William Farrington (died 1659) was an English politician who sat in the

House of Commons The House of Commons is the name for the elected lower house of the bicameral parliaments of the United Kingdom and Canada. In both of these countries, the Commons holds much more legislative power than the nominally upper house of parliament. ...

in 1640. He supported the

Royalist A royalist supports a particular monarch as head of state for a particular kingdom, or of a particular dynastic claim. In the abstract, this position is royalism. It is distinct from monarchism, which advocates a monarchical system of governme ...

cause in the

English Civil War The English Civil War (1642–1651) was a series of civil wars and political machinations between Parliamentarians (" Roundheads") and Royalists led by Charles I ("Cavaliers"), mainly over the manner of England's governance and issues of re ...

. Farrington was the son of Thomas Farrington and grandson of William Farrington of Worden, Lancashire, an estate which the family had held since the time of Edward III. His grandfather left him the estate at Worden in 1610, cutting out his father who was said to have been a spendthrift. Farrington also purchased the manor of Leyland in 1617. 'Townships: Leyland', A History of the County of Lancaster: Volume 6 (1911), pp. 10–17. Date accessed: 6 July 2011
/ref> He was secretary to Lord Strange. In 1636 he was appointed

High Sheriff of Lancashire The High Sheriff of Lancashire is an ancient officer, now largely ceremonial, granted to Lancashire, a county in North West England. High Shrievalties are the oldest secular titles under the Crown, in England and Wales. The High Sheriff of Lanca ...

William Duncombe Pink, Alfred B. Beaven ''The parliamentary representation of Lancashire, (county and borough), 1258-1885, with biographical and genealogical notices of the members, &c.'' (1889)
/ref> and in April 1640 elected

Member of Parliament A member of parliament (MP) is the representative in parliament of the people who live in their electoral district. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, this term refers only to members of the lower house since upper house members of ...

for

Lancashire Lancashire ( , ; abbreviated Lancs) is the name of a historic county, ceremonial county, and non-metropolitan county in North West England. The boundaries of these three areas differ significantly. The non-metropolitan county of Lancashi ...

in the

Short Parliament The Short Parliament was a Parliament of England that was summoned by King Charles I of England on the 20th of February 1640 and sat from 13th of April to the 5th of May 1640. It was so called because of its short life of only three weeks. Aft ...

. In the Civil War, he was appointed a commissioner of array, reported by the Parliamentarians as one of "the most busy and active" and made colonel of the newly raised

Lancashire Militia The Lancashire Militia was an auxiliary military force in Lancashire in North West England. From their formal organisation as Trained Bands in 1558 and their service in the Williamite War in Ireland and against the Jacobite Risings, the Militia re ...

. In 1642 his servant, William Sumner, captured a stock of gunpowder at Preston and Farrington accompanied Lord Strange to the siege of Manchester. He was principal adviser of the

Countess Count (feminine: countess) is a historical title of nobility in certain European countries, varying in relative status, generally of middling rank in the hierarchy of nobility.L. G. Pine, Pine, L. G. ''Titles: How the King Became His Majesty'' ...

during her defence of

Lathom House Lathom House was a large country house in the parish of Lathom in Lancashire, England. Built between 1725 and 1740, the main block was demolished in 1925. Early history A wooden castle is believed to have stood on the site in mediaeval times. ...

against Parliamentary forces in the

Siege of Lathom House The siege of Lathom House was a military confrontation between a Parliamentarian army and a Royalist stronghold in Lathom near Ormskirk in Lancashire, during the First English Civil War. The first siege lasted from late February to late Ma ...

and in consequence his estate was sequestered by parliament. He was made a prisoner in 1646, after which he compounded for his estates and took no further part in the wars. Farrington died in 1659, three years after his father who had died at the age of 90. 'Alumni Oxonienses, 1500-1714: Faber-Flood', Alumni Oxonienses 1500-1714: Abannan-Kyte (1891), pp. 480–509. Date accessed: 6 July 2011
/ref> He had married Margaret, the daughter of Henry Worrell and left 3 sons and 3 daughters. He was succeeded by his eldest son William who also fought in the Royalist cause and was awarded the title of

Knight of the Royal Oak The Knights of the Royal Oak was an intended order of chivalry in England. It was proposed in 1660 at the time of the restoration of Charles II of England to be a reward for those Englishmen who had faithfully and actively supported Charles dur ...

References

External links

The Telegraph "Worden Old Hall:An Ancient Jewel" Restored 22 November 2007
{{DEFAULTSORT:Farrington, William Year of birth missing 1659 deaths English MPs 1640 (April) Cavaliers High Sheriffs of Lancashire Members of the Parliament of England (pre-1707) for Lancashire