Sir John Rous, 2nd Baronet (c.1656 – 8 April 1730) of Henham, Suffolk, was an English

Tory A Tory () is an individual who supports a political philosophy known as Toryism, based on a British version of traditionalist conservatism which upholds the established social order as it has evolved through the history of Great Britain. The To ...

politician. Rous was the son of Sir John Rous, 1st Baronet and his second wife, Elizabeth Knyvett. He was educated at

St Catharine's College, Cambridge St Catharine's College is a Colleges of the University of Cambridge, constituent college of the University of Cambridge, England. Founded in 1473 as Katharine Hall, it adopted its current name in 1860. The college is nicknamed "Catz". The colle ...

. He was an opponent of the

Conventicle Act 1664 The Conventicle Act 1664 was an Act of Parliament (United Kingdom), act of the Parliament of England (16 Cha. 2. c. 4) that forbade conventicles, defined as religious assemblies of more than five people other than an immediate family, outside ...

. In 1670 he succeeded to his father's

baronetcy 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 ...

. Rous was appointed a Deputy Lieutenant of

Suffolk Suffolk ( ) is a ceremonial county in the East of England and East Anglia. It is bordered by Norfolk to the north, the North Sea to the east, Essex to the south, and Cambridgeshire to the west. Ipswich is the largest settlement and the county ...

in 1676,

High Sheriff of Suffolk This is a list of Sheriffs and High Sheriffs of Suffolk. The Sheriff is the oldest secular office under the Crown and is appointed annually (in March) by the Crown. The Sheriff was originally the principal law enforcement officer in the county a ...

in 1678 and in 1680 he was the colonel of the county militia troop of horse. Between 1680 and 1688 he was a justice of the peace for Suffolk. In 1685, Rous was elected as a Tory Member of Parliament for

Eye An eye is a sensory organ that allows an organism to perceive visual information. It detects light and converts it into electro-chemical impulses in neurons (neurones). It is part of an organism's visual system. In higher organisms, the ey ...

. He was removed from the lieutenancy and peace commission of Suffolk in 1688 for opposing

James II of England James II and VII (14 October 1633 – 16 September 1701) was King of England and Monarchy of Ireland, Ireland as James II and King of Scotland as James VII from the death of his elder brother, Charles II of England, Charles II, on 6 February 1 ...

's religious policies. Despite this, he voted that James had not vacated the throne during the

Glorious Revolution The Glorious Revolution, also known as the Revolution of 1688, was the deposition of James II and VII, James II and VII in November 1688. He was replaced by his daughter Mary II, Mary II and her Dutch husband, William III of Orange ...

. In 1689 he was returned as a member for

and reappointed as a justice of the peace, but he was not re-elected at the 1690 election. Rous was suspected of being a Jacobite and was removed as a magistrate in 1694. In 1721, Rous' name was sent to

James Francis Edward Stuart James Francis Edward Stuart (10 June 16881 January 1766), nicknamed the Old Pretender by Whigs (British political party), Whigs or the King over the Water by Jacobitism, Jacobites, was the House of Stuart claimant to the thrones of Ki ...

as being a likely supporter of the Jacobite cause. He died in 1730.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Rous, John, 2nd Baronet Year of birth uncertain 1730 deaths Alumni of St Catharine's College, Cambridge Baronets in the Baronetage of England Deputy lieutenants of Suffolk English Jacobites English justices of the peace English MPs 1685–1687 English MPs 1689–1690 Protestant Jacobites Tory MPs (pre-1834) High sheriffs of Suffolk