Ambrose Manaton (politician, 1589)

Ambrose Manaton (also Manyngton ) (* before April 27, 1589 - † June 11, 1651 ) was an English politician who was elected four times as a member of the House of Commons .

Origin, youth and marriage

Ambrose Manaton came from the Manaton family, a family of the lower gentry of Cornwall . The family had lived on Manaton near South Hill in Cornwall since the early 16th century , after which they named themselves. Ambrose Manaton was the second son of Peter Manaton († around 1616) and his wife Frances Couch . He was baptized on April 27, 1589. As a younger son he was to become a lawyer and therefore studied in 1612 at Lincoln's Inn in London. While still a student, he married Anne Trefusis († 1638), the wealthy widow of Richard Trefusis († 1612) and daughter of Peter Edgcumbe, in June 1613 . By marriage he came into possession of the South Petherwin estate and other lands in two parishes in Cornwall. His land estate was over 320 hectares, making him wealthier than his older brother Sampson , who inherited the family estates after their father died. In addition, he was related through his marriage to the Edgcumbe , Speccott , Trefusis and Coryton families, who were among the leading families of the Cornish gentry.

Political activity

Elected member of the House of Commons

Manaton was judge of the peace for Cornwall in 1614 probably through the relations of his wife's relatives . His brother-in-law Richard Edgcumbe probably convinced Sir Nicholas Prideaux to support Manaton's candidacy for Bossiney in the general election in 1621 . Prideaux, who was related to Edgcumbe, had significant political influence in the borough , so Manaton was elected. He was on a committee in the House of Commons , but there is no other evidence of his work. For unknown reasons, Manaton lost his post as justice of the peace in the same year, which he received again in 1622. In 1622 he began acquiring parts of Trecarrell south of South Petherwin. This brought him into closer contact with William Coryton , whom he probably supported politically before 1624. As a result, Charles Trevanion , another supporter of Coryton, successfully supported the candidacy of Manaton in Borough Tregony in the general election in 1624 , so that he was elected together with his nephew Peter Speccott . A tenant of the Duchy of Cornwall himself, Manaton was a member of a House of Commons committee that dealt with leases of the Duchy. In 1625 Manaton supported the creation of a 300-strong contingent that was sent to Ireland. In 1627 he was a member of a committee that established taxes in Cornwall.

Member of the opposition to the king

Despite his offices, Manaton was a supporter of Coryton's opposition to the Duke of Buckingham at this time , so the influential minister of King Charles I. Buckingham accused Manaton, along with Nicholas Trefusis , his neighbor and nephew by marriage, and with Sir Richard Buller hinder tax collection. He therefore called for the three of them to be removed from their offices as justice of the peace. Edward Nicholas , who was to convey Buckingham's wish to Lord Keeper Sir Thomas Coventry , replaced Manaton's name with that of Humphrey Nicoll . However, this was no justice of the peace, but because of this mistake Manaton kept his office. In the general election in 1625 and 1626 Manaton had already not run. In the later controversial general election in 1628 he had supported the candidacy of Nicholas Trefusis, who was a candidate of Coryton's ally Sir John Eliot , as a landowner in Borough Newport . At the same time, he also decisively supported the candidacy of his nephew Piers Edgcumbe as MP for Newport. His father Richard Edgcumbe was, however, a rival of Eliot and Coryton in the candidacy as Knight of the Shire for Cornwall, so that Manaton was apparently politically undecided. In the late 1630s he politically supported Richard and Piers Edgcumbe in particular. Piers Edgcumbe's father-in-law, John Glanville , made sure in 1637 that Manaton was admitted as a barrister at Lincoln's Inn and was probably also given the office of recorder of Launceston . Still an opponent of additional taxes, Manaton ignored the king's request in 1639 to pay a fee for the first episcopal war . In 1640 he was mayor of Camelford , where Piers Edgcumbe and his brother-in-law William Glanville were elected as MPs in the general election in October 1640 . He himself was elected MP for Launceston in the general election in April and November 1640.

Supporters of the King during the Civil War

In the November 1640 election, William Coryton had been elected as the second MP for Launceston, who, however, had now become a determined supporter of the king. Manaton, on the other hand, tried to mediate between parliament and king. He advocated reforms, but shortly before the outbreak of open civil war , he tried unsuccessfully in September 1642 to broker an armistice in Cornwall. Ultimately, he decided to support the king. On January 22, 1644 he was expelled from the Long Parliament , whereupon he participated in the Oxford Parliament convened by the King . He was awarded the title of Doctor of Law by the University of Oxford . In August 1644 Charles I was his guest in Trecarrell. In March 1645, Manaton was believed to be in Mount Edgcumbe House when his nephew Piers Edgcumbe surrendered to Sir Thomas Fairfax , commander in chief of the parliamentary troops. Although Fairfax had promised him only a mild sentence, Parliament had Manaton's property confiscated and removed from Launceston as a recorder. It was not until November 1650 that his possession was reconfirmed against a fine of £ 738. As early as 1638, after the death of his first wife, he had to return the possessions that she had received as Wittum , including South Petherwin. In October 1650, Manaton drew up his will. In it he left £ 1000 and £ 900 as dowries for his two underage daughters. This shows that his annual income, which Parliament had taken as the basis for his penalty payment of £ 550, was arguably underestimated.

Family and offspring

Manaton had a daughter from his first marriage to Anne Trefusis. After the death of his first wife, Manaton married Jane Mapowder around 1642 . She was a daughter of Narcissus Mapowder from Holsworthy and a co- heir of her brother Anthony Mapowder . With her he had two sons and two daughters who were minors when he died, including:

• Ambrose Manaton (1648-1696)
• Henry Manaton (1650-1716)
• Mary Manaton ∞ William Trevisa (around 1645–1680)

Web links

• Paul Hunneyball: MANATON (MANYNGTON), Ambrose (1589-1651), of South Petherwin and Trecarrel, Lezant, Cornw. (History of Parliament Online, Ref Volumes: 1604–1629)