Charles Cornwallis, 2nd Baron Cornwallis

Charles Cornwallis, 2nd Baron Cornwallis of Eye
In office 1660–1662

Charles Cornwallis, 2nd Baron Cornwallis of Eye (19 April 1632 – 13 April 1673) was a British nobleman, politician, and county magistrate. He served as a Member of Parliament.

Early years

Charles was born in Culford, Suffolk, the son of Sir Frederick Cornwallis, 1st Baron Cornwallis and Elizabeth Ashburnham. His paternal grandparents were Admiral Sir William Cornwallis and Jane Meautys (died 1 July 1627). His maternal grandparents were Sir John Ashburnham and Elizabeth Beaumont, Baroness of Cramond. Charles' parents lived much of the time in London, his father being a Royalist and an Equerry to Charles I, while his mother was a Lady-in-Waiting to the Queen.

With his parents busy at Court, Charles and his three siblings were raised at Culford Hall by their grandmother, Lady Jane, who was by then married to her second husband, Sir Nathaniel Bacon. Their home, Culford Hall, had been built by Lady Jane's father-in-law, Sir Nicholas Bacon, 1st Baronet. It is through Lady Jane that Culford Hall eventually passed from Bacon to Frederick, becoming home to the Earls of Cornwallis.^[1]

Career

During his career, he served as a Gentleman of the Privy Chamber in 1660 before becoming an M.P. for Eye, an office he held during the period of 1660 through 1662. As a county magistrate, he was one of the appointees at the assize who oversaw a test of an accused women in the Lowestoft Witch Trial.^[2][3]

Charles was knighted in 1661. He succeeded to the titles of 2nd Baron Cornwallis of Eye, and 2nd Baronet Cornwallis, in January 1662.

Family

At age 19, Charles married Margaret Playsted (died 1668), daughter of Sir Thomas Playsted of Arlington, East Sussex. They had eleven children but, as their eldest two sons died young, their son Charles succeeded to the title. He is buried under a monument^[4] in St. Mary's Church, Culford.^[2] St. Mary's Church was built by their daughter-in-law Elizabeth's father, Sir Stephen Fox.^[1]

References

1. ^ ^{a b} White, William (1844). History, gazetteer, and directory of Suffolk, and the towns near its borders. Sheffield. pp. 684. OCLC 35158915. http://books.google.com/books?id=ZgxIAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA684&lpg=PA684&dq=%22culford+hall%22&source=web&ots=WcmPTrW25y&sig=rKomF6TXCXBk15y4kzzDTCLpc7M&hl=en&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=5&ct=result. 
2. ^ ^{a b} "LORD CHARLES CORNWALLIS (1632 – 1673) 2ND BARON CORNWALLIS OF EYE". lowestoftwitches.com. http://www.lowestoftwitches.com/lord_cornwallis.htm. Retrieved 2008-12-06. 
3. ^ Geis, G.; Bunn, I. (1997). A Trial of Witches: A Seventeenth-century Witchcraft Prosecution. Routledge. pp. 86–87. ISBN 0415171091. http://books.google.com/books?id=xrWKO7EaPakC&pg=PA87&lpg=PA87&dq=Cornwallis+Lowestoft+witch&source=web&ots=t8uXuyPyFQ&sig=zdUiJSYvOfgVJQSqJffohu2Cv3o&hl=en&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=3&ct=result. 
4. ^ A Concise Description of Bury St. Edmund's, and Its Environs.. 1827. pp. 89. OCLC 59487091. http://books.google.com/books?id=kqkHAAAAQAAJ&pg=PA89&lpg=PA89&dq=%22Charles+Cornwallis%22+monument+culford&source=web&ots=zhjWsr_kQT&sig=L6es5WGCOhNixqDo2ImOMOBQlgs&hl=en&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=4&ct=result. 

• www.thepeerage.com

External links

• Home of the Cornwallis family, Eye, Suffolk

Parliament of England
Preceded by unknown	Member of Parliament for Eye with unknown 1660–1662	Succeeded by unknown
Peerage of England
Preceded by Frederick Cornwallis	Baron Cornwallis 1662–1673	Succeeded by Charles Cornwallis

Persondata
Name	Cornwallis, Charles Cornwallis, 2nd Baron
Alternative names
Short description	Member of Parliament
Date of birth	19 April 1632
Place of birth	Culford
Date of death	13 April 1673
Place of death	Culford