Sir John Digby
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John Digby, 1st Earl of Bristol (February 1580 – 21 January 1653),David L. Smith, 'Digby, John, first earl of Bristol (1580–1653)’, ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'', Oxford University Press, 2004; online edn, Jan 2008. was an
English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Culture, language and peoples * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England * ''English'', an Amish ter ...
diplomat A diplomat (from ; romanization, romanized ''diploma'') is a person appointed by a state (polity), state, International organization, intergovernmental, or Non-governmental organization, nongovernmental institution to conduct diplomacy with one ...
and a moderate royalist during the
English Civil War The English Civil War or Great Rebellion was a series of civil wars and political machinations between Cavaliers, Royalists and Roundhead, Parliamentarians in the Kingdom of England from 1642 to 1651. Part of the wider 1639 to 1653 Wars of th ...
.


Early career

He was the son of Sir George Digby of
Coleshill, Warwickshire Coleshill ( ) is a market town and civil parish in the North Warwickshire district of Warwickshire, England, taking its name from the River Cole, on which it stands. It had a population of 6,900 in the 2021 Census, and is situated east of Bi ...
, and Abigail, daughter of Sir Anthony (not Arthur) Heveningham and educated at
Magdalene College, Cambridge Magdalene College ( ) is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. The college was founded in 1428 as a Benedictine hostel, in time coming to be known as Buckingham College, before being refounded in 1542 as the College of St Mary ...
and the
Inner Temple The Honourable Society of the Inner Temple, commonly known as the Inner Temple, is one of the four Inns of Court and is a professional association for barristers and judges. To be called to the Bar and practice as a barrister in England and Wa ...
. He was knighted in 1606. He was briefly the Member of Parliament for
Hedon Hedon is a town and civil parishes in England, civil parish in Holderness in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It is situated approximately east of Kingston upon Hull, Hull city centre. It lies to the north of the A1033 road at the cross ...
in 1610. On his arrival at Court, his charm, good looks and diplomatic ability quickly gained him the favour of
King James I James I may refer to: People *James I of Aragon (1208–1276) * James I of Sicily or James II of Aragon (1267–1327) * James I, Count of La Marche (1319–1362), Count of Ponthieu * James I, Count of Urgell (1321–1347) *James I of Cyprus (1334†...
, who sent him to Madrid as his
ambassador An ambassador is an official envoy, especially a high-ranking diplomat who represents a state and is usually accredited to another sovereign state or to an international organization as the resident representative of their own government or so ...
to
Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...
during the early 1610s. Digby uncovered details of Spanish pensions paid to the late
Earl of Salisbury Earl of Salisbury is a title that has been created several times in English and British history. It has a complex history and is now a subsidiary title to the marquessate of Salisbury. Background The title was first created for Patrick de Sa ...
, the naval officer William Monson, Lady Jane Drummond, and the Countess of Suffolk. Digby was rewarded for his service as a diplomat by being created Baron Digby of Sherborne in 1618 and Earl of Bristol in 1622. Digby was a leading figure in the unsuccessful
Spanish Match The Spanish match was a proposed marriage between Prince Charles I of England, Charles, the son of King James VI & I of Kingdom of Scotland and Kingdom of England, England, and Infante, Infanta Maria Anna of Spain, the daughter of Philip III of ...
, the effort to marry
Prince Charles Charles III (Charles Philip Arthur George; born 14 November 1948) is King of the United Kingdom and the 14 other Commonwealth realms. Charles was born at Buckingham Palace during the reign of his maternal grandfather, King George VI, and ...
to the
Infanta Infante (, ; f. ''infanta''), also anglicised as "infant" or translated as "prince", is the title and rank given in the Iberian kingdoms of Spain (including the predecessor kingdoms of Aragon, Castile, Navarre, and León) and Portugal to the ...
Maria Anna of Spain Maria Anna of Spain (18 August 160613 May 1646)impeached Impeachment is a process by which a legislative body or other legally constituted tribunal initiates charges against a public official for misconduct. It may be understood as a unique process involving both political and legal elements. In Eu ...
him and sent him to the
Tower of London The Tower of London, officially His Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress of the Tower of London, is a historic citadel and castle on the north bank of the River Thames in central London, England. It lies within the London Borough of Tower Hamle ...
; Digby, undaunted, made counter-charges against
George Villiers, 1st Duke of Buckingham George Villiers, 1st Duke of Buckingham ( ; 20 August 1592 – 23 August 1628), was an English courtier, statesman, and patron of the arts. He was a favourite and self-described "lover" of King James VI and I. Buckingham remained at the heigh ...
, the prime royal favourite. Ominously for the King's reputation, 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 ...
decided to hear Digby in his own defence first. His trial never proceeded, although he remained in the Tower until 1628, and the affair seriously damaged the King's reputation as a man of honour. The murder of the Duke of Buckingham in August 1628 caused Digby to reconsider his opposition to the King: like Strafford and others among the Lords he was alarmed at Parliament's increasing radicalism. He offered his services to Charles and was formally reconciled with him. Charles, however, was slow to trust those who had ever opposed him and Digby had little influence at Court in the 1630s.


Civil War

As the political crisis of the early 1640s mounted, Digby emerged as a trusted and moderate royal adviser, along with his son George, Lord Digby. At the Council of Peers held at
York York is a cathedral city in North Yorkshire, England, with Roman Britain, Roman origins, sited at the confluence of the rivers River Ouse, Yorkshire, Ouse and River Foss, Foss. It has many historic buildings and other structures, such as a Yor ...
in September 1640, the King showed an unprecedented willingness to listen to Bristol's criticism of his policy, and agreed to his advice that a Parliament must be summoned. 1641 saw a complete reconciliation between the two men: Bristol with Lord Bedford became leader of the moderate Royalists in 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 ...
, working to achieve a compromise with
John Pym John Pym (20 May 1584 – 8 December 1643) was an English politician and administrator who played a major role in establishing what would become the modern Westminster system, English Parliamentary system. One of the Five Members whose attempte ...
, and save the Earl of Strafford's life. After the collapse of the attempt at compromise Bristol came increasingly to be seen as a "hardline" royalist: as such Parliament imprisoned him after the outbreak of the Civil War, although he was later allowed to join the King at
Oxford Oxford () is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and non-metropolitan district in Oxfordshire, England, of which it is the county town. The city is home to the University of Oxford, the List of oldest universities in continuou ...
. After the
Battle of Edgehill The Battle of Edgehill (or Edge Hill) was a pitched battle of the First English Civil War. It was fought near Edge Hill, Warwickshire, Edge Hill and Kineton in southern Warwickshire on Sunday, 23 October 1642. All attempts at constitution ...
he was one of the "moderate party" who persuaded the King not to attempt to take London, which might have brought the war to a swift conclusion. After the King's defeat, he moved to Paris and died there in 1653 aged 72.


Character

Clarendon, who knew and liked Bristol, gave this sketch of him: "Of a grave aspect, of a presence which drew respect, and a very handsome man who by the extraordinary favour of King James to his person was Ambassador to Spain before he was 30. Though he was a man of great parts and a wise man in Council he was passionate and supercilious and was too voluminous in discourse so that he was not considered there with much respect." A modern historian praises him as the greatest servant of the English Crown of his generation, but humorously calls him "the terrible earl", on account of his hot temper and intimidating personality.


Marriage and progeny

Lord Bristol lived at
Sherborne Castle Sherborne Castle (sometimes called Sherborne New Castle) is a 16th-century Tudor mansion southeast of Sherborne Sherborne is a market town and civil parishes in England, civil parish in north west Dorset, in South West England. It is sited ...
,
Dorset Dorset ( ; Archaism, archaically: Dorsetshire , ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South West England. It is bordered by Somerset to the north-west, Wiltshire to the north and the north-east, Hampshire to the east, t ...
. He married Beatrice Walcott (died 1658), widow of Sir John Dyve of
Bromham, Bedfordshire Bromham is a village and civil parishes in England, civil parish in the Borough of Bedford in Bedfordshire, England, situated around west of Bedford, England, Bedford town centre. Name Bromham (Bruneham in Domesday) is probably the enclosed m ...
, in 1609 and they had four surviving children: *
George Digby, 2nd Earl of Bristol George Digby, 2nd Earl of Bristol (5 November 161220 March 1677) was an English politician and peer who sat in the House of Commons from 1640 until 1641, when he was raised to the House of Lords by a writ of acceleration. He supported the Ro ...
*Mary Digby (1612–1648), who married as his 2nd wife
Arthur Chichester, 1st Earl of Donegall Arthur Chichester, 1st Earl of Donegall (16 June 1606 – 18 March 1675), was an Anglo-Irish military officer, politician and peer. Origins He was the eldest son and heir of the Edward Chichester, 1st Viscount Chichester, 1st Viscount Chicheste ...
(1606–1674). They had six sons and one daughter, all of whom died in infancy. She died on 5 November 1648 while giving birth to a second daughter stillborn. She was buried in
Eggesford Eggesford () is a parish in mid-Devon, without its own substantial village. It is served by Eggesford railway station on the Exeter to Barnstaple railway line, also known as the Tarka Line. Descent of the Manor de Reigny The manor of Eggesfo ...
Church, Devon, where is situated her memorial effigy. * John Digby (1618–1664) *Abigail Digby (d 1640), married George Freke of Sherbourne, Dorset (son of John Freke) and bore one son, John.Dorset Online Parish Clerks: Sherbourne Wills, https://www.opcdorset.org/SherborneFiles/SherborneHutchinsWills.htm Retrieved 10 May 2021 Through her previous marriage, Lady Bristol was the mother of the prominent Royalist Sir
Lewis Dyve Sir Lewis Dyve (3 November 1599 – 1669) was an English Member of Parliament and a Royalist adherent during the English Civil War. His surname is sometimes also spelt Dive or Dives. Life Dyve was born on 3 November 1599.
. Digby was the uncle of Sir
Kenelm Digby Sir Kenelm Digby (11 July 1603 – 11 June 1665) was an English courtier and diplomat. He was also a highly reputed natural philosopher, astrologer and known as a leading Roman Catholic intellectual and Thomas White (scholar), Blackloist. For ...
, English courtier, diplomat and a highly reputed natural philosopher.


References


External links


Short biography
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Bristol, John Digby, 1st Earl of 1580 births 1653 deaths Diplomatic peers 01 Ambassadors of England to Spain Ambassadors of England to the Holy Roman Empire Cavaliers
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 ...
17th-century English diplomats Prisoners in the Tower of London Peers of England created by James I English MPs 1604–1611 Impeached officials