- Pakington
Pakington, the name of a famous English
Worcestershire family, now represented by thebaron y of Hampton. Sir John Pakington (died 1560) was a successful lawyer and a favorite at court, and Henry VIII enriched him with estates, including that of Westwood in Worcestershire. His grandnephew and heir, Sir John Pakington (1549–1625), was another prominentcourtier , Queen Elizabeth's "lusty Pakington", famous for his magnificence of living. His son John (1600–1624) was created abaronet in 1620. His son, Sir John, the second baronet (1620–1680), played an active part on the royalist side in the troubles of theGreat Rebellion and the Commonwealth, and was taken prisoner atWorcester in 1651; Lady Dorothy, his wife (d. 1679), daughter of the lord keeperThomas Coventry , was famous for her learning, and was long credited with the authorship of "The Whole Duty of Man " (1658), more recently attributed toRichard Allestree . Their grandson, Sir John, the 4th baronet (1671–1727) was a pronounced highTory and was very prominent in political life; for long he was regarded as the original ofJoseph Addison 'sSir Roger de Coverley , but the reasons for this supposition are now regarded as inadequate. The baronetcy became extinct with the death of Sir John Pakington, the 8th baronet, in January 1830, but it was revived in 1846 for his maternal nephew and heir, John Somerset Pakington (1799–1880), whose name was originally Russell. Born on20 February 1799 and educated atEton College and at Oriel College,Oxford , Pakington had a long career as an active and industrious Conservative politician, beingmember of parliament forDroitwich from 1837 to 1874. He was secretary for war and the colonies in 1852; firstLord of the Admiralty in 1858-1859 and again in 1866-1867; and secretary of state for war in 1867-1868. In 1874 he was created Baron Hampton, and he died in London on9 April 1880 . From 1875 until his death Hampton was chief civil service commissioner. In 1906 his grandson Herbert Stuart (born 1883) became 4th baron Hampton. It is interesting to note that in 1529 Henry VIII granted Sir John Pakington the right of wearing his hat in the royal presence.References
*1911
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