| Sir Arthur Ingram | |
|---|---|
| Member of Parliament for York | |
| In office 1624–1629 |
|
| Personal details | |
| Born | ca. 1565 York |
| Died | 1642 |
| Residence | Yorkshire |
Sir Arthur Ingram (ca. 1565 – 1642) was an English investor, landowner and politician who sat in the House of Commons between 1624 and 1642. Responsible for the construction, purchase and sale of many manor houses and estates in Yorkshire, the Ingram family are most associated with Temple Newsam which became the seat of the wealthy family for over 300 years.
Ingram was born at Thorpe-on-the-Hill (near Leeds)[1] some time between 1565 and 1570. The second son of Hugh Ingram of Rothwell and Ann Goldthorpe of York, he came from a poor working-class background to become the most extensive landowner in Yorkshire and one of the richest men in the country at the time.[2] He became a linen draper in London and married Anne, the daughter of a wealthy haberdasher, Richard Goldthorpe, formerly Lord Mayor of York and the MP for the city.[3][1]
He was an influential man, and obtained the Controllership of the Customs for the port of London from 1601. He worked extensively as an investment consultant and trade advisor and later moved into real estate.[2] He was responsible for the sale of Castleford Mills in 1607 and Castleford Manor in 1610.[2]
In 1612, Ingram was appointed as Secretary of the Council of the North and was knighted by James I in 1613.[1][2] In 1615 he became Cofferer of the Household.[2][4] However, he was soon blackballed from court because of his working-class background and shrewd business practices.[4] He moved back to Yorkshire and became highly active in real estate development.[2][5][6]
In 1619 he built a new mansion on the site of the former Archbishop's Palace in York.[2] In 1621 he acquired from the Crown the ruinous Sheriff Hutton Castle in the Forest of Galtres, north of York; he employed its cut stone in building Sheriff Hutton Park nearby. In 1622 he purchased the manor house at Temple Newsam and estate from the Duke of Lennox (who had been granted it by King James I) for £12,000.[7][8]Temple Newsam is a Tudor-Jacobean house with grounds landscaped by Capability Brown and lies to the east of Leeds, just south of Halton Moor, Halton, Whitkirk and Colton. As Ingram became more prosperous, his power and ties increased.
Ingram served as High Sheriff of Yorkshire in 1620 and became the Member of Parliament (MP) for York in 1624 and served four terms until 1629 when King Charles I dispensed with parliament.[9]
In 1636, Ingram purchased the Manor of Knottingley for £4,000, and in 1637 he bought Knottingley Mills from Francis Tyndall[2] as well as the manor of Bentley from York barrister John Levett for £4,000.[10][11] Sometime in late 1638 or early 1639 he is documented as having paid the painter George Geldorp to paint his portrait.[4] In the late 1630s he also built Ingram House in Bootham.[1]
In April 1640, Ingram was elected MP for Windsor for the Short Parliament and in November 1640, he became the MP for Callington for the Long Parliament.[9] He erected a new manor house at Hill Top, Knottingley shortly before his death in August 1642.[2]
Ingram was survived by three sons; the oldest, William, studied at Cambridge University and became a divine.[12]His flamboyant grandson Henry joined the court in exile of Charles II and was rewarded with the title of Viscount of Irvine after the Restoration.[13][8]
| Parliament of England | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Alderman Askwith |
Member of Parliament for York 1624-1629 With: Sir Thomas Savile 1628 Thomas Hoyle 1628-1629 |
Succeeded by Parliament suspended until 1640 |
| Preceded by Parliament suspended since 1629 |
Member of Parliament for Windsor 1640 With: Sir Richard Harrison |
Succeeded by Cornelius Holland Richard Winwood |
| Preceded by Samuel Rolle Thomas Gardiner |
Member of Parliament for Callington 1640-1642 With: Hon. George Fane |
Succeeded by Lord Clinton Thomas Dacres |