Samuel Gott (20 January 1614 – 18 December 1671) was an English politician who sat in the

House of Commons of England The House of Commons of England was the lower house of the Parliament of England (which incorporated Wales Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England ...

between 1645 and 1648 and between 1660 and 1661.

Life

Gott was the eldest son of Samuel Gott, Ironmonger of London and his wife Elizabeth Russell. He was educated at

Merchant Taylors' School Merchant Taylors' School may refer to: *Merchant Taylors' School, Northwood (founded 1561), is a British independent school originally located in the City of London and now located in Northwood in Middlesex . * Merchant Taylors' Boys' School, Crosb ...

from 1626 to 1629. He was a student at St Catharine's College, Cambridge in 1630 and was awarded BA in 1633. He entered

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 Wa ...

in 1633 and was called to the bar in 1640.M.W. Helms/B.D. Hening, 'Gott, Samuel (1614-71), of Battle, Suss.', in B.D. Henning (ed.), ''The History of Parliament: the House of Commons 1660-1690'' (from Boydell & Brewer, 1983)
History of Parliament Online
He moved to Sussex on his marriage. In April 1645, Gott was elected

Member of Parliament A member of parliament (MP) is the representative in parliament of the people who live in their electoral district. In many countries with Bicameralism, bicameral parliaments, this term refers only to members of the lower house since upper house ...

for Winchelsea in the

Long Parliament The Long Parliament was an English Parliament which lasted from 1640 until 1660. It followed the fiasco of the Short Parliament, which had convened for only three weeks during the spring of 1640 after an 11-year parliamentary absence. In Septem ...

until he was excluded in

Pride's Purge Pride's Purge is the name commonly given to an event that took place on 6 December 1648, when soldiers prevented members of Parliament considered hostile to the New Model Army from entering the House of Commons of England. Despite defeat in the ...

in 1648. He was an ancient on his Inn in 1658. He was appointed High Sheriff of Sussex for 1658–59 and in April 1660 he was elected MP for Winchelsea in the Convention Parliament. In June 1661 Gott is said to have reported treasonable words to the Privy Council in an attempt to find favour with the Crown. In 1663 Gott suffered a severe assault.

John Machell John Machell (1637–1704) was for twenty years Member of Parliament for Horsham, Sussex, during the reigns of Charles II, James II and William III and Mary II. By the marriage of his daughter Isabella Machell (1670–1764) to Arthur Ingram, 3rd ...

of Hills, Horsham (later M.P. for Horsham, Sussex) had courted Gott's sister, but Gott (described as Barrister of Gray's Inn, and Justice of the Peace for Sussex) would not consent to the match. Machell called him to an ale-house, where he and his relative Isaac Tully were waiting for him. When he arrived, Tully went out of the room to prevent anyone assisting, and Machell beat Gott so badly he broke his arm. They were indicted and convicted and sentenced to fines of £1000 and £500 respectively. In this matter King Charles II wrote to his Chief Justice

Sir Robert Hyde Sir Robert Hyde (1595–1665) was an English judge and Chief Justice of the King's Bench. Early career Hyde, who was born at his father's house, Heale, Woodford, near Salisbury, in 1595, was the eldest of the four most prominent sons of Sir ...

and others wishing them to levy these fines in full rigour by way of example. Gott wrote several religious works, including (so it is claimed) the ''Nova Solyma'' which was at one time attributed to

John Milton John Milton (9 December 1608 – 8 November 1674) was an English poet and intellectual. His 1667 epic poem ''Paradise Lost'', written in blank verse and including over ten chapters, was written in a time of immense religious flux and polit ...

. He died aged 57. On his death he was buried at Battle. He had married Joan, the daughter and coheiress of Peter Farnden of Sedlescombe, Sussex, and had a son and two daughters. His son and heir Peter became an MP and a director of the Bank of England.

Writings

*''An Essay of the True Happiness of Man Explicated & Illustrated'' (Underhill, 1650) *''The Divine History of the Genesis of the World'' (London: Printed by E.C. et A.C. for Henry Eversden, 1670)

Attributed

*''Nova Solyma, sive Institutio Christiani'' (1648, 1649) (''New Jerusalem, or the Christian Institution'')Thomas-Stanford, 'Samuel Gott' (as above).
Translation by Walter Begley, Full text (Internet Archive) Part 1

Translation by Walter Begley, Full text (Internet Archive) Part 2

References

External links

* , - {{DEFAULTSORT:Gott, Samuel 1614 births 1671 deaths Alumni of St Catharine's College, Cambridge Members of Gray's Inn High Sheriffs of Sussex English MPs 1640–1648 English MPs 1660 English religious writers 17th-century English writers 17th-century English male writers