Sir Walter Long, 1st Baronet of Whaddon facts for kids

Sir Walter Long, 1st Baronet of Whaddon (born 1592 – died 15 November 1672) was an important English politician. He lived during a very busy time in England's history, including the English Civil War.

Early Life and Challenges

Walter Long was the second son of Henry Long and Rebecca Bailey. He studied law at Lincoln's Inn. When his father died, Walter didn't inherit any land. However, when his older brother Henry passed away in 1621, Walter inherited the family's large estates. These estates came with many debts.

On 26 December 1621, he married Mary Coxe. By 1623, his debts had grown very large. With help from his father-in-law, he became a Member of Parliament (MP) for Salisbury in 1625. This might have been a way to deal with his money problems. In 1626, he was elected to Parliament again, this time representing Wiltshire.

Standing Up in Parliament

Walter Long was a strong supporter of the House of Commons. He spoke out against accusations that Parliament was not following proper rules. He also played a big part in criticizing the powerful Duke of Buckingham. In his speeches, Long questioned the Duke's religious beliefs.

To try and stop Long from being elected to Parliament in 1628, the King chose him to be the High Sheriff of Wiltshire. This job usually meant you couldn't be an MP. But Long still managed to get a seat for Bath in Somerset. He argued that since Bath was outside Wiltshire, he wasn't breaking the law.

His continued opposition to the Duke of Buckingham led to him being taken to court in October 1628. The court said Long had acted unlawfully by getting elected and had not done his duties as Sheriff.

Facing Trouble and Imprisonment

Hoping to avoid punishment, Long quickly went back to Wiltshire. But he returned to Parliament for the 1629 session. On 2 March, during a very chaotic day, he played a key role. The Speaker, John Finch, was held in his chair to stop him from ending the meeting.

Long and six others were arrested for their actions in the House. He appeared before the King's Bench court. His lawyers and friends tried to get him released, but they were not successful. He was fined 2000 marks (a type of money) and sent to the Tower of London. He was held there until 1633. By this time, his first wife had died.

In 1633, he married Anne Foxe. To pay his large fine, Long had to sell much of his property in Wiltshire. For most of the 1630s, he lived on his second wife's estates in Shropshire. In December 1641, he was elected to the Long Parliament as an MP for Ludgershall, Wiltshire. A Parliament that supported him voted to give him £5,000 as compensation for his "damages, losses, imprisonments and sufferings." However, he was not included in the King's forgiveness in November 1642 because he continued to oppose the court, especially regarding a tax called ship money.

Role in the Civil War

Walter Long was very active in supporting Parliament during the Civil War. After being seriously injured at the Battle of Edgehill, he gathered a group of soldiers on horseback. He also helped organize Parliament's forces in Wiltshire and Shropshire.

He was an important member of a group in the House of Commons called the Presbyterians. He sometimes had very strong disagreements with other members who did not share his views.

In 1647, Long was one of eleven Presbyterian members that the army wanted to remove from Parliament. He escaped to France and joined a group of royalists and other unhappy Parliament members. It's not clear what he did to help the royalist cause while he was abroad. The political situation changed, and he returned to England in late 1659. After the monarchy was restored in 1660, he was given the title of baronet in 1661.

On 2 January 1666, he married his third wife, Anne Cotes. A painting of Long, which was decorated with diamonds, was mentioned in her will, but it is now lost.

Family and Passing

Walter Long had six children from his first marriage. One of his daughters, Rebecca, married Sir Philip Parker, 1st Baronet.

Sir Walter Long died on 15 November 1672 at Whaddon, Wiltshire, where he was later buried. His son, Walter (1627–1710), took over his title. This son died without having any children, so the baronet title ended.

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