Sir Henry Puckering, 3rd Baronet facts for kids

Sir Henry Puckering, 3rd Baronet (who was known as Newton until 1654) lived from 1618 to 1701. He was an important English royalist and politician during a time of great change in England. A royalist was someone who supported the King, especially during the English Civil War.

Sir Henry Puckering's Life Story

Early Years and the English Civil War

Henry Puckering was born in London and was christened on April 13, 1618. He was the younger son of Sir Adam Newton and Katharine Puckering. When his older brother, Sir William Newton, passed away, Henry inherited his title as a baronet and the family's lands. A baronet is a special title, like a knight, that can be passed down in a family.

In 1631, he joined the Inner Temple, which was a place where people studied to become lawyers. He also earned a Master of Arts (MA) degree from Cambridge University in 1632.

When the First English Civil War began, Henry Puckering supported King Charles I. He even put together a group of soldiers on horseback to fight for the King. He was at the battle of Edgehill, which was one of the first big battles of the war.

However, after the King's army lost the battle of Naseby, Henry tried to make peace with the Parliament, which was the King's opponent. In 1646, he had to pay a large fine of £1,273. The Parliament agreed to accept his payment and forgave him for supporting the King.

In 1648, he was about to join the King's forces again in Essex, but Parliament found out and arrested him. He was only set free after he promised to live quietly in the countryside.

A New Name and Public Service

In 1654, Henry Newton inherited more land and property from his mother's brother, Sir Thomas Puckering. This happened after Sir Thomas's only daughter, Anne, passed away. Because of this inheritance, Henry changed his last name to Puckering. He then moved to Sir Thomas's home, the Priory, Warwick. A famous writer named John Evelyn even visited him there in August of that year.

Henry and his wife were very kind to royalists who had lost their money or homes during the war. These people were called "distressed cavaliers."

When the King was brought back to power in England during the English Restoration, Henry Puckering was given an important job. He became the paymaster-general of the forces, which meant he was in charge of paying the army.

In 1661, he was chosen to be a Member of Parliament (MP) for Warwickshire. An MP is a person elected to represent their area in the country's government. He kept this job for a long time, throughout a period known as the Cavalier Parliament. Later, in 1679, he was elected as an MP for the borough of Warwick.

Henry was also a justice of the peace, which meant he helped keep law and order in his local area. However, some people didn't like him because he was seen as too kind to Roman Catholics, which was a sensitive issue at the time.

In 1691, he gave most of his large collection of books to Trinity College, Cambridge. This gift included important papers written by the famous poet John Milton. Henry even lived at Trinity College for a while after that. He passed away on January 22, 1701, without leaving a will, and was buried in a church in Warwick.

Family and Legacy

Henry Puckering's wife, Lady Puckering, passed away in 1689. Her name was Elizabeth, and she was the daughter of Thomas Murray. She was also the sister of Lady Anne Halkett. Henry Puckering was a very good friend to Lady Halkett. He lent her money before she got married and even fought a duel in a place called Flanders to defend her honor. He was wounded in the hand during this fight. After Lady Puckering died, Henry forgave all the money Lady Halkett owed him.

A writer named Thomas Fuller dedicated a part of his book, Church History, to Henry, who was Henry Puckering's eldest son. Sadly, this son died before his father.

Because Sir Henry Puckering had no children who lived to inherit his title, the baronetcy ended when he died. His property was passed on to his wife's niece, Jane. She was the daughter of Henry Murray and the widow of Sir John Bowyer. After Jane, the property was set to go to Vincent Grantham.