Francis Knollys (admiral)

Sir Francis Knollys (c. 1552[1] – 1648[2]) of Reading Abbey, Berkshire was an English privateer and politician who sat in the House of Commons at various times between 1575 and 1648.

Life

Knollys was the 6th son of Sir Francis Knollys, of Greys Court in Oxfordshire and Reading Abbey, Reading, in Berkshire, and his wife, Catherine Carey[3] and was generally known as Francis Knollys the younger. He attended Magdalen College, Oxford in and around 1564. He was a student of Gray's Inn in 1565.[4]

In December 1575 Knollys was elected Member of Parliament for Oxford following the death of Edward Knollys, and held the seat unit 1589.[5] In those early years he was involved in piracy with Sir Francis Drake, serving as a rear-admiral on privateering activities in the Caribbean, returning in 1586 with considerable booty.[3] He soon after served with his brother-in-law, the Earl of Leicester, in the Netherlands campaign and was knighted by him at Flushing on 7 December 1587.[3][6]

Knollys was once again elected MP in 1597, this time for Berkshire.[3][5] He was awarded MA at Oxford on 10 July 1598.[4] In 1604 he was re-elected MP for Berkshire and sat until 1611. He was elected MP for Berkshire again in 1625.[5] In April 1640, Knollys was re-elected MP for Reading in the Short Parliament with his son, and was re-elected for the Long Parliament in November 1640. He sat until his death in 1648.[5]

Knollys died before May 1648 at the age of about 90, described by his colleagues as "the ancientest Parliament man in England". He was one of the oldest ever members of parliament and has the record for the longest span of service as an MP, 73 years between first being elected and his death. He was buried at St Laurence's Church, Reading.[3] He had married in 1588 Lettice Barrett, daughter of John Barrett, of Hanham in Gloucestershire.[3]

Knollys had three sons and six daughters, amongst them Robert, MP, who predeceased him in 1626[4], Francis, who predeceased him in 1643 [3][4] Richard and Lettice, who married the parliamentarian, John Hampden.[3] .

Ancestry

Ancestors of Francis Knollys (admiral)

Sir Richard Knollys Robert Knollys Margaret D'Oyley Sir Robert Knollys Sir John Troutbeck Elizabeth Troutbeck Margaret Hulse Sir Francis Knollys Sir Richard Penystone Sir Thomas Penystone Margaret Herris Lettice Penystone Richard Bulstrode Alice Bulstrode Alice Knyffe Sir Francis Knollys Sir William Carey Sir Thomas Carey Alice Furford Sir William Carey Sir Robert Spencer Margaret Spencer Eleanor Beaufort Catherine Carey William Boleyn Thomas Boleyn, 1st Earl of Wiltshire Lady Margaret Butler Mary Boleyn Thomas Howard, 2nd Duke of Norfolk Lady Elizabeth Howard Elizabeth Tilney

References

1. http://thepeerage.com/p34150.htm#i341491 gives 1553 as the year of his birth.
2. http://thepeerage.com/p34150.htm#i341491 gives 1646 as the year of his death.
3. Ford, David Nash (2008). "Sir Francis Knollys Junior". Royal Berkshire History. Nash Ford Publishing. Retrieved 1 April 2011.
4. Alumni Oxonienses, 1500–1714: Kandruth-Kyte, Alumni Oxonienses 1500–1714: Abannan-Kyte (1891), pp. 837–867. Date accessed: 23 February 2011
5. Browne Willis Notitia parliamentaria, or, An history of the counties, cities, and boroughs in England and Wales: ... The whole extracted from mss. and printed evidences 1750 pp89-239
6. Knights of England

Parliament of England
Preceded by Edward Knollys William Owen	Member of Parliament for Oxford 1575–1589 With: William Owen 1575–1580 Edward Norreys 1580–1584 William Noble 1584–1586 George Calfield 1584–1589	Succeeded by Sir Edmund Carey George Calfield
Preceded by Sir Henry Unton Sir Humphrey Forster	Member of Parliament for Berkshire 1597–1598 With: Sir Henry Norreys	Succeeded by Sir Richard Lovelace George Hyde
Preceded by Sir Richard Lovelace George Hyde	Member of Parliament for Berkshire 1604–1614 With: Sir Henry Neville	Succeeded by Edmund Dunch Sir Richard Harrison
Preceded by Edmund Dunch Sir Richard Harrison	Member of Parliament for Berkshire 1625 With: Edmund Dunch	Succeeded by Edmund Dunch John Fettiplace
Preceded by Parliament suspended since 1629	Member of Parliament for Reading 1640–1648 With: Sir Francis Knollys jun. 1640–1643 Daniel Blagrave 1645–1648	Succeeded by Tanfield Vachell Daniel Blagrave