Sir John Isham Bt (1582-1651) was

High Sheriff of Northamptonshire This is a list of the High Sheriffs of Northamptonshire Northamptonshire (; abbreviated Northants.) is a county in the East Midlands of England. In 2015, it had a population of 723,000. The county is administered by two unitary authorities ...

and created the 1st hereditary Baronet of Lamport by King

Charles I Charles I may refer to: Kings and emperors * Charlemagne (742–814), numbered Charles I in the lists of Holy Roman Emperors and French kings * Charles I of Anjou (1226–1285), also king of Albania, Jerusalem, Naples and Sicily * Charles I of ...

. Isham was born on 27 July 1582, and was the only son of Thomas Isham. He was named after his grandfather, John Isham of

Lamport Hall Lamport Hall in Lamport, Northamptonshire is a fine example of a Grade I Listed House. It was developed from a Tudor Manor but is now notable for its classical frontage. The Hall contains an outstanding collection of books, paintings and furnitu ...

(1525-1595), who had made enough of a fortune as a London wool merchant to acquire an extensive estate near

Lamport, Northamptonshire Lamport is a village and civil parish in West Northamptonshire, England. The village is on the A508, about south of Market Harborough and north of Northampton. Nearby is Lamport Hall. At the time of the 2001 census, the parish's population was ...

where in 1568 he built a manor house. Isham succeeded to the Lamport estate in 1605 after the death of his father. In 1607 he married Judith Lewin, the daughter of

William Lewin William Lewin (1747–1795) was an English naturalist and illustrator. Lewin grew up in Stepney, the son of a rate mariner. In 1776 he was earning a living as a pattern drawer, and by 1783 was describing himself as a painter. He specialised ...

(d.1598), a

Doctor of Laws A Doctor of Law is a degree in law. The application of the term varies from country to country and includes degrees such as the Doctor of Juridical Science (J.S.D. or S.J.D), Juris Doctor (J.D.), Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), and Legum Doctor ( ...

and Judge of the

Prerogative Court of Canterbury In law, a prerogative is an exclusive right bestowed by a government or state and invested in an individual or group, the content of which is separate from the body of rights enjoyed under the general law. It was a common facet of feudal law. The ...

. They had three children: Elizabeth, Justinian and Judith. On 29 March 1608, Isham was knighted by

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� ...

. In 1611 he was appointed to

, a post that his grandfather, the elder John Isham, had held 30 years before. Wealthy and successful, Isham became a member of the aristocracy when

on 30 May 1627 created him the first hereditary Baronet of Lamport. The title was probably purchased, as both Charles I and James I before him had used

baronet A baronet ( or ; abbreviated Bart or Bt) or the female equivalent, a baronetess (, , or ; abbreviation Btss), is the holder of a baronetcy, a hereditary title awarded by the British Crown. The title of baronet is mentioned as early as the 14th ...

cies as a means of raising funds, first for the settlement and pacification of

Northern Ireland Northern Ireland ( ga, Tuaisceart Éireann ; sco, label=Ulster-Scots, Norlin Airlann) is a part of the United Kingdom, situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, that is variously described as a country, province or region. North ...

and later for the settlement of

Nova Scotia Nova Scotia ( ; ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is one of the three Maritime provinces and one of the four Atlantic provinces. Nova Scotia is Latin for "New Scotland". Most of the population are native En ...

in the Colonies. Sir John Isham died on 8 July 1651 in Lamport, and was buried there with his wife (who had died in 1625). The title of baronet subsequently passed down to his only son

Justinian Isham Sir Justinian Isham, 2nd Baronet (1610 – 2 March 1675) was an English scholar and royalist politician. He was also a Member of Parliament and an early member of the Royal Society. Life He was admitted a fellow-commoner at Christ's College, ...

. His daughter

Elizabeth Isham Elizabeth Isham (1609–1654) was an English intellectual, herbalist, and diarist. She is best known today for her two autobiographical diaries, which are among the earliest known examples of autobiography written by an Englishwoman. Although ...

is known for her diary, which is one of the earliest known examples of an autobiography written by a woman.

References

1582 births 1651 deaths Baronets in the Baronetage of England High Sheriffs of Northamptonshire {{England-baronet-stub