Francis Cottington, 1st Baron Cottington (c. 1579 – 1652) was theEnglish lord treasurer and ambassador and leader of the pro-Spanish, pro-Roman Catholic faction in the court ofCharles I.
He was the fourth son of Philip Cottington of Godmanstone, now Godminster near Bruton[1] inSomerset. According toHoare, his mother was Jane, daughter of Thomas Biflete, but according toClarendon, "a Stafford nearly allied to Sir Edward Stafford", through whom he was recommended toSir Charles Cornwallis, ambassador to the court ofPhilip III of Spain, becoming a member of his suite and acting as English agent on the latter's recall, from 1609 to 1611.[2]
In 1612 he was appointed English consul atSeville.[3] Returning to England, he was made a clerk of the council in September 1613. His Spanish experience rendered him useful toKing James, and his bias in favour of Spain was always marked. He seemed to have promoted the Spanish policy from the first, and pressed onDiego Sarmiento de Acuña, conde de Gondomar, the Spanish ambassador, the proposal for the Spanish in opposition to theFrench marriage for Prince Charles (later King Charles I).[2]
In 1616 he went as ambassador to Spain, transferring in 1618 the proposal of mediation by James I in the dispute withFrederick V, Elector Palatine.[2][3]
After his return he was appointed secretary to Prince Charles in October 1622, and wasknighted and made abaronet in 1623.[4] He strongly disapproved of the prince's expedition to Spain, as an adventure likely to upset the whole policy of marriage and alliance, but was overruled and chosen to accompany him. His opposition greatly incensedGeorge Villiers, 1st Duke of Buckingham,[5] and still more his perseverance in the Spanish policy after the failure of the expedition, and on Charles I's accession Cottington was through his means dismissed from all his employments and forbidden to appear at court. The duke's assassination, however, enabled him to return.[2]
He was a Roman Catholic at least at heart, becoming a member of that communion in 1623, returning toProtestantism, and again declaring himself a Roman Catholic in 1636, and supporting the cause of the Roman Catholics in England.[6] On 12 November 1628 he was made aprivy councillor, and in March 1629 appointedchancellor of the exchequer.[3] In the autumn he was again sent as ambassador to Spain; he signed thepeace treaty of Madrid of 5 November 1630 and subsequently a secret agreement arranging for the partition of theDutch Republic between Spain and England in return for the restoration of the Palatinate. On 10 July 1631 he was created Baron Cottington of Hanworth inMiddlesex.[2]
In March 1635 he was appointed master of theCourt of Wards and Liveries, and his exactions in this office added greatly to the unpopularity of the government. He was also appointed a commissioner for theTreasury, together withWilliam Laud, and a fierce rivalry sprang up between the two men. However, in their personal encounters Cottington nearly always had the advantage, because he practised great reserve and possessed great powers of self-command, an extraordinary talent for dissembling, and a fund of humour. Laud completely lacked these qualities, and although really possessing much greater influence with Charles, he was often embarrassed and sometimes exposed to ridicule by his opponent.[2]
The aim of Cottington's ambition was the place of lord treasurer, but Laud finally triumphed and secured it for his own nominee,Bishop Juxon, when Cottington became "no more a leader but meddled with his particular duties only."[7] He continued, however, to take a large share in public business and served on the committees for foreign,Irish, andScottish affairs. In the last, appointed in July 1638, he supported the war, and in May 1640, after the dismissal of theShort Parliament, he declared it his opinion that at such a crisis the king might levy money without theParliament. His attempts to get funds from theCity of London were unsuccessful, and he had recourse instead to a speculation inpepper.[2]
He had been appointed constable of theTower, and he now prepared the fortress for asiege. In the trial ofStrafford in 1641, Cottington denied on oath that he had heard him use the incriminating words about "reducing this kingdom". When the parliamentary opposition became too strong to be any longer defied, Cottington, as one of those who had chiefly incurred their hostility, hastened to retire from the administration, giving up the court of wards in May 1641 and the chancellorship of the exchequer in January 1642.[3] He rejoined the king in 1643, took part in the proceedings of theOxford Parliament, and was madelord treasurer on 3 October 1643. He signed the surrender of Oxford in July 1646, and being excepted from the indemnity retired abroad.[2]
He joined Prince Charles atthe Hague in 1648, and became one of his counsellors. In 1649, together withEdward Hyde, Cottington went on a mission to Spain to obtain help for the royal cause, having an interview withCardinal Mazarin atParis on the way. They met, however, with an extremely ill reception, and Cottington found he had completely lost his popularity at the Spanish court, one cause being his shortcomings and waverings in the matter of religion. He announced his intention of remaining in Spain and of keeping faithful to Roman Catholicism, and took up his residence atValladolid,[8] where he was maintained by theJesuits. He died there on 19 June 1652, his body being subsequently buried inWestminster Abbey.[2][9][10][11]
He had amassed a large fortune and built two magnificent houses atHanworth nearHeathrow andFonthill nearTisbury, Wiltshire. Cottington was evidently a man of considerable ability, but the foreign policy he pursued was opposed to the national interests and futile in itself. According to Clarendon's verdict "he left behind him a greater esteem of his parts than love of his person."[2]
He married in 1623 Anne, a daughter of Sir William Meredith and the widow of Sir Robert Brett. Lord and Lady Cottington are buried inWestminster Abbey.[12] All his children predeceased him, and his title became extinct at his death.[2]
Francis Cottington.
This article incorporates text from a publication now in thepublic domain: Yorke, Philip Chesney (1911). "Cottington, Francis Cottington, Baron". InChisholm, Hugh (ed.).Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 7 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 254. This cites:
| Parliament of England | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Member of Parliament forCamelford 1624–1625 With:Edward Hare | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Member of Parliament forBossiney 1625 With:Jonathan Prideaux | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Member of Parliament forSaltash 1628–1629 With:Sir Richard Buller | Parliament suspended until 1640 |
| Political offices | ||
| Preceded by | Chancellor of the Exchequer 1629–1642 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Vice-Admiral of Dorset 1640–1642 | Vacant Title next held by John Arthur |
| Lord Lieutenant of Dorset 1640–1641 | Succeeded by | |
| Custos Rotulorum of Dorset 1640–1646 Served alongside:Hon. Denzil Holles The Earl of Bristol | Vacant Title next held by The Earl of Bristol | |
| In commission The Lord Lyttleton of Mounslow as First Lord Title last held by The Bishop of London | Lord High Treasurer 1643–1646 | In commission Edward Hyde as First Lord Title next held by The Earl of Southampton |
| Peerage of England | ||
| New creation | Baron Cottington 1631–1652 | Extinct |
| Baronetage of England | ||
| New creation | Baronet (of Hanworth) 1623–1652 | Extinct |
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