Sir John Bingley (c.1572–1638) was an English politician and Crown official, who spent much of his career in Ireland. He was Chief Secretary to Sir George Carey as

Lord Deputy of Ireland The Lord Deputy was the representative of the monarch and head of the Irish executive (government), executive under English rule, during the Lordship of Ireland and then the Kingdom of Ireland. He deputised prior to 1523 for the Viceroy of Ireland ...

from 1603 to 1605. He later served as Member of the

Parliament of England The Parliament of England was the legislature of the Kingdom of England from the 13th century until 1707 when it was replaced by the Parliament of Great Britain. Parliament evolved from the Great Council of England, great council of Lords Spi ...

for

Chester Chester is a cathedral city in Cheshire, England, on the River Dee, Wales, River Dee, close to the England–Wales border. With a built-up area population of 92,760 in 2021, it is the most populous settlement in the borough of Cheshire West an ...

from 1610 to 1611 and again in the

Addled Parliament The Parliament of 1614 was the second Parliament of England of the reign of James VI and I and sat between 5 April and 7 June 1614. Lasting only two months and two days, it saw no bills pass and was not even regarded as a parliament by contemp ...

of 1614. He became a senior official in the English Exchequer, but his career was ruined by the Suffolk corruption scandal of 1618, which led to his being fined and imprisoned. In time he was restored to some measure of royal favour, and returned to Ireland, where he became a trusted Crown servant.

Biography

He was born in

, the second son of John Bingley, and was educated at

Gray's Inn The Honourable Society of Gray's Inn, commonly known as Gray's Inn, is one of the four Inns of Court (professional associations for barristers and judges) in London. To be called to the bar in order to practise as a barrister in England and Wale ...

. During his years in Ireland, he held several lucrative offices and is said to have amassed a fortune. He returned to England about 1608. In addition to his career in Parliament, where he seems to have made little impression, he obtained the lucrative office of Writer of the Tallies at the Exchequer. Bingley was knighted at

Theobalds Theobalds House (also known as Theobalds Palace) in the parish of Cheshunt in the England, English county of Hertfordshire, north of London, was a significant stately home and (later) royal palace of the 16th and early 17th centuries. Set in ex ...

in January 1618. The occasion involved entertainments and a song performed by

John Finet Sir John Finet or Finett (1571–1641) was the English Master of the Ceremonies in the Stuart period, Stuart court. Early life Finet was a son of Robert Finet (d. 1582) of Soulton, Kent, Soulton, near Dover, Kent. His mother was Alice, daughter a ...

caused offence. His career was destroyed by the downfall of

Thomas Howard, 1st Earl of Suffolk Thomas Howard, 1st Earl of Suffolk, (24 August 1561 – 28 May 1626), of Audley End House in the parish of Saffron Walden in Essex, and of Suffolk House near Westminster, a member of the House of Howard, was the second son of Thomas Howard ...

, the

Lord High Treasurer The Lord High Treasurer was an English government position and has been a British government position since the Acts of Union of 1707. A holder of the post would be the third-highest-ranked Great Officer of State in England, below the Lord H ...

. Suffolk, his wife Katherine Knyvett and Bingley have been described as treating the Exchequer as "their private

bank account A bank account is a financial account maintained by a bank or other financial institution in which the financial transaction A financial transaction is an Contract, agreement, or communication, between a buyer and seller to exchange goods, ...

". The allegations of

corruption Corruption is a form of dishonesty or a criminal offense that is undertaken by a person or an organization that is entrusted in a position of authority to acquire illicit benefits or abuse power for one's gain. Corruption may involve activities ...

bribery Bribery is the corrupt solicitation, payment, or Offer and acceptance, acceptance of a private favor (a bribe) in exchange for official action. The purpose of a bribe is to influence the actions of the recipient, a person in charge of an official ...

and maladministration were numerous and detailed, and there is little doubt that all three were guilty as charged. After a trial in

Star Chamber The court of Star Chamber () was an English court that sat at the royal Palace of Westminster, from the late to the mid-17th century (), and was composed of privy counsellors and common-law judges, to supplement the judicial activities of the ...

, Bingley was found guilty, imprisoned and fined. The prosecution proposed a colossal fine of £100,000, but the actual fine imposed was £30,000. He was soon released from prison, but was much troubled by

lawsuits A lawsuit is a proceeding by one or more parties (the plaintiff or claimant) against one or more parties (the defendant) in a civil court of law. The archaic term "suit in law" is found in only a small number of laws still in effect today. T ...

from those he had defrauded, who included members of his own family like his brother-in-law

Benjamin Henshawe Benjamin Henshawe (1585–1631) was a London merchant tailor and silkman who supplied fabrics and passementerie for costume and furnishings for the royal court. His widow, Anna Henshawe, continued in business with William Geere. Background He wa ...

. In time he regained a measure of royal favour, and in about 1625 he was sent back to Ireland, where it was considered that his earlier experience of Irish affairs would be useful to the Government. He was appointed Comptroller of the Musters and Cheques for Ireland, and seems to have served the Crown responsibly: certainly, there were no further complaints against him of corruption or bribery. He died in

Dublin Dublin is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. Situated on Dublin Bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, and is bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, pa ...

in 1638.Bingley, John (c.1572-1638), of Chester, ''The History of Parliament: the House of Commons 1604-1629'', ed. Andrew Thrush and John P. Ferris, 2010
/ref>

Family

He married firstly Anne Henshaw, daughter of Thomas Henshaw of the

Worshipful Company of Merchant Taylors The Worshipful Company of Merchant Taylors is one of the 111 Livery company, livery companies of the City of London. The Company, originally known as the ''Guild and Fraternity of St John the Baptist in the City of London'', was founded prior t ...

, and secondly Elizabeth Nevill, daughter of Edward Nevill, 8th Baron Bergavenny and Rachel Lennard, and widow of Sir John Grey. His

will Will may refer to: Common meanings * Will and testament, instructions for the disposition of one's property after death * Will (philosophy), or willpower * Will (sociology) * Will, volition (psychology) * Will, a modal verb - see Shall and will ...

has not survived, but it appears that the bulk of his property passed to Jane, his only daughter by Anne Henshaw, who married

William Brabazon, 1st Earl of Meath William Brabazon, 1st Earl of Meath (158018 December 1651) was an Anglo-Irish peer. Brabazon was descended from an English family that was seated in Leicestershire from the reign of Henry III, and came to Ireland in the 1530s. He was the secon ...

. She died in 1644, leaving a son Edward, who succeeded to his father's title.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bingley, John 1570s births 1638 deaths Chief secretaries for Ireland English MPs 1604–1611 English MPs 1614 Knights Bachelor Members of Gray's Inn Politicians from Chester