Edward Phelips (speaker)

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Sir Edward Phelips, by an unknown artist.

Sir Edward Phelips (ca. 1555/60 – 1614) was an English lawyer and politician, the Speaker of the English House of Commons from 1604 until 1611, and subsequently Master of the Rolls from 1611 until his death in 1614. He was an elected MP from 1584, and in 1588, following a successful career as a lawyer, he commissioned Montacute House to be built as a home for himself and his family. He was knighted in 1603^[1] and one of his major roles was as the opening prosecutor during the trial of the Gunpowder Plotters.^[2]

He married Elizabeth Newdigate, and his son, Sir Robert Phelips, inherited his land and property.^[3]

Life

He was fourth and youngest son of Thomas Phelips (1500–1588) of Montacute, Somerset, by his wife Elizabeth (d. 1598), daughter of John Smythe of Long Ashton in the same county. His father stood godfather to Thomas Coryate. Edward was born about 1560: according to Coryate, who refers to him as a patron, he was about 53 in 1613.^[4]

He joined the Middle Temple, where he was autumn reader in 1596. In 1601 he entered parliament as knight of the shire for Somerset. On 11 February 1603 he was named serjeant-at-law, but Queen Elizabeth died, and he did not proceed to his degree until the following reign. On 17 May he was made king's serjeant and knighted. In November he took part in the trial of Sir Walter Raleigh.He was re-elected to parliament for Somerset on 11 February 1604, and on 19 March was elected speaker. According to Sir Julius Cæsar, he was the best speaker for some decades, and though long-winded did expedite some business for the king.^[4]

On 17 July 1604 he was granted the office of justice of common pleas in the county palatine of Lancaster. In this capacity he was very active against Catholics; he is said to have declared that, as the law stood, all who were present when mass was celebrated were guilty of felony. He was one of those appointed to examine the Gunpowder Plot conspirators, and in January 1606 opened the indictment against Guy Fawkes. He was also chancellor to Henry Frederick, Prince of Wales. On 2 December 1608 he was granted the reversion of the mastership of the rolls, but did not succeed to the office until January 1611. On 14 July 1613 he was appointed ranger of all royal forests, parks, and chases in England.^[4]

Besides his house in Chancery Lane, and another at Wanstead, Essex, where he entertained the king, Phelips built a large mansion, Montacute House, which is still standing, and in the possession of his descendants. He died on 11 September 1614, having married, first, Margaret (d. 28 April 1590), daughter of Robert Newdegate of Newdegate, Surrey, by whom he had two sons, Sir Robert and Francis; secondly, Elizabeth (d. 26 March 1638), daughter of Thomas Pigott of Doddershall House, Buckinghamshire.^[4]

References

↑ "Details, Somerset HER". Retrieved 2008-07-02.
↑ "The Gunpowder Plot: Parliament & Treason 1605 - People". UK Parliament. Retrieved 2008-07-02.
↑ Manning, James Alexander (1851). The Lives of the Speakers of the House of Commons. G. Willis. p. 284.
↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 "Phelips, Edward". Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co. 1885–1900. Check date values in: |date= (help)

Attribution

This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: "Phelips, Edward". Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co. 1885–1900. Check date values in: |date= (help)

Preceded by Sir John Croke	Speaker of the House of Commons 1603–1611	Succeeded by Sir Randolph Crewe
Preceded by Edward Bruce	Master of the Rolls 1611–1614	Succeeded by Sir Julius Caesar

v t e Masters of the Rolls

Taylor Cromwell Hales Southwell Beaumont Hare Cordell Gerard Ellesmere Kinloss Phelips Julius Caesar Digges Charles Caesar Colepeper Lenthall Grimston Churchill Trevor Jekyll Verney Fortescue Strange Clarke Sewell Kenyon Arden Grant Plumer Gifford Lyndhurst Leach Cottenham Langdale Romilly Jessel Brett Lindley Alverstone Smith Collins Cozens-Hardy Swinfen Eady Sterndale Hanworth Wright Greene Evershed Denning Donaldson Bingham Woolf Phillips Clarke Neuberger Dyson

Speakers of the House of Commons

House of Commons
of England

14th century	Hungerford De la Mare Pickering Guildesborough Waldegrave Pickering Bussy Cheney Doreward Savage Redford

15th century	Esturmy Tiptoft Chaucer Stourton Hungerford Chaucer Redman Beauchamp Flower Hunt Chaucer Baynard Russell Walton Vernon Tyrell Alington Bowes Burley Tresham Say Popham Oldhall Thorpe Charlton Wenlock Tresham Green Strangeways Wood Catesby Lovell Mordaunt Fitzwilliam Empson Drury Englefield

16th century	Dudley Sheffield Nevill More Audley Wingfield Rich Hare Moyle Baker Dyer Pollard Broke Higham Cordell Gargrave Williams Onslow Wray Bell Popham Puckering Snagge Coke Yelverton

17th century	Croke Phelips Crewe Richardson Crewe Finch Finch Glanville Lenthall Pelham Rous (Barebones Parliament) Widdrington (2nd Protectorate Parliament) Chute (3rd Protectorate Parliament) Long (3rd Protectorate Parliament) Bampfield (3rd Protectorate Parliament) Grimston Turnour Charlton Seymour Sawyer Gregory Williams Trevor Powle Foley Littleton

18th century	Harley Smith

House of Commons
of Great Britain

18th century	Smith R. Onslow Bromley Hanmer Compton A. Onslow Cust Norton Cornwall Grenville Addington

House of Commons
of the United Kingdom

19th century	Addington Mitford Abbot Manners-Sutton Abercromby Shaw-Lefevre Denison Brand Peel Gully

20th century	Lowther Whitley FitzRoy Brown Morrison Hylton-Foster King Lloyd Thomas Weatherill Boothroyd

21st century	Martin Bercow

Persondata
Name	Phelips, Edward
Alternative names
Short description	English politician
Date of birth	ca. 1555/1560
Place of birth
Date of death	1614
Place of death

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