Sir Orlando Bridgeman, 1st Baronet, of Great Lever

Sir Orlando Bridgeman, 1st Baronet SL (30 January 1606 – 25 June 1674) was an English common law jurist, lawyer, and politician.

Life

The son of the Bishop of Chester John Bridgeman and Elizabeth Helyar, daughter of Reverend William Helyar, Orlando was educated Queens' College, Cambridge and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in 1624. In the same year, Bridgeman became a Fellow of Magdalene College, Cambridge and was called to the Bar at the Inner Temple. He worked as barrister until 1632, becoming Vice-Chamberlain of Chester in 1638. In 1640, he was appointed Attorney of the Court of Wards in 1640, and Solicitor-General to Charles, the Prince of Wales. Also in that year, he served as Member of Parliament for Wigan in the English Parliament, holding his seat until 1642. He was knighted in 1643.

From 1644 to 1646, Bridgeman was Custos Rotulorum of Cheshire. In 1645, he was Commissioner at the Treaty of Uxbridge, the next year a compounder. On 30 May 1660, he was made Serjeant-at-Law, and two days later Lord Chief Baron of the Exchequer. The following week, on 7 June 1660, he was created a Baronet, of Great Lever, in the County of Lancaster. From 1660 to 1668, Bridgeman was Chief Justice of the Court of Common Pleas, and from 1667 to 1672 Lord Keeper of the Great Seal. In 1668, he was a member of the New England Company. He died aged 65 in Teddington, Middlesex and was buried there. Bridgeman was highly regarded in his time for his participation in the trial of the Regicides of King Charles I in 1660, and for devising complex legal instruments for the conveyance of estates in land. Among Bridgeman's most enduring inventions was a device for the 22nd Earl of Arundel which led to the creation in the Duke of Norfolk's Case, 3 Ch. Ca. 1, 22. Eng. Rep. 931 (Ch. 1681), of the Rule Against Perpetuities.

Family

Bridgeman married twice, firstly Judith Kynaston, daughter of John Kynaston, on 30 January 1627 or 1628. They had two children:

*Mary Bridgeman, married, firstly Sir Edward Morgan, married secondly Richard Hanbury
*Sir John Bridgeman, 2nd Baronet (1631–1710)

Secondly he married Dorothy Saunders, daughter of John Saunders. They had three children:

*Sir Francis Bridgeman, married Susan Barker, daughter of Sir Richard Barker
*Sir Orlando Bridgeman, 1st Baronet, of Ridley (died 1701)
*Charlotte Bridgeman (died 1694), married Sir Thomas Myddelton, 2nd Baronet in 1677

ee also

*Bunbury Agreement

Bibliography

*cite book | author= J. Dukeminier | pages= 241, footnote| coauthors= J. Krier| year= 2006| title= Property, Sixth Edition| publisher= Aspen

External links

*npg name | name=Orlando Bridgeman | id=56726
* [http://www.twickenham-museum.org.uk/print_detail.asp?ContentID=96 The Twickenham Museum: Orlando Bridgeman]
* [http://www.pepysdiary.com/archive/1660/10/10/ The Diary of Samuel Pepys: Wednesday 10 October 1660]

References

*cite web | url= http://www.thepeerage.com/p6643.htm#i66424| title= thePeerage| accessdate= 2006-11-29