Sir Robert Mansell (1573–1656) was an admiral of the English
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy (RN) is the naval warfare force of the United Kingdom. It is a component of His Majesty's Naval Service, and its officers hold their commissions from the King of the United Kingdom, King. Although warships were used by Kingdom ...
and a
Member of Parliament (MP), mostly for
Welsh constituencies. His name was sometimes given as Mansfield and Maunsell.
Early life
Mansel was a Welshman, the son of Sir Edward Mansel of
Penrice and
Margam
Margam is a suburb and community (Wales), community of Port Talbot in the Wales, Welsh county borough of Neath Port Talbot, Wales, close to junction 39 of the M4 motorway. The community had a population of 3,017 in 2011; the built up area being l ...
(died 1585), although he later established himself among the gentry of
Norfolk
Norfolk ( ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in England, located in East Anglia and officially part of the East of England region. It borders Lincolnshire and The Wash to the north-west, the North Sea to the north and eas ...
. His early naval career is not recorded, but he served in the 1596
raid on Cádiz under
Robert Devereux, Earl of Essex, commanding
''Vanguard'', and was knighted for his part in it. He subsequently took part in Essex's
Islands Voyage to the
Azores
The Azores ( , , ; , ), officially the Autonomous Region of the Azores (), is one of the two autonomous regions of Portugal (along with Madeira). It is an archipelago composed of nine volcanic islands in the Macaronesia region of the North Atl ...
(1597), then held commands off the
Irish coast during
Essex's campaign in Ireland. In October 1602 he was fitted out with a fleet and with the Dutch helped defeat six Spanish galleys under
Federico Spinola at the
Battle of the Narrow Seas. As a result, Mansell was named Vice-Admiral of the Narrow seas in 1603 and became
Treasurer of the Navy in 1604. Mansel was made Treasurer of the Navy by the
Earl of Nottingham
:''See also Earl of Winchilsea''
Earl of Nottingham is a title that has been created seven times in the Peerage of England. It was first created for John de Mowbray, 1st Earl of Nottingham, John de Mowbray in 1377, at the coronation of Richard ...
, displacing
Fulke Greville.
Duel

In October 1600, Sir Robert's quarrel with a Norfolk neighbour, Sir John Heydon, ended in a notorious duel. Heydon's brother,
Sir Christopher Heydon, was already noted for such affairs and in fact was at that moment detained in London by the
Privy Council to prevent him duelling with
Sir John Townshend. The Council seem to have got wind of the dispute between Mansell and Heydon, and the
Lord Chief Justice
The Lord or Lady Chief Justice of England and Wales is the head of the judiciary of England and Wales and the president of the courts of England and Wales.
Until 2005 the lord chief justice was the second-most senior judge of the English a ...
wrote to
Sir Robert Cecil
Robert Cecil, 1st Earl of Salisbury, (1 June 156324 May 1612) was an English statesman noted for his direction of the government during the Union of the Crowns, as Tudor England gave way to Stuart period, Stuart rule (1603). Lord Salisbury ser ...
, urging him to forestall it since the county was "already too much wrought into faction". But he was too late, and the fight took place outside
Norwich
Norwich () is a cathedral city and district of the county of Norfolk, England, of which it is the county town. It lies by the River Wensum, about north-east of London, north of Ipswich and east of Peterborough. The population of the Norwich ...
: Heydon was badly wounded, and lost a hand (which is now, in a mummified state, on display in Norwich Castle Museum). Both Heydons were followers of
Robert Devereux, Earl of Essex, and took part in his
rebellion
Rebellion is an uprising that resists and is organized against one's government. A rebel is a person who engages in a rebellion. A rebel group is a consciously coordinated group that seeks to gain political control over an entire state or a ...
in the following year. Mansell remained loyal to the Queen, and took an active part in arresting those implicated as accomplices.
Political and business career
In 1601, Mansel stood for Parliament as a candidate for
Norfolk
Norfolk ( ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in England, located in East Anglia and officially part of the East of England region. It borders Lincolnshire and The Wash to the north-west, the North Sea to the north and eas ...
, the election having been delayed by the Essex Rebellion. He was defeated, perhaps because of disapproval of his duel, but was however elected as MP for
King's Lynn
King's Lynn, known until 1537 as Bishop's Lynn and colloquially as Lynn, is a port and market town in the borough of King's Lynn and West Norfolk in the county of Norfolk, England. It is north-east of Peterborough, north-north-east of Cambridg ...
at the same election. He later served as member for
Carmarthenshire
Carmarthenshire (; or informally ') is a Principal areas of Wales, county in the South West Wales, south-west of Wales. The three largest towns are Llanelli, Carmarthen and Ammanford. Carmarthen is the county town and administrative centre. ...
(1604–14),
Glamorgan
Glamorgan (), or sometimes Glamorganshire ( or ), was Historic counties of Wales, one of the thirteen counties of Wales that existed from 1536 until their abolishment in 1974. It is located in the South Wales, south of Wales. Originally an ea ...
(1624–1625 and 1628) and
Lostwithiel
Lostwithiel (; ) is a civil parish and small town in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom at the head of the estuary of the River Fowey. According to the 2001 census it had a population of 2,739, increasing to 2,899 at the 2011 census. The Lostwi ...
(1626).
He accompanied the
Earl of Nottingham
:''See also Earl of Winchilsea''
Earl of Nottingham is a title that has been created seven times in the Peerage of England. It was first created for John de Mowbray, 1st Earl of Nottingham, John de Mowbray in 1377, at the coronation of Richard ...
on his mission to Spain in 1605. Like several Jacobean courtiers and officials, Mansell received gifts of money from Spanish diplomats between 1604 and 1625.
In January 1606 he and his nephew, Lewis Mansell, were two of the nobles who performed for the court in '
Hymenaei', a masque written by
Ben Jonson
Benjamin Jonson ( 11 June 1572 – ) was an English playwright, poet and actor. Jonson's artistry exerted a lasting influence on English poetry and stage comedy. He popularised the comedy of humours; he is best known for the satire, satirical ...
for the marriage of
Robert Devereux, 3rd Earl of Essex
Robert Devereux, 3rd Earl of Essex, KB, PC (; 11 January 1591 – 14 September 1646) was an English Parliamentarian and soldier during the first half of the 17th century. With the start of the Civil War in 1642, he became the first Captai ...
, and
Lady Frances Howard. In August 1606 he escorted
Christian IV back to Denmark with the ''
Vanguard
The vanguard (sometimes abbreviated to van and also called the advance guard) is the leading part of an advancing military formation. It has a number of functions, including seeking out the enemy and securing ground in advance of the main force.
...
'' and the ''Moon''.
In 1609, his name appears on the Second Charter of Virginia dated 23 May 1609. As investor (London Company) and on the council.
As treasurer of the navy Robert Mansell was granted funds for "the naval fight to be had upon the
river of Thames, for the more
magnificent and royal solemnizing of the marriage of the Lady Elizabeth" in February 1613. The show was partly the work of the naval architect
Phineas Pett.
In 1613, he was accused of political disaffection and imprisoned in the
Marshalsea Prison
The Marshalsea (1373–1842) was a notorious prison in Southwark, just south of the River Thames. Although it housed a variety of prisoners—including men accused of crimes at sea and political figures charged with sedition—it became known, ...
, but was soon released and seems not to have remained in disfavour for long since he not only retained his offices but in 1615 obtained a monopoly on the manufacture of
glass
Glass is an amorphous (non-crystalline solid, non-crystalline) solid. Because it is often transparency and translucency, transparent and chemically inert, glass has found widespread practical, technological, and decorative use in window pane ...
. He established glass factories in various places, including the first at
Newcastle
Newcastle usually refers to:
*Newcastle upon Tyne, a city and metropolitan borough in Tyne and Wear, England, United Kingdom
*Newcastle-under-Lyme, a town in Staffordshire, England, United Kingdom
*Newcastle, New South Wales, a metropolitan area ...
, pioneering the use of sea coal rather than wood in the manufacturing process, and there are records of his later defence of his patents in parliamentary debates. He also acquired the
Vauxhall glassworks in
Lambeth
Lambeth () is a district in South London, England, which today also gives its name to the (much larger) London Borough of Lambeth. Lambeth itself was an ancient parish in the county of Surrey. It is situated 1 mile (1.6 km) south of Charin ...
and glass factories in
Woolwich
Woolwich () is a town in South London, southeast London, England, within the Royal Borough of Greenwich.
The district's location on the River Thames led to its status as an important naval, military and industrial area; a role that was mainta ...
, where he also managed the
dockyard
A shipyard, also called a dockyard or boatyard, is a place where ships are built and repaired. These can be yachts, military vessels, cruise liners or other cargo or passenger ships. Compared to shipyards, which are sometimes more involve ...
and the
ropeyard, close to his home in East-
Greenwich
Greenwich ( , , ) is an List of areas of London, area in south-east London, England, within the Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county of Greater London, east-south-east of Charing Cross.
Greenwich is notable for its maritime hi ...
.
In 1618, Mansel was appointed Vice-Admiral of England in 1618, and ceased to be Treasurer of the Navy. Contemporary papers suggest this was not in fact intended as a promotion, and that he was deliberately moved to a less influential position because of suspicions of his dishonest administration as treasurer. Nevertheless, he apparently retained royal favour, even after the failure of the expedition he led against the pirates of
Algiers
Algiers is the capital city of Algeria as well as the capital of the Algiers Province; it extends over many Communes of Algeria, communes without having its own separate governing body. With 2,988,145 residents in 2008Census 14 April 2008: Offi ...
in 1621.
In 1620, his name appears on the Charter of New England 3 November 1620. As investor (Plymouth Company) and on the council.
In 1620 (Oct), he led a force of the King's warships to the Barbary coast in an effort to find English slaves taken from the shores of the South West.
Personal life
Sir Robert married twice: first to Elizabeth Bacon, daughter of
Sir Nicholas Bacon, the
Lord Keeper of the Great Seal
The Lord Keeper of the Great Seal of England, and later of Great Britain, was formerly an officer of the English Crown charged with physical custody of the Great Seal of England. This position evolved into that of one of the Great Officers of ...
; and secondly, in 1617, to
Elizabeth Roper (d. 1658),
[Daniel Lysons, ''The Environs of London: Counties of Herts, Essex & Kent'', vol. 4 (London, 1796), p. 475.] daughter of Sir John Roper. He had no children.
He died in 1656.
Honors
In 1613,
Mansel Island in
Nunavut
Nunavut is the largest and northernmost Provinces and territories of Canada#Territories, territory of Canada. It was separated officially from the Northwest Territories on April 1, 1999, via the ''Nunavut Act'' and the Nunavut Land Claims Agr ...
,
Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...
was named in his honor by
Sir Thomas Button.
[
]
References
* ''
Concise Dictionary of National Biography'' (1930)
*
J. E. Neale, ''The Elizabethan House of Commons'' (London: Jonathan Cape, 1949)
Robert Mansel on ''Dictionary of Welsh Biography''
* ''Cobbett's Parliamentary history of England, from the Norman Conquest in 1066 to the year 1803'' (London: Thomas Hansard, 1808
* Second charter of Virginia - Yale Law Schoo
* Charter of New England - Yale Law Schoo
, -
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mansel, Robert
1573 births
1656 deaths
English duellists
English admirals
16th-century English military personnel
17th-century Royal Navy personnel
English people of the Anglo-Spanish War (1585–1604)
Members of the Parliament of England (pre-1707) for constituencies in Wales
Members of the pre-1707 English Parliament for constituencies in Cornwall
Grooms of the Chamber
English MPs 1601
English MPs 1604–1611
English MPs 1614
English MPs 1624–1625
English MPs 1626
English MPs 1628–1629
Robert
The name Robert is an ancient Germanic given name, from Proto-Germanic "fame" and "bright" (''Hrōþiberhtaz''). Compare Old Dutch ''Robrecht'' and Old High German ''Hrodebert'' (a compound of ''Hrōþ, Hruod'' () "fame, glory, honour, prais ...