MARWOOD, Sir Henry, 2nd Bt. (c.1635-1725), of Little Busby, Stokesley, Yorks.

Published in The History of Parliament: the House of Commons 1660-1690, ed. B.D. Henning, 1983
Available from Boydell and Brewer

Constituency

Dates

Family and Education

b. c.1635, 1st s. of Sir George Marwood, 1st Bt. of Little Busby, by Frances, da. of Sir Walter Bethel of Alne. educ. Lincoln, Oxf. 1652; G. Inn 1653. m. (1) 19 May 1658, Margaret (d.1660), da. of Conyers Darcy of Hornby Castle, Yorks. (later 1st Earl of Holderness), 1da.; (2) 6 July 1663, Dorothy, da. of Allen Bellingham of Levins, Westmld., 2s. d.v.p. 2da.; (3) bef. 1679, Martha, da. of Sir Thomas Wentworth of Elmsall, Yorks., wid. of Thomas Wombwell of Wombwell, Yorks., s.p. suc. fa. 19 Feb. 1680.1

Offices Held

Commr. for assessment, Yorks. (N. Riding) 1661-3, 1664-80, (N. and W. Ridings) 1689-90, Mdx. 1690; j.p. (N. Riding) 1666-Feb. 1688, Nov. 1688-at least 1702, (W. Riding) 1674-Aug. 1688, Nov. 1688-bef. 1701, Mdx. and Westminster 1692-?d., sherriff, Yorks. 1674-5; dep. lt. (N. Riding) 1683-Feb. 1688.2

Biography

Marwood’s family had held Little Busby since 1587. His father, a Calvinist squire, served on the North Riding committee, held local office during the Interregnum, and represented Malton in Richard Cromwell’s Parliament. But in 1660 he and Marwood both signed the Yorkshire petition to George Monck for a free Parliament. After an unresolved double return for Northallerton in July he was created a baronet, and presumably conformed to the Church of England, since he continued to act as j.p. Marwood himself, an opponent of exclusion like his brother-in-law Richard Weston, stood for Northallerton at the first election of 1679. In 1680 he was described as ‘a traducer of petitioning, by setting his hand to a paper for that purpose’. In 1684 he helped Sir John Reresby and Sir Thomas Slingsby to compile a list of those citizens ‘of best ability and loyalty’ for the remodelled York corporation. He was returned for Northallerton as a Tory in the following year. A moderately active Member of James II’s Parliament, he was appointed to six committees of minor importance, including those to consider the tithe bill and to estimate the yield of a tax on new buildings. To the lord lieutenant’s questions on the repeal of the Test Act and Penal Laws he replied:

If his Majesty’s promises in his gracious Declaration be made good to us by such an Act of Parliament as shall well secure the Church of England in the liberty of conscience and in the properties of their estates as they are now, I shall incline that Penal Laws may be made easy to all dissenters. ... If I concern myself in the election of any Member of Parliament it shall be for such an one as in my judgment shall be loyal to his Majesty and careful of the national interest.

He was removed from local office, but took no known part in the Revolution. He accepted the new regime, but seems to have moved to London soon afterwards, attending the North Riding quarter sessions for the last time in 1694. He died on 1 Nov. 1725, aged 90, and was buried at Stokesley. He was the last of his family to sit in Parliament.3

Ref Volumes: 1660-1690

Authors: P. A. Bolton / Paula Watson

Notes

  • 1. Clay, Dugdale’s Vis. Yorks. ii. 179-81.
  • 2. N. Riding Recs. vi. 99; HMC Var. ii. 169; Add. 29674, ff. 160-1.
  • 3. VCH Yorks. N. Riding, ii. 304-5; J. T. Cliffe, Yorks. Gentry, 335; SP18/219/49; HMC Astley, 38; HMC Lords, i. 193; Reresby Mems. 336; N. Riding Recs. vii. 147.