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Francis Rousb. 1579, Dittisham, Devonshire (or Hatton, Cornwall) [1] |
| Title: | Speaker |
| Term: | 5 Jul 1653 - 12 Dec 1653 |
| Chronology: | 5 Jul 1653, chosen to preside at the assembly summoned by Captain General and Commander-in-Chief and named the Supreme Authority in the Instrument issued by the Captain General and Commander-in-Chief [2, p. 281] |
| 6 Jul 1653, the assembly resolved to assume the name of Parliament [2, p. 282] | |
| 7 Jul 1653, Parliament resolved to assume the name of Parliament of the Commonwealth of England [2, p. 282]; the title of Speaker confirmed [3] | |
| 2 Aug 1653, left the seat of Speaker on assumption that his one-month term expired; called to the chair again at the same session of Parliament [2, p. 294]; one-month term extended by the Parliament on 30 Aug 1653 [2, p. 310], 27 Sep 1653 [2, p. 325], 25 Oct 1653 [2, p. 339] | |
| 12 Dec 1653, Parliament resigned the powers in favor of Captain General and Commander-in-Chief [4] |
| Biography: | |
Francis Rous was educated at Oxford (1596-1597), and the University of Leyden (1598-1599). He was a Member of Parliament (1625-1656) during the reign of King Charles I. Rous became provost of Eton in 1643. The Westminster Assembly appointed him one of its lay assessors (1643); he was also chairman of the committee for ordination of ministers after its organization (1643-1644). In 1649 Rous went over to the Independents and served on the committee for the propagation of the Gospel, which framed an abortive scheme for a state church on the Congregational plan. Nominated to the "Barebone's" Parliament (1653), Rous was elected its Speaker (5 Jul 1653). After this body dissolved itself on 12 Dec 1653, Rous was sworn in on the Lord Protector's Council of State. He was placed on the committee for the approbation of public preachers (1653-1654), and served on the committee of discussion of the kingship (1656). Rous was author of "Psalms Translated into English Metre" (1643; 1646), a version approved by the Westminster Assembly and authorized by Parliament for general use, and adopted by the Committee of Estates in Scotland. Biography source: [5; 6; 7] |
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| Sources and notes: | |
| [1] | The place of birth is Dittisham according to "Dictionary of National Biography", or Hatton according to "The Lives of the Speakers of the House of Commons". The date of death is given according to "The Lives of the Speakers of the House of Commons". |
| [2] | "The Journals of the House of Commons", Vol. VII. |
| [3] | "Resolved, That such Person, as shall be called to the Chair of the House, shall be Speaker; and have the Title of Speaker." [2, p. 282] |
| [4] | Monday, the 12th of December, 1653. Parliament resign their Powers. IT being moved in the House this Day, That the Sitting of this Parliament any longer, as now constituted, will not be for the Good of the Commonwealth; and that therefore it was requisite to deliver up unto the Lord General Cromwell the Powers which they received from him; and that Motion being seconded by several other Members; the House rose: And the Speaker, with many of the Members of the House, departed out of the House to Whitehall; where they, being the greater Number of the Members sitting in Parliament, did, by a Writing under their Hands, resign unto his Excellency their said Powers: And Mr. Speaker, attended with the Members, did present the same to his Excellency, accordingly. [2, p. 363] |
| [5] | "The Lives of the Speakers of the House of Commons", by James Alexander Manning (London, 1850). |
| [6] | "Dictionary of National Biography" (Smith, Elder, London, 1900). |
| [7] | "The New Schaff-Herzog Encyclopedia of Religious Knowledge", Vol. X: Reutsch - Son (Baker Book House, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1953, web site). |
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