynsent.

He went to school to study law at a place called the Inner Temple in 1684. The next year, in 1685, he joined Queens' College, Cambridge.

In 1691, he married Helen Boteler. They had three sons and five daughters together. Sadly, one son and one daughter passed away during Sir Pynsent's lifetime.

In 1693, he became a burgess of Bedford, which meant he was an important citizen there. When his father died in October 1694, Pynsent became the 3rd Baronet and inherited the family home in Holcot. At the end of 1702, he was chosen to be the High Sheriff of Bedfordshire, a high-ranking local official, but someone else took his place.

First Time in Parliament

Sir Pynsent Chernock first ran for Parliament in 1705 as a member of the Tory party. At that time, the Whig party was very strong in Bedfordshire. However, the Tories had started to gain more support.

Sir Pynsent had help from powerful people like Lord Bruce. He also had support from the High Church group in the area. Many voters chose to vote only for him, which helped him a lot.

Even though another Tory candidate lost, Sir Pynsent Chernock won the most votes. He beat a Whig candidate named Lord Edward Russell.

In the new Parliament, Sir Pynsent voted for William Bromley to become the Speaker. He was known as a Tory but wasn't very active in Parliament. He decided not to run in the 1708 election, and Lord Edward Russell won his seat back.

In 1709, Sir Pynsent sold one of his family's estates. Some people thought he did this to pay for the money he spent during his election campaign. A political rival even said that Sir Pynsent was "always too honest and upright" to trade his country's freedom for a job or money.

Later Political Life

Sir Pynsent Chernock did not run for Parliament again until 1713. By this time, the Whig party in the county was not as strong as before. The Tory party had become more popular and better organized.

Because of this, Sir Pynsent and another Tory candidate won their election. They narrowly beat the Whig candidates. Again, Sir Pynsent was not very active in Parliament. He did help with a bill about roads in Bedfordshire.

In the 1715 election, Sir Pynsent supported Tory candidates in Bedford, but they lost. He himself was defeated in Bedfordshire by a Whig candidate. This loss marked the end of his active political career.

Even after he stopped being a politician, some people thought he might secretly support the Jacobites in 1721. The Jacobites were people who wanted to bring back the old royal family to the throne.

Sir Pynsent Chernock passed away at his home on 2 September 1734. He was buried there. His son then took over his estate and became the next Baronet.