Sir Samuel Barnardiston, 1st Baronet facts for kids
Sir Samuel Barnardiston (born 1620, died 1707) was an important English politician. He was a member of Parliament for the Whig party. He also helped lead the East India Company, which was a big trading company. Sir Samuel was involved in some famous legal cases and a very close election.
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Early Life and Business
Samuel Barnardiston was born on June 23, 1620. He was the third son of Sir Nathaniel Barnardiston. When he was young, in 1640, he joined London apprentices in protests at Westminster. These protests were about a new leader for the Tower of London.
A story says that Queen Henrietta Maria saw Samuel and his friends with their short haircuts. She called out, "See what a handsome young Roundhead is there!" This is how the word Roundhead might have started, describing people who supported Parliament during the English Civil War.
Samuel became a merchant, trading goods from the Middle East. He lived in Smyrna (now Izmir, Turkey) in 1649 and 1650. He worked for the Levant Company and became very rich. He did not fight in the civil wars. Instead, he spent time in Suffolk. He bought a large estate in Brightwell, near Ipswich, and built a big house called Brightwell Hall.
In 1660, Samuel welcomed the return of the king, known as the Restoration. He was given a special honor called a knighthood. In 1663, he became a baronet, which is another special title. He also served as the High Sheriff of Suffolk in 1666–67.
The Skinner's Case
Sir Samuel was on the committee of the East India Company starting in 1661. From 1668 to 1670, he was a deputy-governor. During this time, he became well-known because of a case called Skinner's Case.
A merchant named Thomas Skinner said the East India Company had taken his ships. He said they broke the rules about trading in India. Skinner asked the House of Lords for help, and they told the company to pay him £5,000.
Sir Samuel, representing the East India Company, then complained to the House of Commons. The Commons decided that the House of Lords' actions were against the law. The House of Lords then called Sir Samuel to explain himself. They said he had insulted them. He refused to say he was guilty. So, they fined him £300 and put him in prison until he paid.
Parliament stopped meeting that day. Sir Samuel refused to pay and stayed in prison. He was suddenly released later without explanation. When Parliament met again, Sir Samuel told the House of Commons what had happened. The Commons said the Lords' actions against him were wrong and took away their rights. The two Houses argued for a while. Finally, the king suggested they both remove the records of the argument from their books. Both Houses agreed.
Political Challenges
In 1672, a spot opened up in Parliament for Suffolk. Sir Samuel Barnardiston was chosen by the Whigs to run. This election was very important. People who disagreed with the official church and business owners supported Sir Samuel. He won by 78 votes.
However, the sheriff of Suffolk, Sir William Soame, liked the other candidate. He said he was unsure about some of Sir Samuel's supporters' right to vote. So, he sent a "double return" to the House of Commons. This meant he listed both candidates and let the House decide who won.
The Election Lawsuit
Both candidates asked the House of Commons to declare them the winner. After looking into it, Sir Samuel was officially declared elected and took his seat. But Sir Samuel wasn't finished. He sued the sheriff, Soame, in court. He said the sheriff had acted unfairly. Soame was arrested.
The case went to court in 1674. The first judge decided in favor of Sir Samuel and awarded him £800. But the case was then moved to a higher court. There, six out of eight judges changed the decision.
In 1689, Sir Samuel brought the case to the House of Lords. By this time, Sheriff Soame had died, so his widow was the defendant. The House of Lords heard both sides. In the end, they agreed with the higher court's decision. This final decision was very important. It meant that only the House of Commons could decide who won elections and how election officials behaved.
This case was seen as a political fight at the time. A historian named Roger North, who supported the other side, wrote about it. He said Sir Samuel tried to get support from "the crowd" and was too harsh on Soame.
Later Political Career
Because of these events, Sir Samuel's seat in Parliament was safe for many years. He was elected for Suffolk many more times, from 1678 to 1701. He always supported the Whig party.
In 1681, he was part of a jury that decided not to charge the Earl of Shaftesbury with treason. In 1683, he spoke out against what happened after the Rye House Plot was discovered. This plot was a plan to kill the king.
However, on February 28, 1684, Sir Samuel was put on trial himself. He was accused of writing letters that criticized the king and government officials. These letters were sent to friends and contained comments about important people. George Jeffreys, who was involved in the case, was the judge. He told the jury to find Sir Samuel guilty.
Sir Samuel was fined £10,000. He refused to pay and was put in prison until June 1688. He then paid £6,000 and was released after promising to pay the rest. In 1689, the House of Lords reviewed the whole case and overturned Jeffreys's decision.
Sir Samuel did not speak much in Parliament. But he was known for being good with money. In 1690, he was chosen to be part of a group that checked public spending. This group found many frauds and helped to manage government money better.
In 1691, he had an argument with Sir Josiah Child, who was the governor of the East India Company. This argument was about politics. Sir Samuel then left the company's management and took out his investments.
Sir Samuel retired from Parliament in 1702 when he was 82 years old. He died on November 8, 1707, in London.
Family Life
Sir Samuel Barnardiston was married twice. His first wife was Thomasine Brand. His second wife was Mary Reynardson. He did not have any children.
His nephew, also named Samuel, took over his title and estate. This nephew died in 1710. Another nephew, Pelatiah, became the third baronet but died a few years later. When the fourth baronet, Nathaniel, died in 1712, the special title of baronet for the Barnardiston family ended. Sir Samuel's house, Brightwell Hall, was taken down in 1753.
