William Lenthall | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Speaker of the House of Commons | |
| In office 26 December 1659[1] – 16 March 1660[1] | |
| Monarch | (Interregnum) |
| Preceded by | William Say (temporary) |
| Succeeded by | Sir Harbottle Grimston |
| In office 7 May 1659[1] – 13 October 1659[1] | |
| Monarch | (Interregnum) |
| Preceded by | Thomas Bampfylde |
| Succeeded by | William Say (temporary during Lenthall's illness) |
| In office 4 September 1654[1] – 22 January 1655[1] | |
| Monarch | (Interregnum) |
| Preceded by | The Rev. Francis Rous |
| Succeeded by | Sir Thomas Widdrington |
| In office 6 August 1647[1] – 20 April 1653[1] | |
| Monarch | Charles I / (Interregnum) |
| Preceded by | Henry Pelham (temporary) |
| Succeeded by | The Rev. Francis Rous |
| In office 3 November 1640[1] – 30 July 1647[1] | |
| Monarch | Charles I |
| Preceded by | Sir John Glanville |
| Succeeded by | Henry Pelham (temporary, during Lenthall's abandonment of the Speakership) |
| Master of the Rolls | |
| In office 1643[1]–1660[1] | |
| Monarch | Charles I / (Interregnum) |
| Commissioner of the Great Seal | |
| In office 1646[1]–1648[1] | |
| Monarch | Charles I |
| Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster | |
| In office 1645[1]–1648[1] | |
| Monarch | Charles I |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1591[1] |
| Died | 3 September 1662[1] |
| Spouse(s) | Elizabeth Evans, by 1619[1] |
| Children | at least 2 sons and 2 daughters[1] |
| Education | St Alban HallUniversity of Oxford, Lincoln's Inn |
William Lenthall (1591–1662) was an English politician of theCivil War period. He served asSpeaker of the House of Commons for a period of almost twenty years, both before and after the execution ofKing Charles I.
He is best remembered for his defiance of the king on 4 January 1642 when Charles entered the chamber of the House of Commons, supported by 400 armed men, in an attempt to seizefive members whom he accused oftreason. When Charles asked Lenthall where the five were, Lenthall famously replied "I have neither eyes to see nor tongue to speak in this place but as this House is pleased to direct me". It was the first time in English history that a speaker of the House of Commons had declared his allegiance to the liberty of parliament rather than the will of the monarch.
Lenthall was born inHenley-on-Thames,Oxfordshire,[2] the second son of William Lenthall (died 1596) and Frances Southwell.[3] His ancestors had migrated fromHerefordshire toOxfordshire in the 15th century. The family wasrecusant underQueen Elizabeth I, but this branch becameProtestant after the early death of Lenthall's father in 1596. Lenthall's mother, Frances (sister of theJesuit priest and poetRobert Southwell),[3] conformed to the established Church.[3]
Lenthall was educated atLord Williams's School inThame. He matriculated atSt Alban Hall, Oxford in 1607 but left in 1609 without taking a degree. He moved toLincoln's Inn and wascalled to the bar in 1616, becoming abencher of the inn in 1633.[3] He built up a successful legal practice, becomingrecorder of Woodstock in 1621, an Oxfordshiremagistrate in 1631, and recorder of Gloucester in 1638.[3]
Lenthall's parliamentary career began in 1624 when he sat asmember forNew Woodstock in Oxfordshire.[3] He failed to be re-elected in 1625,[4] but again represented the constituency during the 1640Short Parliament, on several occasions being called upon to chair grand committees of theHouse on important subjects, includingship money and parliamentary grievances.[3] The Short Parliament was dissolved on 5 May 1640 after only three weeks.
WhenCharles I recalled parliament once more on 4 November 1640, at the start of what became known as theLong Parliament, Lenthall again attended on behalf of New Woodstock.[5] Discovering that his preferred candidate forspeaker,Sir Thomas Gardiner, had failed to be returned, the king reviewed the list of available lawyers and approved Lenthall as the new speaker,[5] a position that Lenthall was to hold for most of the next twenty years.
From the start, Lenthall had his critics.Sir Henry Mildmay criticised him for letting too many speak during a debate, he was accused of partiality and procedural errors, and at one point was made to look foolish over a point of precedence.[5] However, the journal ofSir Simonds d'Ewes (who was not generally supportive) suggests that in the opening months of the Long Parliament Lenthall was very much in control of proceedings.[5]
During 1640 and 1641 Lenthall proved himself a competent speaker. He introduced or codified a variety of procedural rules including the establishment of the duration ofparliamentary privilege before and after sittings, the imposition of a penalty for speaking when another member had the floor, and the rule that while one piece of business was before the House a motion on another could not be made.[5]
By late 1641 Lenthall was finding the House's long sittings physically exhausting and he became increasingly desperate to be relieved of the speakership. He was also concerned about his personal finances, pleading the prospect of financial ruin if he were to continue. In the event, however, he was to remain in post, with only a few gaps, for many more years.[5]
The relationship between the House of Commons andthe king became increasingly fraught during 1641, and at the end of the year Charles launched in theHouse of Lords accusations oftreason againstfive leading members of the Commons.[6] The Commons sat to consider the allegations on 3 January 1642, and held them to be a breach of the House'sprivilege.[6] Provoked, and determined that the Five Members should not escape arrest, Charles decided to go to the House of Commons himself to apprehend them.[6] The next day, 4 January, he arrived in person, accompanied by about 400 armed men, and entered the Commons chamber.[7] Addressing Lenthall, he said "Mr Speaker, I must for a time make bold with your chair". Lenthall vacated it. Calling first for one of the members, and then another, Charles was met with total silence. He asked the speaker where they were. Kneeling, Lenthall responded:[6]
May it please your majesty, I have neither eyes to see nor tongue to speak in this place but as this House is pleased to direct me whose servant I am here; and I humbly beg your majesty's pardon that I cannot give any other answer than this to what your majesty is pleased to demand of me.
It was the first time that a speaker had declared his allegiance to the liberty of parliament rather than the will of the monarch.[6]
The King paused. "'Tis no matter, I think my eyes are as good as another's". He studied the benches for 'a pretty while' then lamented "all my birds have flown". He left the chair and walked out 'in a more discontented and angry passion than he came in',[6] followed by shouts of "Privilege! Privilege!" from the members.[7]
Charles's intended show of strength having failed, he left London less than a week later,[6] and within months the country was plunged into civil war.
Lenthall's defence of his office was acknowledged by the House on 9 April, when it awarded him the sum of £6000.[5] In the last speech that Lenthall delivered to the king he talked of reconciliation, and invited Charles to rid himself of false counsellors.[5]
Parliament continued to sit during thecivil war, acting now without the king's authority. Lenthall remained in the chair, supporting the Parliamentary cause but without much sympathy toward those diehard Protestants who were seeking radical ecclesiastical reform.[8] In November 1642, he argued forcefully that the Commons should send peace proposals to the king.[8]
Lenthall's appointment to a series of high offices during this period brought some relief to his preoccupation with his personal finances. He had already called attention to the inadequacy of his salary and been granted a sum of £6,000,[9] and during the 1640s he becameMaster of the Rolls, acommissioner of the Great Seal, andChancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster.[8] Nevertheless, his worries continued especially since with the coming of war his estates nearOxford were at risk of confiscation by theroyalists.[8] In June 1649 a labourer broke into his London house and stole £1900; he was later caught, tried, and sentenced to hang.[8]
By 1647 popular dissent was growing against the power of theNew Model Army and the oppressions of local committees.[8] The Long Parliament found itself increasingly unpopular, having imposed punitive taxation and chosen a course which had led to slaughter without any identifiable achievement.[10] On 26 July a mob invaded parliament to force it to agree to the army'sSolemn Engagement[11] (its refusal to disband until its grievances were met). The speaker was held in the chair by force[11] and was compelled to put to the vote a resolution inviting the king to London.[11][9]
On 31 July 1647 Lenthall published a personal declaration stating that votes in the Commons had been forced, rendering them void.[8] He declared that he would take himself to the army, and would return only when free to resume his office.[8] Along with fifty-seven other members, eight peers and the speaker of the Lords, he left London.[12] The fugitive members were well received by the soldiers, and they were invited by their commanderLord Fairfax to review 15,000 men onHounslow Heath on 3 August.[12] Fairfax's regiments encircled London the next day, and under his protection Lenthall and the other fugitives were escorted in triumph back to parliament.[12] Lenthall was re-installed in the chair,[8] and all votes passed during his absence were subsequently annulled.[12]
Lenthall sympathized with the Independents in parliament, and was portrayed by royalist newspapers in 1648 as being their tool, plotting to manipulate the House in their interests.[8] But he did not always act as expected, for example using his casting vote in favour of continuing negotiations with the king.[8]
On 6 December 1648, in an event known asPride's Purge, troops of the New Model Army under the command ofColonel Thomas Pride forcibly removed from parliament all those who were not Independents or Army supporters.[8] Lenthall remained silent, and had probably been warned in advance.[8] He was certainly consulted on several occasions by Independent leaders during the December crisis.[8]
The Purge had reduced the Commons to arump of a little over 200hard-line members.[7] Lenthall remained in post during the debates and resolutions that led ultimately toCharles's execution on 30 January 1649, though there is no evidence that he was otherwise active in the events leading up to theregicide.[8] Later he claimed to have sent money to the king at Oxford, and to have helped with the care of the queen and the royal children. He also used his influence, when he thought it safe to do so, to help some royalists, using his casting vote at times to save the lives of some.[9]
In February 1649, the House voted to abolish both theHouse of Peers and themonarchy,[13] and Lenthall found himself speaker of a new supremeunicameral parliament. Though holding little real power, Lenthall as its representative became the leading citizen of England.[14] Although the first to take the engagement of loyalty to the newCommonwealth, he remained cautious and conservative in his approach to public affairs.[14]
In December 1651Oliver Cromwell arranged a meeting at the speaker's house to discuss options for future government.[15] Lenthall, along with the other lawyers present, argued against the idea of a purerepublic and in favour of a mixed constitution incorporating some role for a monarch.[15]
The Rump Parliament had undertaken to dissolve itself "as soon as may possibly stand with the safety of the people".[16] But it failed to do so, and on 20 April 1653 it was forcibly dissolved byCromwell and other leading army officers.[14] Supported byColonel Thomas Harrison and 30 or 40 musketeers, Cromwell ordered the chamber to be cleared.[17] Lenthall once again rose to the occasion, announcing to Harrison that he would not come down unless he was pulled out.[18] Harrison stretched out an arm and Lenthall submitted,[18] doubtless realising the futility of resistance.[14]
Lenthall had become associated with the shortcomings of the Rump, and he found no place in theNominated Assembly that sat between July and December 1653.[14]
TheFirst Protectorate Parliament was summoned in 1654 by Cromwell, in his new role asLord Protector. Lenthall was returned as member forOxfordshire, and on 4 September was once again confirmed as speaker.[19]
In theSecond Protectorate Parliament, summoned by Cromwell on 17 September 1656,[20] Lenthall was again returned as member for Oxfordshire,[19] but this time was not selected as speaker.[9] He nevertheless took a full part in the proceedings, being the senior member on the committee charged with settling the new constitutional arrangements.[19] He was supportive of the Protector and was rewarded—after some agitation on his part—with a seat in Cromwell's newOther House, taking up his place as Lord Lenthall 10 December 1657.[19]
After the death of Oliver Cromwell on 3 September 1658 his sonRichard Cromwell succeeded him as Lord Protector. The Protectorate rapidly collapsed, and on 6 May 1659 Lenthall was visited by senior army officers who asked him to help with the revival of the Rump Parliament, and to return as speaker.[21] Lenthall was reluctant to give up his seat in the Other House[22] and pleaded ill health, but when he was bypassed and parliament summoned without his aid he felt himself obliged to resume his role as speaker the following day.[21]
Lenthall now presided over a revived parliament of only 78 members,[23] and in spite of his parallel role as head of the army, division between parliament and the army deepened.[21] On 12 October 1659 the army surrounded and occupied the precincts of the House, and for a night and a day a stand-off with the parliamentary defenders ensued. Lenthall himself was denied access by the blockading soldiers, and had to turn back. To his remonstrance that he was their general, the soldiers replied that they would have known him as such had he marched before them onWinnington Bridge.[24]
But the army leaders themselves were unclear whether their latest coup was intended to bring down the restored Rump or merely to bring it to terms.[25] Lenthall began to manoeuvre away from the republicans, and in November was reported to have been in touch withGeneral George Monck[21] who was actively working against factions within the army that opposed the Rump. The situation had completely changed by 24 December when Lenthall was approached at home and his permission sought, as head of the army, for troops to parade inLincoln's Inn Fields.[26] Soldiers who had earlier refused to recognise Lenthall's authority now marched to his house to acclaim him with shouts and a volley of shots.[26]
He arranged a sitting of the restored Rump on 26 December 1659 with only 42 members present,[27] but then absented himself from the House for ten days pleadinggout (probably to avoid taking the oath abjuring theHouse of Stuart, sought by the republicans in Parliament).[21] By February 1660, Lenthall was fully co-operating with Monck and had broken completely with the republicans.[21]
On 16 March 1660 The Rump Parliament voted to dissolve itself, bringing Lenthall's long period of speakerships to a close[1] and clearing the way for Monck to organise fresh elections for theConvention Parliament.[21] Lenthall was active in bringing about the Restoration, with his advice and service, but found himself out of favour.[9] Monck lobbied to have Lenthall elected forOxford University, but without success.[21]
Thenew parliament met for the first time on 25 April 1660 and on 8 May proclaimed thatKing Charles II had retrospectively been the lawful monarch since the execution ofCharles I on 30 January 1649. Lenthall sent £3,000 to the new king, seeking to retain the Mastership of the Rolls, but was told it had been allocated elsewhere.[21]
Lenthall was at risk of being put on trial by the new regime for some of his acts during theinterregnum, and he was strongly denounced byWilliam Prynne.[21] Ultimately, however, he was merely barred by theAct of Indemnity and Oblivion 1660 from further public office for life.[21] The act mentioned him by name as being exempt from its indemnity provisions if he ever again were to accept public office.[28]
On 12 October 1660 he gave evidence at the trial of theregicideThomas Scot, swearing that Scot had spoken in parliament in favour of executing the king; an act that disgusted many in the light of his famous defence of parliamentary privilege in 1642.[21]
Lenthall retired toBurford,Oxfordshire, where he died on 3 September 1662;[1] he was buried at the church there.[21] On his deathbed he made a confession: "I confess with Saul, I held their clothes whilst they murdered him, but herein I was not so criminal as Saul was, for God, thou knowest, I never consented to his death". He requested that his only epitaph should beVermis sum ("I am a worm").[21] His only surviving son was the politicianJohn Lenthall (1624 or 1625 – 1681).[29]
By 1619 Lenthall had married Elizabeth Evans (died April 1662),[21] daughter of Ambrose Evans ofLoddington, Northamptonshire,[1] by his wife Lettice Symonds ofCley Next the Sea,Norfolk.
William Lenthall had two chief residences,Burford Priory in Oxfordshire (still standing) and Besselsleigh Manor in Berkshire (now Oxfordshire). In 1637, he had purchased Burford fromLord Falkland.[30] Lenthall was one of the overseers of the will ofSir Lawrence Tanfield, Lord Falkland's grandfather, and had married into Tanfield's second wife's family.[31] The house remained in the Lenthall family until 1828.[32]
Lenthall had an extensivecollection of paintings, some being family portraits and some that may have been at Burford when he purchased it. He may also have acquired paintings from theRoyal collection following the execution ofCharles I.[33] The collection was sold by the family in 1833.
Lenthall has always been a figure who has divided opinion. In his early career, opponents frequently targeted him for perceived personal shortcomings and weaknesses as speaker. However, theOxford Dictionary of National Biography contends that these criticisms do not stand up to scrutiny.[34] His actions during this time demonstrate a clear commitment to upholding the authority of his office and contributing to parliamentary procedure.[34]
On the other hand, his conservative outlook and adherence to tradition have been interpreted as evidence of a limited political vision.[34] Allegations of self-serving corruption also surfaced repeatedly, casting a shadow over his reputation. While many of these accusations originated from those with grievances, and could be difficult to substantiate, they cannot be entirely dismissed.[19][34]
Lenthall's enduring legacy is shaped by his resolute defiance of Charles I in January 1642.[34]
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Speaker of the House of Commons 1640–1647 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Speaker of the House of Commons 1647–1653 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Speaker of the House of Commons 1654–1655 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Speaker of the House of Commons 1659–1660 | Succeeded by |
| International | |
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| National | |
| Other | |
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