Roger Twysden

Roger Twysden

Sir Roger Twysden (August 21, 1597 to June 27, 1672) was an English antiquary and royalist pamphleteer. He belonged to an ancient Kentish family. His mother, Anne, was the daughter of Sir Moule Finch, and his father, Sir William Twysden, was a courtier and scholar who shared in some of the voyages against Spain in the reign of Queen Elizabeth I and was well known at the court of King James I. He was one of the first baronets.

Roger Twysden was educated at St Paul's School, London, and then at Emmanuel College, Cambridge. He entered Gray's Inn on February 2, 1623. He succeeded to the baronetcy on his father's death in 1629. For some years, he remained on his estate at Roydon, East Peckham, largely engaged in building and planting, but also in studying antiquities and the law of the constitution. King Charles I's attempts to govern without a parliament, and the interference of his lawyers and clergy with the freedom of all classes of men, offended Sir Roger as they did most other country gentlemen. He showed his determination to stand on his rights by refusing to pay ship money, but, probably because the advisers of the Crown were frightened by the unpopularity of the impost, was not molested.

He was chosen member of parliament for Kent in the Short Parliament of 1640, but was not elected to the Long Parliament. In common with most men of his class, Sir Roger applauded the early measures of the parliament to restrict the king's prerogative and then became alarmed when it went on to assail the Church. The attainder of Lord Strafford frightened him as a tyrannical use of power, and he became a typical example of the men who formed the strength of the king's party in the English Civil War.

He considered himself too old to serve in the field and therefore he did not join the king at Oxford. But he took the most prominent part in preparing the Kentish petition of March 1642 and in subsequent demonstrations on behalf of Charles. He incurred the wrath of the parliament and was arrested on April 1, 1642, but he was soon let out on bail and on his promise to keep quiet. But his respect for legality would not let him rest, and he was soon in trouble again for another demonstration known as "The Instruction to Mr Augustine Skinner." For this he was again arrested and for a time confined in a public-house, called "The Two Tobacco Pipes," near Charing Cross, London. He was released with a distinct intimation that he would be well advised not to go back to Roydon Hall, but to keep out of temptation in London. He took the advice and applied himself to reading.

One plan for going abroad was given up, but at last he endeavoured to escape in disguise, was detected, and was brought back to London. He was now subjected to all the vexations inflicted on Royalist partisans of good property: sequestrations of his rents, fines for "malignancy," and confinement in the Tower of London, where he consoled himself with his books. At last he reached a settlement in 1650 and went home, where he lived quietly till the Restoration, when he resumed his position as magistrate. He died on June 27, 1672. He published "The Commoners' Liberty" (London, 1648), demonstrating that finings and imprisonings by parliament were illegal; "Historiae anglicanae scriptores decem" (London, 1652), a work encouraged by Oliver Cromwell; and "Historical Vindication of the Church of England" (London, 1657).


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем написать реферат

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Sir Roger Twysden, 2nd Baronet — (21 August, 1597 27 June, 1672), of Roydon Hall in Kent was an English historian and Member of Parliament.He was the eldest son of Sir William Twysden, 1st Baronet, and succeeded to the baronetcy on 8 January, 1629. He was educated at St Paul s… …   Wikipedia

  • Twysden, Sir Roger — ▪ English historian born Aug. 21, 1597, East Peckham, Kent, Eng. died June 27, 1672, East Peckham       English political pamphleteer and constitutional historian who is noted for his work on the development of English law and constitutional… …   Universalium

  • Sir William Twysden, 3rd Baronet — (11 December, 1635 27 November, 1697), of Roydon Hall in Kent was an English landowner and Member of Parliament.He was the eldest son of Sir Roger Twysden, 2nd Baronet, and succeeded to the baronetcy on 27 June 1672.He entered Parliament in 1685… …   Wikipedia

  • Duff Twysden — Mary Duff Stirling, Lady Twysden (1893 – 27 June 1938[1]) was a British socialite most famous for being the model for Brett Ashley in Ernest Hemingway s novel The Sun Also Rises.[2] She was the eldest child of Baynes Wright Smurthwaite by his… …   Wikipedia

  • Winchelsea (UK Parliament constituency) — UK former constituency infobox Name = Winchelsea Type = Cinque Port Year = 1366 Abolition = 1832 members = twoWinchelsea was a parliamentary constituency in Sussex, which elected two Members of Parliament (MPs) to the House of Commons from 1366… …   Wikipedia

  • Chéreng — Chéreng …   Wikipedia

  • Simeon de Durham — Siméon de Durham Siméon (en angl. Symeon ou Simeon) de Durham (actif entre 1100 et 1150), fut un moine bénédictin et un chroniqueur et historien anglais de la cathédrale de Durham. Sommaire 1 Œuvres 1.1 Historia Dunelmensis Ecclesiæ 1.2 H …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Siméon de Durham — Siméon (en angl. Symeon ou Simeon) de Durham (actif entre 1100 et 1150), fut un moine bénédictin et un chroniqueur et historien anglais de la cathédrale de Durham. Sommaire 1 Œuvres 1.1 Historia Dunelmensis Ecclesiæ 1.2 Historia Regu …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Symeon de Durham — Siméon de Durham Siméon (en angl. Symeon ou Simeon) de Durham (actif entre 1100 et 1150), fut un moine bénédictin et un chroniqueur et historien anglais de la cathédrale de Durham. Sommaire 1 Œuvres 1.1 Historia Dunelmensis Ecclesiæ 1.2 H …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Syméon de Durham — Siméon de Durham Siméon (en angl. Symeon ou Simeon) de Durham (actif entre 1100 et 1150), fut un moine bénédictin et un chroniqueur et historien anglais de la cathédrale de Durham. Sommaire 1 Œuvres 1.1 Historia Dunelmensis Ecclesiæ 1.2 H …   Wikipédia en Français

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”