Sir Norton Knatchbull, 1st Baronet

Sir Norton Knatchbull, 1st Baronet (26 December 1602 – 3 February 1685)[1] was an English politician who sat in the House of Commons at various times between 1640 and 1679.

Knatchbull was born at Mersham Hatch in Kent, the second son of Thomas Knatchbull and his wife Eleanor Astley, daughter of John Astley.[2] In April 1640, Knatchbull was elected Member of Parliament for Kent in the Short Parliament. He was elected MP for New Romney for the Long Parliament in November 1640.[3] He sat until 1648 when he was excluded under Pride's Purge.[4]

In April 1660, Knatchbull was re-elected MP for New Romney in the Convention Parliament. He was re-elected MP for New Romney again in 1661 for the Cavalier Parliament and sat until 1679.[5] Knatchbull was knighted[4] and on 4 August 1641, he was created a Baronet, of Mersham Hatch, in the County of Kent.[6]

Knatchbull married firstly Dorothy Westtrow, daughter of Thomas Westtrow on 22 October 1630, and had by her three sons.[7] He married secondly Dorothy Steward, widow of Sir Edward Steward and daughter of Sir Robert Honyewood at St Martin-in-the-Fields outside London on 27 November 1662.[7] Knatchbull died aged 83 and was buried in Mersham Hatch.[4] He was succeeded in the baronetcy successiveley by his sons John and Thomas.[6]

The Norton Knatchbull School, situated in Ashford is a grammar school that was founded by him.[8]

References

  1. ^ "Leigh Rayment - Baronetage". http://www.leighrayment.com/baronetage/baronetsK.htm. Retrieved 11 July 2009. 
  2. ^ Debrett, John (1824). Debrett's Baronetage of England. vol. I (5th ed.). London: G. Woodfall. pp. 157. 
  3. ^ 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
  4. ^ a b c Kimber, Edward (1771). Richard Johnson. ed. The Baronetage of England: Containing a Genealogical and Historical Account of All the English Baronets. vol. I. London: Thomas Wotton. pp. 401–402. 
  5. ^ "Leigh Rayment - British House of Commons, New Romney". http://www.leighrayment.com/commons/Ncommons2.htm. Retrieved 11 July 2009. 
  6. ^ a b Burke, John (1832). A Genealogical and Heraldic History of the Peerage and Baronetage of the British Empire. vol. II (4th ed.). London: Henry Colburn and Richard Bentley. pp. 45. 
  7. ^ a b "ThePeerage - Sir Norton Knatchbull, 1st Bt". http://www.thepeerage.com/p14823.htm#i148226. Retrieved 27 March 2007. 
  8. ^ "Norton Knatchbull School - History". http://www.nks.kent.sch.uk/?page_id=48. Retrieved 22 November 2009. 
Parliament of England
Preceded by
Parliament suspended since 1629		 Member of Parliament for Kent
1640
With: Sir Roger Twysden, 2nd Baronet		 Succeeded by
Sir John Colepeper
Sir Edward Dering
Preceded by
Thomas Godfrey
William Steele		 Member of Parliament for New Romney
1640-1648
With: Thomas Webb 1640-1641
Richard Browne 1641-1648		 Succeeded by
Not represented in Rump Parliament
Preceded by
Not represented in Rump Parliament		 Member of Parliament for New Romney
1660 – 1679
With: John Knatchbull 1660–1661
Charles Berkeley 1661–1665
Henry Brouncker 1665–1668
Sir Charles Sedley 1668–1679		 Succeeded by
Sir Charles Sedley
Paul Barret
Baronetage of England
New creation Baronet
 (of Mersham Hatch)
1641 – 1685		 Succeeded by
John Knatchbull