Daniel Blagrave (1603–1668) was a prominent resident of the town of

Reading Reading is the process of taking in the sense or meaning of symbols, often specifically those of a written language, by means of Visual perception, sight or Somatosensory system, touch. For educators and researchers, reading is a multifacete ...

, in the English county of

Berkshire Berkshire ( ; abbreviated ), officially the Royal County of Berkshire, is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South East England. It is bordered by Oxfordshire to the north, Buckinghamshire to the north-east, Greater London ...

. He was Member of Parliament for the Parliamentary Borough of Reading over several periods between 1640 and 1660, and was also one of the signatories of King Charles I's death warrant. Of a branch of the Blagraves of Calcot Manor, near Reading,Burke's Landed Gentry, 17th edition, edited by L. G. Pine, Burke's Peerage Ltd, 1952, pages 200-201 Daniel Blagrave was educated at

Reading School Reading School is a state grammar school for boys with academy status in the English town of Reading, the county of Berkshire. It traces its history back to the school of Reading Abbey and is, thus, one of the oldest schools in England, alth ...

and trained to be a lawyer. Daniel Blagrave's uncle was the mathematician

John Blagrave John Blagrave of Reading, Berkshire, Reading (d. 1611) was an English Tudor period, Tudor mathematician, astronomer and designer of astronomical instrument, astronomical and mathematical instruments. His astrolabe designs, which he described in h ...

of Southcote Manor, in what is now the Reading suburb of Southcote, and Daniel inherited the manor on John's death. In 1643 he permitted the

Earl of Essex Earl of Essex is a title in the Peerage of England which was first created in the 12th century by King Stephen of England. The title has been recreated eight times from its original inception, beginning with a new first Earl upon each new cre ...

to use the manor as the

Roundhead Roundheads were the supporters of the Parliament of England during the English Civil War (1642–1651). Also known as Parliamentarians, they fought against King Charles I of England and his supporters, known as the Cavaliers or Royalists, who ...

headquarters during the Siege of Reading. He was Recorder of Reading from 1645 to 1656 and again from 1658. 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 ...

, Daniel Blagrave held various commissions and posts, and is said to have become a very wealthy man as a consequence. On the restoration of King Charles II, Daniel Blagrave fled the country and settled at

Aachen Aachen is the List of cities in North Rhine-Westphalia by population, 13th-largest city in North Rhine-Westphalia and the List of cities in Germany by population, 27th-largest city of Germany, with around 261,000 inhabitants. Aachen is locat ...

, in what is now Germany, where he died in 1668.

References

* 1603 births 1668 deaths People educated at Reading School Members of the Parliament of England (pre-1707) for Reading Regicides of Charles I English MPs 1640–1648 English MPs 1648–1653 English MPs 1659 {{1659-England-MP-stub