Adam Baynes (''bapt''. 1622; died 1671) was a Parliamentarian army officer and MP for

Leeds Leeds is a city in West Yorkshire, England. It is the largest settlement in Yorkshire and the administrative centre of the City of Leeds Metropolitan Borough, which is the second most populous district in the United Kingdom. It is built aro ...

during the

Commonwealth A commonwealth is a traditional English term for a political community founded for the common good. The noun "commonwealth", meaning "public welfare, general good or advantage", dates from the 15th century. Originally a phrase (the common-wealth ...

, and as such the first MP for the city. He was later also MP for Appleby. He enjoyed the patronage of John Lambert, who he served under during the

First English Civil War The First English Civil War took place in England and Wales from 1642 to 1646, and forms part of the 1639 to 1653 Wars of the Three Kingdoms. An estimated 15% to 20% of adult males in England and Wales served in the military at some point b ...

, which helped his parliamentary career, but also later led to his downfall when the Royalists regained power in 1660.

Life and career

Adam Baynes was the eldest son of Robert Baynes and Joan Brown, of Knostrop Hall, east of

, where his family had resided since at least the middle of the sixteenth century. He was baptised on 22 December 1622 in Leeds. During the

, Baynes joined the Parliamentarian army, serving under Ferdinando, Lord Fairfax. After initially serving as a captain in the infantry, he raised a cavalry troop, and subsequently fought at the battles of Adwalton Moor and Marston Moor. He subsequently served as an officer under John Lambert, who had command of the northern brigade from August 1647. Baynes was moved to London, where he acted as the brigade's financial agent, purchasing lands, soldier's debts and estates for his fellow officers. He purchased the Holdenby House estate for himself in 1650, though he was criticised for the personal profits he made from the transactions. He married Martha () in July 1650, and the pair had sixteen children, ten of whom outlived Baynes. The patronage of Lambert helped Baynes to gain election to the

First Protectorate Parliament The First Protectorate Parliament was summoned by the Lord Protector Oliver Cromwell under the terms of the Instrument of Government. It sat for one term from 3 September 1654 until 22 January 1655 with William Lenthall as the Speaker of the H ...

in 1654, and he was returned again two years later to the

Second Protectorate Parliament The Second Protectorate Parliament in England sat for two sessions from 17 September 1656 until 4 February 1658, with Thomas Widdrington as the Speaker of the House of Commons (United Kingdom), Speaker of the House of Commons. In its first sess ...

. He was described as "an army agent of some influence at

Whitehall Whitehall is a road and area in the City of Westminster, Central London, England. The road forms the first part of the A roads in Zone 3 of the Great Britain numbering scheme, A3212 road from Trafalgar Square to Chelsea, London, Chelsea. It ...

",The Story of English Towns - Leeds
J. S. Fletcher, Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge, 1919 and was generally sympathetic towards

Quakers Quakers are people who belong to the Religious Society of Friends, a historically Protestantism, Protestant Christian set of Christian denomination, denominations. Members refer to each other as Friends after in the Bible, and originally ...

. After Lambert was removed from his position by

Oliver Cromwell Oliver Cromwell (25 April 15993 September 1658) was an English statesman, politician and soldier, widely regarded as one of the most important figures in British history. He came to prominence during the Wars of the Three Kingdoms, initially ...

, Baynes also left his position, though it is unclear if he was removed or resigned. In 1659, Leeds did not have a seat in Parliament, and Baynes was instead elected as an MP for Appleby. Baynes continued to support Lambert in the House of Commons, opposing the vote to make

Richard Cromwell Richard Cromwell (4 October 162612 July 1712) was an English statesman who served as Lord Protector of the Commonwealth of England, Scotland and Ireland from 1658 to 1659. He was the son of Lord Protector Oliver Cromwell. Following his father ...

the second

Lord Protector Lord Protector (plural: ''Lords Protector'') is a title that has been used in British constitutional law for the head of state. It was also a particular title for the British heads of state in respect to the established church. It was sometime ...

. The dissolution of

The Protectorate The Protectorate, officially the Commonwealth of England, Scotland and Ireland, was the English form of government lasting from 16 December 1653 to 25 May 1659, under which the kingdoms of Kingdom of England, England, Kingdom of Scotland, Scotl ...

in 1659 allowed Baynes to return to the Army, but a year later 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 gove ...

favouring Convention Parliament had him arrested and had to forfeit the crown lands he had purchased. He kept most of his Holdenby estate and received an appointment as "crown receiver for the manor of Leeds". He suffered financial issues in the mid-1660s, and was sent to the

Tower of London The Tower of London, officially His Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress of the Tower of London, is a historic citadel and castle on the north bank of the River Thames in central London, England. It lies within the London Borough of Tower Hamle ...

in 1666 for "treasonable practices". He died around 5 January 1671, and left "houses, coalpits, and a 'considerable colliery'" to his family.

Life and career

References

Further reading