Biography of GRIMSTON, Sir Harbottle

	Harbottle Grimston b. 27 Jan 1603, Bradfield Hall near Manningtree, Essex d. 2 Jan 1685, presumably in London
Title:	Speaker of the House of Commons
Term:	25 Apr 1660 - 29 Dec 1660
Chronology:	25 Apr 1660, elected Speaker by the House of Commons [1, p. 1]
	29 Dec 1660, Parliament dissolved [1, pp. 234-244]
Names/titles:	Sir Harbottle Grimston, 2nd baronet

Biography:
A strong Presbyterian, Sir Harbottle Grimston represented Colchester in the Long Parliament. He was one of the members excluded by Pride's Purge (6 Dec 1648). On the king's execution he left England, and remained abroad for several years. In 1656 he was elected Member of Parliament for Essex, but was excluded from the House. On 25 Apr 1660, he was elected Speaker of the Convention Parliament. He was also one of the commissioners sent to Charles II at Breda. For his services at the Restoration, he was, in November 1660, created Master of the Rolls. During the reign of Charles II he distinguished himself by asserting the right of the Commons to chose their own speaker (1679) and by his hostility to the Catholics. [2; 3; 4]


[1]	"Journals of the House of Commons", vol. VIII.
[2]	"The Lives of the Speakers of the House of Commons", by James Alexander Manning (London, 1850).
[3]	"Dictionary of English History", by S.J. Low and F.S. Pulling (Cassell, London 1910).
[4]	"Dictionary of National Biography" (Smith, Elder, London 1900).
	Image: portrait of Sir Harbottle Grimston, 2nd Bt by unknown artist, 1660s.

Last update: 20 Feb 2024

Harbottle Grimston