John Glynne (judge)

Sir John Glynne KS (1602 – 15 November 1666) was a Welsh lawyer of the Commonwealth and Restoration periods, who rose to become Lord Chief Justice of the Upper Bench, under Oliver Cromwell. He sat in the House of Commons at various times between 1640 and 1660.

Contents

Early life

John Glynne was born in 1603 at Glynllifon, Carnarvonshire, the eldest son[1] of Sir William Glynne of Glynllifon, a very ancient family descended from Cilmin Droed-tu, one of the 15 tribes of North Wales,[2] by Jane, da. of John Griffith of Carnarvon.[3] Glynne was educated at Westminster School and Hart Hall, Oxford, where he matriculated 9 Nov. 1621, aged 18.[4] He entered Lincoln's Inn on 27 January 1620 and was called to the Bar on 24 June 1628.[5]

Career

In April 1640, Glynne was elected Member of Parliament for Westminster in the Short Parliament. He was re-elected MP for Westminster for the Long Parliament in November 1640.[6] His first major parliamentary triumph was the summing-up of the case against the Earl of Strafford, and he enjoyed a successful career during the commonwealth, becoming a serjeant-at-law, judge of assize, and finally Lord Chief Justice of the Upper Bench, and was a member of the Committee of Both Kingdoms.[5] However, his Presbyterianism put him out of favour of with the army, and he was expelled from Parliament in 1647 and imprisoned in the Tower for almost a year. He was counsel for the University of Cambridge from 1647 to 1660.[7] He returned to Parliament for Caernarvonshire from 1654 to 1655 in the First Protectorate Parliament. In 1656 he was elected MP for both Carnarvonshire and Flintshire in the Second Protectorate Parliament and chose to sit for Flintshire.[6][8] He was nominated and accepted a seat in Cromwell's Other House.[9]

In the later years of the Protectorate, Glynne resigned his legal offices and turned to favour the Restoration. He was returned again for Caernarvonshire in the Convention Parliament, and was knighted on 16 November 1660, and shortly thereafter made Prime Serjeant.

Death and Succession

He died at his home in London on 15 November 1666, and was buried on 27 November at St Margaret's Church, Westminster, in his own vault under the altar.[10] He left his estate of Hawarden in Flintshire (which he had bought in 1654) to his son Sir William Glynne, 1st Baronet;[5] his estates at Henley-by-Normandy and Pirbright in Surrey descended to his son John by his second marriage.[11]

Family

Glynne married firstly Frances Squib, eldest daughter of Arthur Squib. Glynne purchased Henley Manor,[12] Normandy, Surrey from Squib, whom he assisted through his influence to the positions of Clarenceux Herald and Teller of the Exchequer. They had the following children, 2 sons & 5 daughters:[13]

He married secondly Anne Manning, da. & co-heiress of John Manning of London & Cralle, Sussex, relict of Sir Thomas Lawley, Bt., of Cornwall. They had the following children:

Sources

References

  1. ^ Variously given also as 2nd son & £rd son (the latter by Alumni Oxonienses 1500-1714 Abannan-Kyte, 1891
  2. ^ Betham's Baronetage of England, taken from The Genealogy of the Ancient and Worthy Family of Glynne said to be in possession of J. Glynne, Barrister in 1741
  3. ^  "Glynne, John". Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co. 1885–1900. 
  4. ^ a b Alumni Oxonienses
  5. ^ a b c Jenkins
  6. ^ a b Browne Willis Notitia parliamentaria, or, An history of the counties, cities, and boroughs in England and Wales: ... The whole extracted from mss. and printed evidences 1750 pp229-239
  7. ^ Glynne
  8. ^ W R Williams The Parliamentary History of the Principality of Wales
  9. ^ Noble, 390
  10. ^ Betham's Baronetage, vol.2, pp.258-262
  11. ^ Both these manors were subsequently sold by Earl Tylney in 1739.
  12. ^ Victoria County History, Surrey, vol.3, (1911) pp.340-344, Ash Parish
  13. ^ Betham, William. The Baronetage of England, vol.2, pp.258-262, item 151, Glynne of Bisseter, Oxon
  14. ^ Victoria County History, Surrey, vol.3, Pirbright, pp.363-365
  15. ^ Surrey Archives G30/2/4; www.exploringsurreyspast.org
Parliament of England
Preceded by
Parliament suspended since 1629
Member of Parliament for Westminster
1640-1648
With: William Bell
Succeeded by
Not represented in Rump Parliament
Preceded by
Not represented in Barebones Parliament
Member of Parliament for Carnarvonshire
1654-1656
With: Thomas Madryn
Succeeded by
Henry Lawrence
Robert Williams
Preceded by
John Trevor
Andrew Ellice
Member of Parliament for Flintshire
1656
With: John Trevor
Succeeded by
John Trevor
Preceded by
Unknown
Member of Parliament for Caernarvonshire
1660–1661
Succeeded by
Sir Richard Wynn
Legal offices
Preceded by
Henry Rolle
Lord Chief Justice
1655–1660
Succeeded by
Sir Richard Newdigate