Sir John Fagg, 1st Baronet facts for kids

Sir John Fagg, 1st Baronet (born October 4, 1627 – died January 18, 1701) was an English politician. He was a member of the House of Commons of England, which is like today's Parliament, at different times between 1645 and 1701. During the English Civil War, he fought for the Parliamentary side as a colonel in the New Model Army.

Early Life and Education

John Fagg was the son of John Fagg and Elizabeth Hudson (or Hodgson). His family lived in Rye, a town in Sussex, England.

He went to Emmanuel College, Cambridge, a famous university. After that, he studied law at Gray's Inn, which is a place where lawyers are trained.

Political Career and Public Service

Sir John Fagg had a long career serving in the English Parliament. He represented different areas over many years.

Serving in Parliament

Fagg first became a Member of Parliament for Rye. He served in the Long Parliament from 1645 to 1653.

In 1648, he was chosen as one of the leaders for the Sussex Militia. This group was like a local army. In 1649, he bought a large estate called Wiston.

From 1654 to 1659, Fagg was an MP for Sussex. He served in the parliaments during the time when Oliver Cromwell was in charge.

After Cromwell died, Fagg was asked to create a new army group in 1659. He was trying to help Parliament when he was captured by soldiers loyal to the military government.

The Restoration and Later Years

In 1660, Fagg represented Steyning in the Convention Parliament. This Parliament helped bring back the King to England, an event known as the Restoration.

After the King returned, Fagg was forgiven for his actions during the Civil War. On December 11, 1660, he was given the special title of baronet. This meant he became "Sir John Fagg, 1st Baronet, of Wiston."

Fagg continued to represent Steyning in Parliament for a very long time, from 1661 until his death in 1701. In 1681, he was also elected for Sussex. However, that Parliament, called the Oxford Parliament, only lasted a few days.

A Dispute in Parliament

In 1675, Sir John Fagg was involved in a big argument about parliamentary privilege. This is a special rule that protects members of Parliament.

A man named Dr. Thomas Shirley tried to sue Fagg in the House of Lords. The House of Lords is the upper part of Parliament. The House of Commons, where Fagg was a member, said that Shirley's lawsuit was against their special rules.

The two Houses of Parliament argued about this for several days. To stop the argument, King Charles II ended the Parliament for a few months. This showed how important the rules of Parliament were.

Life at Wiston Manor

In the 1690s, Sir John Fagg was raising bullocks on his farm at Wiston manor. He sold these animals in London.

A famous writer named Daniel Defoe visited Fagg at Wiston in 1697. Defoe later wrote about his visit in his book, Tour through England and Wales.

He described seeing very large and fat bullocks that Fagg had raised. This shows that Sir John Fagg was also a successful farmer.

Fagg was still a Colonel in one of the Sussex Militia groups in 1697.

Death and Legacy

Sir John Fagg died on January 18, 1701, when he was 73 years old. At the time of his death, he was the longest-serving member of the House of Commons, known as the Father of the House.

Family Life

Sir John Fagg married Mary Morley first. They had sixteen children together, but only five lived long enough to get married. After Mary died, he married Anne, who was the daughter of Philip Weston.

His eldest son who survived him was Sir Robert Fagge, 2nd Baronet, who took over his title.

Sir John Fagg knew William Penn, who founded the state of Pennsylvania in America. They might have been distant relatives.

In 1702, a large area of land in Pennsylvania was named Faggs Manor to honor Sir John Fagg. A small town there, Faggs Manor, Pennsylvania, still has his name today.