John Harris (Royalist)
John Harris (1596–1648) of Lanrest, Liskeard in Cornwall and of Radford in the parish of Plymstock in Devon,[1] was an English gentleman who was elected four times as a Member of Parliament for Liskeard in Cornwall, between 1628 and 1644. He supported the Royalist side in the Civil War.
Origins[edit]
Harris was the second son of John Harris (1564- June 1623) of Lanrest in Cornwall, Recorder (or Steward[2]) of the Borough of West Looe in Cornwall ( established in 1574[3]) and MP for West Looe in Cornwall in 1614,[4] by his wife Joane Harte, daughter and sole heiress of Robert Harte of Plimston in the parish of Stoke Climsland in Cornwall.[5][6] His younger brother was Robert Harris (d.1655), Major General of the King's infantry in Plymouth, buried at Tywardreath in Cornwall, where he "lies interred under a marble monument"[7] inscribed as follows:[8]
- "In Memory of Robert Harris, Esquire, sometime Major-Generall of his Majesties forces before Plymouth, who was buried here under, the 29th day of June, 1655, and of Honnor Harris, his sister, who was likewise heer under-neath buried, the 17th day of November, 1653".
"Loyal and stout, thy crime this, this thy praise,"
"Thou'rt here with Honour laid, tho' without Bayes."
Inheritances[edit]
John Harris was the heir of his childless elder brother Christopher Harris (1590–November 1623) of Lanrest, a Member of Parliament for West Looe in 1621. John Harris was also a great-nephew and sole heir of Sir Christopher Harris (c.1553-1625), MP for Plymouth in 1584,[9] of Radford in the parish of Plymstock in Devon.[10]
Career[edit]
In 1628, Harris was elected Member of Parliament for Liskeard and sat until 1629 when King Charles I decided to rule without parliament for eleven years. In April 1640 Harris was re-elected MP for Liskeard in the Short Parliament. He was re-elected for Liskeard in the Long Parliament in November 1640 until he was disabled from sitting in January 1644 for supporting the King.[11]
Marriage[edit]
In 1630 he married Elizabeth Johnson (d.1637), a daughter of Emorb Johnson of Bridge in the parish of South Petherton in Somerset[12] and of Bonham in Wiltshire. She died in childbirth in 1637, having produced one surviving son:
- John Harris (died 1677), a Member of Parliament for Liskeard after 1660 and the Restoration of the Monarchy.[13]
References[edit]
- ^ Vivian, Lt.Col. J.L., (Ed.) The Visitations of the County of Devon: Comprising the Heralds' Visitations of 1531, 1564 & 1620, Exeter, 1895, p.448
- ^ "West Looe | History of Parliament Online".
- ^ "West Looe | History of Parliament Online".
- ^ History of Parliament biography [1]
- ^ Vivian, Lt.Col. J.L., (Ed.) The Visitations of the County of Devon: Comprising the Heralds' Visitations of 1531, 1564 & 1620, Exeter, 1895, p.447,pedigree of "Harris of Radford"
- ^ Visitation of Devon1620
- ^ See image
- ^ Gilbert, Charles Sandoe, An Historical Survey of the County of Cornwall, Volume 1, p.30 [2]
- ^ Vivian, p.447
- ^ Vivian, p.448
- ^ Willis, Browne (1750). Notitia Parliamentaria, Part II: A Series or Lists of the Representatives in the several Parliaments held from the Reformation 1541, to the Restoration 1660 ... London. pp. 229–239.
- ^ "HARRIS, John III (C.1596-1648), of Radford, Plymstock, Devon and Lanrest, Liskeard, Cornw. | History of Parliament Online".
- ^ Basil Duke Henning The House of Commons, 1660-1690
