Family and Education

b. 29 June 1566, 1st s. of Christopher Yelverton by Margaret, da. of Thomas Catesby of Whiston. educ. Christ’s, Camb. 1581; G. Inn, called. m. Mary, da. of Robert Beale 2s. 3da. suc. 1612. Kntd. 1613.

Offices Held

Ancient, G. Inn 1593; Reader, Staple Inn 1595; Autumn reader, G. Inn 1606, Lent 1607; recorder, Northampton 1599, appointed for life 1618; solicitor-gen. 1613-17; attorney-gen. 1617, dismissed 1621; j.c.p. 1625-d.

Biography

Yelverton is said to have occupied himself while at Gray’s Inn in taking down sermons of Edward Phillips, the puritan preacher, at St. Olave’s, Southwark, afterwards printing them, with a dedication to his father, under the title Certain Godly and Learned Sermons. A rising lawyer, he was active in the 1597 Parliament, of which his father was Speaker, sitting on Commons committees concerned with monopolies (10 Nov.), Northampton (16 Nov.), the poor (22 Nov.), draining the fens (25 Nov., 3 Dec.), husbandry and tillage and the export of sheepskins (26 Nov.), maltsters (7 Dec., 12 Jan.), the defence of the realm (16 Jan.), dress (19 Jan.), tellers and receivers (23 Jan.), and the better execution of judgment (25 Jan.).

By the time of the elections to the 1601 Parliament, Yelverton had succeeded his father as recorder of Northampton, but the town chose two other local lawyers. He regained a borough seat in the first Parliament of James I. He died 24 Jan. 1630, having made his will the previous 25 Aug.2

Ref Volumes: 1558-1603

Author: P. W. Hasler

Notes

• 1. C219/284/27.
• 2. DNB; G. Inn Pens. Bk. i. 100, 111, 138, 178, 208; Northampton Recs. i. 129; ii. 103-5; Collinson thesis; D’Ewes, 555, 557, 561, 563, 564, 567, 569, 578, 581, 583, 586, 587; HMC Hatfield, vii. 477; Townshend, Hist. Colls. 108, 109, 113; PCC 55 Scroope.