Ralph Hare

Sir Ralph Hare, 1st Baronet (24 March 1623 – 28 February 1672) of Stow Bardolph, Norfolk was an English politician who sat in the House of Commons variously between 1654 and 1672.

For the British aircraft engineer, see Ralph Marcus Hare.

Ralph Hare (as depicted in An address from the gentry of Norfolk and Norwich to General Monck in 1660 (1913); facsimile of a manuscript in the Norwich Public Library. With an introduction by Hamon le Strange and biographical notes by Walter Rye)

Hare was the son of Sir John Hare and his wife Elizabeth Coventry, only daughter of Thomas Coventry, 1st Baron Coventry by his 1st wife Sarah Sebright. He was the great-grandson of Sir Nicholas Hare, Speaker of the House of Commons from 1539 to 1540, who had purchased the Stow Bardolph estate in 1553. Hare was created a baronet, of Stow Bardolph in the County of Norfolk on 23 July 1641[1] and appointed Sheriff of Norfolk for 1650.[2]

He was elected Member of Parliament for Norfolk in the First Protectorate Parliament in 1654, and then re-elected MP for Norfolk for the Second Protectorate Parliament in 1656.[3] In 1660, he was elected MP for King's Lynn in the Convention Parliament[4] and MP for Norfolk in 1661 for the Cavalier Parliament, sitting until his death in 1672.[5]

Hare died at the age of 48. He had married firstly Mary Crane, daughter of Sir Robert Crane, 1st Baronet of Chilton, Suffolk, by whom he had seven children, of whom Thomas succeeded him. He married secondly, Vere Townshend, daughter of Sir Roger Townshend, 1st Baronet of Raynham, Norfolk, but by her had no issue. He married thirdly Elizabeth Chapman of Suffolk, and by that lady left a posthumous son, John, who died in infancy.[1]

References

1. Burke, John (24 June 2019). "A genealogical and heraldic history of the extinct and dormant baronetcies of England, by J. and J.B. Burke" – via Google Books.
2. "HARE, Sir Ralph, 1st Bt. (1623-72), of Stow Bardolph, Norf". History of Parliament Online. Retrieved 13 April 2012.
3. Willis, Browne (1750). Notitia Parliamentaria, Part II: A Series or Lists of the Representatives in the several Parliaments held from the Reformation 1541, to the Restoration 1660 ... London. pp. 229–239.
4. Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "K" (part 2)
5. Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "N" (part 2)

Parliament of England
Preceded by Robert Jermy (?) Tobias Frere Ralph Wolmer Henry King William Burton	Member of Parliament for Norfolk 1654–1656 With: Sir John Hobart Sir William D'Oyly Robert Wilton Philip Wodehouse Thomas Sotherton Robert Wood (senior) Philip Bedingfield (senior) 1654 Tobias Frere 1654 Thomas Weld 1654 John Buxton 1656 Charles Fleetwood 1656 Sir Horatio Townsend 1656	Succeeded by Sir William D'Oyly Sir Horatio Townsend
Preceded by William Cecil 2nd seat vacant	Member of Parliament for King's Lynn 1660 – 1661 With: Edward Walpole	Succeeded by Edward Walpole Sir William Hovell
Preceded by Sir Horatio Townshend The Lord Cramond	Member of Parliament for Norfolk 1661 – 1672 With: The Lord Cramond	Succeeded by Sir John Hobart, Bt The Lord Cramond