Sir Robert Killigrew (1580–1633) was an English courtier and politician who sat in the House of Commons at various times between 1601 and 1629. He served as Ambassador to the United Provinces.

Life

Killgrew was born at Lothbury, London, the son of William Killigrew and his wife Margery (Mary) Saunders, daughter of Thomas Saunders of Uxbridge, Middlesex. History of Parliament Online - Robert Killigrew
/ref> In January 1591, he matriculated at

Christ Church, Oxford Christ Church ( la, Ædes Christi, the temple or house, '' ædēs'', of Christ, and thus sometimes known as "The House") is a constituent college of the University of Oxford in England. Founded in 1546 by King Henry VIII, the college is uniqu ...

at the age of 11. He travelled abroad in 1596 and may have become an official of the Privy Chamber in 1601. He was elected MP for

St Mawes St Mawes ( kw, Lannvowsedh) is a village on the end of the Roseland Peninsula, in the eastern side of Falmouth harbour, on the south coast of Cornwall, United Kingdom. The village, formerly two separate hamlets, lies on the east bank of the ...

in 1601. Killigrew was knighted by King James I in 1603. In 1604 he was elected MP for

Newport Newport most commonly refers to: *Newport, Wales *Newport, Rhode Island, US Newport or New Port may also refer to: Places Asia *Newport City, Metro Manila, a Philippine district in Pasay Europe Ireland *Newport, County Mayo, a town on the ...

. It is possible that he travelled to Jamestown in 1604. His name appears in the Second Charter of Virginia as a backer. In 1606 he was appointed ambassador to the United Provinces. In June 1612, Killigrew was noted as "one of Carr's favourites" according to John Chamberlain. The following May, he was committed to the Fleet Prison for an unknown offence. Having become famous for his concoctions of drugs and cordials, he was at first suspected of complicity in the death of Sir Thomas Overbury in September 1613, but was subsequently officially exonerated. In 1614, Killigrew was elected MP for Helston. On 12 May that year, he was involved in an altercation in the House of Commons. In July, he was appointed Keeper of Pendennis Castle, Falmouth, and a JP that same year. He is recorded as fighting a duel with Captain Burton in 1618. In October that year he was appointed an Officer of Protonotary of Chancery, and in December the following year was mentioned favourably by

Buckingham Buckingham ( ) is a market town in north Buckinghamshire, England, close to the borders of Northamptonshire and Oxfordshire, which had a population of 12,890 at the 2011 Census. The town lies approximately west of Central Milton Keynes, sou ...

. In 1621, Killigrew was elected again MP for Newport. In 1622 he succeeded his father to become farmer of the profits from seals in King's bench and common pleas which was worth at least £560 a year. He was elected MP for Penryn and was appointed Deputy Lieutenant for Cornwall in 1624. In 1625 he was elected MP for Cornwall. He was also appointed Ambassador to the United Provinces in September 1625, but this was not taken up by December that year. In 1626, he was elected MP for Tregony in 1626. In 1628 he was elected MP for

Bodmin Bodmin () is a town and civil parish in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It is situated south-west of Bodmin Moor. The extent of the civil parish corresponds fairly closely to that of the town so is mostly urban in character. It is bordere ...

and sat until 1629 when King Charles decided to rule without parliament for eleven years. He was appointed Vice-Chamberlain to Queen Henrietta Maria in 1630. Killigrew was a knight of Arwenack in Falmouth, Cornwall. He died a wealthy man in 1633 in Bath, Somerset, with the probate of his will on 12 May.

Family

He married Mary Woodhouse of Kimberley, Norfolk, (1584–1656), and they had several notable children: # William Killigrew (1606–1695) # Anne Killigrew (1607–1641), who married George Kirke #Robert Killigrew (1611-1???) # Thomas Killigrew (1612–1683) # Henry Killigrew (1613–1700) #Elizabeth Killigrew (1615-1619) # Catherine Killigrew (1618–1689), wife of Sir Thomas Stanley # Elizabeth Killigrew (1622–1681), wife of

Francis Boyle, 1st Viscount Shannon Francis Boyle, 1st Viscount Shannon (1623–1699) was a Privy Counsellor of Ireland and held the office of Governor of County Cork. He was the sixth son of Richard Boyle, 1st Earl of Cork by his second wife, Catherine Fenton. Upon his father' ...

, was a mistress of Charles II and bore him a daughter #Mary Killigrew (1623–1677), later wife of Sir John James, she has been confused in other biographies with Mary Sackville (1645–1679) (formerly Berkeley, née Bagot)--the widowed Countess of Falmouth—who was another mistress Mary, his widow, married

Sir Thomas Stafford Sir Thomas Stafford ( – 1655) was an English courtier, politician, and historian of the Irish Wars. He sat in the House of Commons at various times between 1593 and 1625. Stafford was the illegitimate son of Sir George Carew. In 1593, he was ...

after 1633. History of Parliament Online - Thomas Stafford
/ref> She was a correspondent of Constantijn Huygens.See Huygens's letters to Mary Killigrew here
'Woodhouse, Mary', Briefwisseling van Constantijn Huygens 1607-1687, Huygens ING

References

*''Dictionary of National Biography'' {{DEFAULTSORT:Killigrew, Robert 1580 births 1633 deaths People from Falmouth, Cornwall Alumni of Christ Church, Oxford Ambassadors of England to the Netherlands 17th-century diplomats Members of the pre-1707 English Parliament for constituencies in Cornwall English MPs 1601 English MPs 1604–1611 English MPs 1614 English MPs 1621–1622 English MPs 1624–1625 English MPs 1625 English MPs 1626 English MPs 1628–1629 Inmates of Fleet Prison Deputy Lieutenants of Cornwall Robert Knights Bachelor