Sir Henry Bedingfield (about 9 December 1632 – 6 February 1687) was an English barrister, who was briefly Chief Justice of the Common Pleas at the end of his life.
Henry Bedingfield was the son of John Bedingfield (1595–1680) of Halesworth, Suffolk and nephew of Sir Thomas Bedingfield. He was educated at Norwich Grammar School, and was admitted to Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge in 1650.[1] He also entered Lincoln's Inn that year, and was called to the bar in 1657. The following year he was made a freeman of Dunwich, enabling him to bs elected to the Convention Parliament in 1660. He did not seek re-election subsequently, preferring to concentrate on his legal practice.
In 1683, he presented an address from Dunwich, abhorring the Rye House Plot. That November he became a bencher of Lincoln's Inn and became a serjeant at law in the following January, and a King's Serjeant in the following November. Following the scuccession of James II, he was elected a MP for Aldeburgh. In February 1686 he was appointed as a justice of common pleas and in April as Chief Justice of the Common Pleas. However, he died suddenly in the following February.
| Parliament of England | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Unknown |
MP for Dunwich 1660 with Sir John Rous |
Succeeded by Richard Coke Sir John Rous |
| Preceded by John Bence John Corrance |
MP for Aldeburgh 1685-1687 with John Bence |
Succeeded by Sir Henry Johnson William Johnson |
| Legal offices | ||
| Preceded by Sir Thomas Jones |
Chief Justice of the Common Pleas 1686-1687 |
Succeeded by Sir Edward Herbert |