James Fiennes, 2nd Viscount Saye and Sele (c. 1602 – 15 March 1674) was an English peer and MP at various times between 1625 and 1660, when he succeeded his father and entered the

House of Lords The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the lower house, the House of Commons of the United Kingdom, House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster in London, England. One of the oldest ext ...

Personal details

James Fiennes was born 1602 at Broughton Castle,

Oxfordshire Oxfordshire ( ; abbreviated ''Oxon'') is a ceremonial county in South East England. The county is bordered by Northamptonshire and Warwickshire to the north, Buckinghamshire to the east, Berkshire to the south, and Wiltshire and Glouceste ...

, eldest son of

William Fiennes, 1st Viscount Saye and Sele William Fiennes, 1st Viscount Saye and Sele (28 June 158214 April 1662) was an English nobleman and politician. He was a leading critic of Charles I's rule during the 1620s and 1630s. He was known also for his involvement in several companies ...

(1582–1662), and his wife Elizabeth Temple (died 1648). His siblings included

Nathaniel Nathaniel is an English variant of the biblical Hebrew name A name is a term used for identification by an external observer. They can identify a class or category of things, or a single thing, either uniquely, or within a given context. ...

(1608–1669),

Bridget Bridget is an Irish language, Irish female name derived from the Goidelic languages, Gaelic noun , meaning "power, strength, vigor, virtue". An alternative meaning of the name is "exalted one". Its popularity, especially in Ireland, is largely re ...

John John is a common English name and surname: * John (given name) * John (surname) John may also refer to: New Testament Works * Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John * First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John * Second E ...

(1612–1708), Constance and Elizabeth. Sometime before 1631, Fiennes married Frances Cecil (died 1684), daughter of

Edward Cecil, 1st Viscount Wimbledon Edward Cecil, 1st Viscount Wimbledon (29 February 1572 – 16 November 1638) was an English military commander and a politician who sat in the House of Commons at various times between 1601 and 1624. Life Cecil was the third son of Thomas Ceci ...

. They had three sons, all of whom died as infants, plus two daughters, Frances and Elizabeth (died 1674). In the absence of a direct male heir, his nephew William (1639–1698), son of his younger brother Nathaniel, became the third Viscount Saye and Sele on his death in 1674.

Career

In 1625, Fiennes was elected Member of Parliament for

Banbury Banbury is an historic market town and civil parish on the River Cherwell in Oxfordshire, South East England. The parish had a population of 54,335 at the 2021 Census. Banbury is a significant commercial and retail centre for the surrounding ...

. He was elected MP for

1626 Events January–March * January 7 – Polish–Swedish War (1625–1629), Polish-Swedish War: Battle of Wallhof in Latvia – Gustavus Adolphus, King of Sweden, defeats a Polish army. * January 9 – Peter Minuit sail ...

and in 1628 and sat until 1629 when King Charles decided to rule without parliament for eleven years. In April 1640 he was re-elected MP for Oxfordshire in the

Short Parliament The Short Parliament was a Parliament of England that was summoned by King Charles I of England on 20 February 1640 and sat from 13 April to 5 May 1640. It was so called because of its short session of only three weeks. After 11 years of per ...

. He was re-elected MP for Oxfordshire in November 1640 for the

Long Parliament The Long Parliament was an Parliament of England, English Parliament which lasted from 1640 until 1660, making it the longest-lasting Parliament in English and British history. It followed the fiasco of the Short Parliament, which had convened f ...

and sat until 1648.History of Parliament Online - Fiennes, Hon. James
/ref> In 1660, Fiennes was elected Member of Parliament for

in the Convention Parliament. He succeeded to the viscountcy on the death of his father in 1662. He was

Lord Lieutenant of Oxfordshire This is a list of people who have served as Lord Lieutenant of Oxfordshire. Since 1689, all Lords Lieutenant have also been Custos Rotulorum of Oxfordshire. Deputy lieutenants A deputy lieutenant of Oxfordshire is commissioned by the Lord Lieut ...

from 1668 until his death.

References

Sources

* * * * , - , - {{DEFAULTSORT:Saye And Sele, James Fiennes, 2nd Viscount 1600s births 1674 deaths Lord-lieutenants of Oxfordshire Year of birth uncertain People from Banbury James English MPs 1625 English MPs 1626 English MPs 1628–1629 English MPs 1640 (April) English MPs 1640–1648 English MPs 1660 2 Alumni of Queens' College, Cambridge Members of Lincoln's Inn