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Sir William Lytton
DL JP
Sir William Lytton DL JP
Member of Parliament for Hertfordshire
	In office; 1640–1648 Serving with Arthur Capel, Sir Thomas Dacres
Preceded by	Parliament suspended since 1629
Succeeded by	Not represented in the Rump Parliament
	In office; 1628–1629 Serving with Sir Thomas Dacres
Preceded by	Sir John Boteler; Sir Thomas Dacres
Succeeded by	Parliament suspended until 1640
Personal details
Born	29 September 1586; Knebworth, Hertfordshire
Died	14 August 1660 (aged 73); Knebworth, Hertfordshire
Spouse(s)	Roland Lytton; Anne St John Corbert
Relations	Sir William Gostwick, 4th Baronet (grandson)
Children	8
Parent(s)	Anne Slaney; (m. 1612; died 1626); Ruth Barrington; (m. 1644; died 1645)
Residence	Knebworth House
Education	Westminster school
Alma mater	Emmanuel College, Cambridge

Sir William Lytton DL JP (29 September 1586 – 14 August 1660) was an English politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1640 to 1648.^[1] He supported the Parliamentary cause in the English Civil War.

Early life

Lytton was born on 29 September 1586. He was the eldest son of Sir Rowland Lytton of Knebworth, and Anne (née St John) Corbert. Before his parents' marriage, his mother was the widow of Robert Corbet,^[2] MP for Shropshire.^[3]

His paternal grandparents were Rowland Lytton, Governor of the Castle of Boulogne, and the former Anne Carleton (a daughter of George Carleton and sister to George Carleton). His maternal grandfather was Oliver St John, 1st Baron St John of Bletso and, his first wife, Agnes Fisher. After his grandmother's death, his grandfather married Elizabeth Chamber, a lady-in-waiting to each of King Henry VIII's six wives.^[2]

He was educated at Westminster school from 1601 to 1602, and Emmanuel College, Cambridge from 1603 to 1607 before travelling abroad to France, Italy and the low countries from 1608 to 1609 with William Borlase and William Cecil.^[4]

Career

He succeeded his father in 1615, inheriting the Knebworth estate. He was knighted on 25 July 1624 and appointed High Sheriff of Hertfordshire in 1625 serving until 1626. He was Deputy Lieutenant of the county from 1625 to 1630.^[4]

In 1628, Lytton was elected Member of Parliament for Hertfordshire. In April 1640, he was re-elected MP for Herefordshire in the Short Parliament and then in November 1640 for the Long Parliament.^[5] Lytton supported the Parliamentary cause in the Civil War and was one of the commissioners sent by Parliament and received by King Charles who tried to negotiate peace at Oxford in 1643,^[2] (They failed to reach terms and the war was to continue for three more years). Lytton was excluded from parliament under Pride's Purge in 1648.^{[citation needed]}

Personal life

On 24 February 1612, Lytton married firstly Anne Slaney, the only child of Stephen Slaney of Norton, Shropshire (son of Sir Stephen Slaney). Before her death in 1626, they were the parents of one son and seven daughters, including:^[4]

Margaret Lytton (1613–1689), who married Thomas Hillersdon, of Elstow. After his death, she married Sir Thomas Hewett, 1st Baronet, of Pishiobury, in c. 1633.
Rowland Lytton (c. 1615–1674), MP for Hertfordshire; he married Judith Edwards, daughter of Humphrey Edwards. After her death, he married Rebecca (née Chapman) Lucy, daughter of Thomas Chapman and widow of Sir Richard Lucy^[4]
Mary Lytton (b. 1622), who married Sir Henry Anderson, 1st Baronet of Penley. After his death, she married Sir Edward Gostwick, 3rd Baronet in 1646.^[6]
Dorothy Lytton (d. 1703), who married her cousin Sir John Barrington, 3rd Baronet, MP for Newtown.^[6]
Jane Lytton, who married Sir Thomas Bosville.^[7]

Around November 1644 He married secondly Ruth (née Barrington) Lamplugh (d. 1645), daughter of Sir Francis Barrington, 1st Baronet of Barrington Hall, Essex and widow of Sir George Lamplugh of Kirby Sigston.^[2]

On his death he was buried at Knebworth and succeeded by his son Rowland. A monument was not erected until 1705, this being to the design of Edward Stanton.^[8]

References

^ His name is also spelt William Litton
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Burke, John (1836). A Genealogical and Heraldic History of the Commoners of Great Britain and Ireland Enjoying Territorial Possessions Or High Official Rank: But Uninvested with Heritable Honours. Colburn. p. 449. Retrieved 14 December 2022.
^ P.W. Hasler (editor): History of Parliament Online: Members 1558-1603 - CORBET, Robert (1542-83), of Moreton Corbet, Salop - Author: A. M. Mimardière, accessed September 2013.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d "LYTTON, William (1586-1660), of Knebworth, Herts". History of Parliament Online. Retrieved 14 June 2013.
^ Willis, Browne (1750). Notitia Parliamentaria, Or, An History of the Counties, Cities, and Boroughs in England and Wales: ... The Whole Extracted from Mss. and Printed Evidences ... Robert Gosling. pp. 229–239. Retrieved 14 December 2022.
^ ^a ^b George Edward Cokayne, editor, The Complete Baronetage, 5 volumes (no date (c. 1900); reprint, Gloucester, U.K.: Alan Sutton Publishing, 1983), volume I, page 100.
^ Mosley, Charles, editor. Burke's Peerage, Baronetage & Knightage, 107th edition, 3 volumes. Wilmington, Delaware, U.S.A.: Burke's Peerage (Genealogical Books) Ltd, 2003, volume 2, page 2440.
^ Dictionary of British Sculptors 1660-1851 by Rupert Gunnis p.367

Parliament of England
Preceded by Sir John Boteler Sir Thomas Dacres	Member of Parliament for Hertfordshire 1628–1629 With: Sir Thomas Dacres	Parliament suspended until 1640
Parliament suspended since 1629	Member of Parliament for Hertfordshire 1640–1648 With: Arthur Capel 1640–1641 Sir Thomas Dacres 1641–1648	Not represented in Rump Parliament