Robert Barnham Bt (1606 - 1685)

Born 12 Oct 1606 in Hollingbourne, Kent, England

Ancestors

Husband of Elizabeth (Henley) Barnham — married 28 Feb 1636 in Cornhill, St Peter, London, England

Descendants

Died 11 Jun 1685 at age 78 in Boughton Monchelsea, Kent, England

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Biography

This profile is part of the Barnum Name Study.

Sir Robert is mentioned in A Treatise enumerating the most Illustrious Families of England, as follows: "Sir Robert Barnham of Boughton-Monchensey in the County of Kent, Baronet, a Family of Signal Esteem, great Antiquity, and an ample Estate, is descended from Sir Walter Barnham, Knight, Lord Chief Baron of the Court of Exchequer in the Reign of King Richard the Second".

Published in The History of Parliament: the House of Commons 1660-1690, ed. B.D. Henning, 1983: Barnham, Robert (1606-85), of Boughton Monchelsea, Kent. Family and Education. bap. 12 Oct. 1606, 2nd but 1st surv. s. of Sir Francis Barnham† of Boughton Monchelsea by Elizabeth, da. of Sampson Lennard of Chevening. m. (1) 28 Feb. 1636, Elizabeth, da. of Robert Henley of Henley, Som. and Soper Lane, London, chief clerk of K.b. 1629-42, 1s. d.v.p. 3da.; (2) lic. 18 Aug. 1663, ‘aged 47’, Hannah, da. of one Nichols of London, wid. of William Lowfield, Draper, of Lombard Street, London, 1da. suc. fa. 1646; cr. Bt. 15 Aug. 1663. Offices Held. Asst. Rochester Bridge 1632-43, 1661-4, warden 1635; j.p. Kent July 1660-d., dep. lt. July 1660-63, 1672-d., commr. for assessment Aug. 1660-80, sewers Rother marsh Oct. 1660, Walland marsh Dec. 1660, recusants Kent 1675. Biography. Barnham came from a London merchant family. His great-uncle sat for Yarmouth, I.o.W. in 1597. His grandfather, however, had settled in Kent in 1572, and his father, after inheriting Boughton Monchelsea, four miles south-east of Maidstone, in 1613, sat for the borough in six Parliaments. But he ceased to attend both Parliament and county committee in July 1643, though he ‘never failed in his duty to the House, nor committed anything against them’. Barnham himself was imprisoned in Leeds Castle as a suspected Royalist. He was returned to the Convention for Maidstone, but made no speeches and was named only to the committee for the assessment ordinance. Re-elected in 1661, he became a moderately active committeeman in the Cavalier Parliament. He was appointed to 77 committees, but took no part in the Clarendon Code. He may have had Presbyterian sympathies, for he acted as teller on 17 May 1661 against the burning of the Covenant. ‘A person of worth’, he bought a baronetcy from the oldest crown servant living in 1663. He was appointed to the committee for the conventicles bill in 1670, and Sir Thomas Osborne included him among the Members who might be engaged for the Court by the Duke of York and his friends. On 30 Mar. 1671, indeed, he was teller against the Roos divorce bill, which threatened a precedent against the interests of the heir presumptive. He received the government whip in 1675, his name appeared on the working lists, and Sir Richard Wiseman apparently regarded his vote as safe. His most important committees in the later sessions were on the bills to prevent the growth of Popery in 1675 and 1677. Shaftesbury changed his initial assessment of ‘doubly worthy’ to ‘doubly vile’, and according to A Seasonable Argument his only livelihood was his pension, though his will mentions considerable property in Kent and bequests of some £3,000. He signed the letter to the lord lieutenant protesting against government support for Sir John Banks at Winchelsea in 1677. He was on both lists of the court party in 1678, and as one of the ‘unanimous club’ was not returned again. He died in May or June 1685, leaving Boughton Monchelsea to his youngest daughter and her husband, Thomas Rider, who was elected for Maidstone in 1695. Ref Volumes: 1660-1690

Will of Sir Robert Barnham, Baronet; Prerogative Court of Canterbury, 1685. Page 68; FHL Film #092346. IN THE NAME OF GOD AMEN-Aprill 27th one thousand six hundred eighty five in the first yeare of the reigne of our Soveraign Lord James the second by the grace of God of England Scotland ffrance and Ireland king defender of the faith I Sr Robert Barnham of Boughton Mounchelsey in the County of Kent Barronet being of perfect health of body and mind thanks bee given to God therefore revoking and quite disannulling all former wills made by mee at anytime before the date hereof doe ordaine and make this my last will and testament in manner and form following first I bequeath my soul unto almighty God beseeching him of his infinite goodness and mercy and for his only sonne my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ sake on whose merritts only I hope for salvation to pardon and forgive all my sinnes committed against his holy majesty and to make mee pertaker of his heavenly kingdom ITEM I will that my executor pay what ever I owe in bond booke or bill when I dye ITEM I will that the two thousand pounds which by deed of gift made the fourteenth of August one thousand six hundred eighty two to my daughter Good and her husband bee payd as soone as possible lands can be sold hoping they will both joyne in disposing of it that it may bee equally divided amongst their children after their decease ITEM I give my sonne Good all my right and title to the lands in Watfieldlevell unfortunately purchased by my father formerly belonging to Mr Gibbons ITEM I give to my grandsonne Barnham Powell one hundred pounds if hee bee living when I dye ITEM I give to my granddaughter Elizabeth Powell five hundred pounds if she be living when I dye ITEM I give to the sonnes of my brother ffrancis Barnham that was ffrancis Robt and Edward and to his three daughters ffrances Margaret and Grace Barnham or to as many of them as shal be living when I dye to each fifty pound ITEM I give to my brother John Barnham sonne one hundred pound if living when I dye ITEM I give to my neece Elizabeth Barnham two hundred pounds if living when I dye ITEM I give to my neece Anne Barnham one hundred and fifty pounds if living when I dye ITEM I give to the poore of the parish of Bilsington tenn pounds to be paid within six months after my decease and to the poore of the parish of Boughton Munchelsey tenn pounds to bee payed within six months after my death ITEM I freely and heartily remitt the hundred pounds I should have of Mr Sutton Minister of Boughton ITEM if I can dispose of it I give my honour of being Barronet to my sonne Thomas Rider and I give him all my household goods in Boughton my plate excepted which I give to my good wife Dame Hannah Barnham during life and after her decease to my daughter Good ITEM I will give no mourning to any least others should take exceptions ITEM I will that my body bee buried as privately as may bee at Boughton ITEM I give to my servant Ann Iden tenn pounds for her great care of me and of this my last will and testament I make my deare wife Dame Hannah Barnham sole Executrix being confident of her good affection that she will respect my honour and reputation as to see it fullfilled though to her loss and impower her to sell all the lands I have to make it good in wittnesse whereof I hereunto sett my hand and seal the day and yeare above Robt Barnham signed and sealed in the presence of John Tonge John Weldish the marke of John Medhirst The remainder is the probate of the will and is in latin. Dated 12 Jun 1685.

According to Boyd's Marriage Index, 1538-1840, Sir Robert and Elizabeth Henley were married in Saint Peter Cornhill. This large, red brick church was built by Christopher Wren and was completed in the late 1680s. The church's tower is topped with a dome, as well as a St Peter's key ten feet long. The building is a reminder of how all City churches used to be, with its small churchyard and plethora of surrounding shops. The chancel screen inside the church is well known, as it was designed by Wren's daughter. The church is best known for supposedly being the site of the oldest place of Christian Worship in Britain, and was founded on the Roman Basilica in A.D. 179.

Barnham, Sir Robert, bart., of Boughton Munchelsey (sic), co. Kent, widower, 47, and Hannah Lowfield, of St. Dionis Backchurch, London, widow, 38--at All Hallows-in-the-Wall, or St. James, Duke's Place, London. 18 Aug. 1663. F.

The will of Sir Robert Barnham of Boughton Monchelsea, Kent, dated 12 June 1685, may be found in Department Records of the Prerogative Court of Canterbury, Prerogative Court of Canterbury and related Probate Jurisdictions: Will Registers. Name of Register: Cann Quire Numbers: 52 - 107, Catalogue reference PROB 11/380.

• Fact: Christening (12 October 1606) Hollingbourne, Kent, England
• Fact: Other (liv. 1663) Of, Linton,Derby,England
• Fact: Burial (1 Jun 1685) Boughton Monchelsea, Kent, England
• Fact: Will (12 June 1685)
• Fact: http://familysearch.org/v1/LifeSketch Barnham, Sir Robert (1606-85), 1st bt. Eldest surviving son of Sir Francis Barnham (1576-1646), kt. and his wife Elizabeth, daughter of Sampson Leonard esq. of Chevening (Kent), baptised at Hollingbourne, 13 September or 12 October 1606. He was a member of the Rochester Bridge Trust, 1632-43, 1661-64 (Warden, 1635). Although he may have had Presbyterian sympathies, he was at heart a Royalist, and he was imprisoned in Leeds Castle for some months and took part in the Kentish rising of 1648. He was MP for Maidstone, 1660-79 and adhered increasingly closely to the Court party. JP for Kent, 1660-85; and DL for Kent, 1660-63, 1672-85. He purchased a baronetcy, 14 August 1663. In later life he seems to have had financial problems, became dependent on a pension from the government; and sold his estate at Bilsington in Romney Marsh to his son-in-law, Thomas Rider. He married 1st, 28 February 1635/6 at St Peter, Cornhill, London, Elizabeth, daughter of Robert Henley of Henley (Som.) and London, Chief Clerk of Kings Bench, and 2nd, 27 August 1663 at All Hallows, London Wall, London, Hannah (1630?-86), perhaps the daughter of Daniel Nicholls of London and certainly the widow of William Lowfield of London, draper, and had issue:

(1.1) Elizabeth Barnham (1636-37), baptised at Boughton Monchelsea, 22 December 1636; died in infancy and was buried at Boughton Monchelsea, 28 February 1636/7; (1.2) Francis Barnham (1637-68), baptised at All Saints, Maidstone (Kent), 19 December 1637; married, 8 October 1667 at St Michael, Lewes (Sussex), Anne, sixth daughter of Sir Thomas Parker, kt. of Ratton (Sussex) and widow of John Shirley of Isfield (Sussex), but had no issue; died 1668; (1.3) Dacres Barnham (1639-49), baptised at Boughton Monchelsea, 11 January 1638/9; died young and was buried at Boughton Monchelsea, 25 May 1649; (1.4) Margaret Barnham (b. 1640), baptised at Boughton Monchelsea, 31 December 1640; probably died unmarried before 1664 as she is not mentioned in the pedigree submitted in that year to the Visitation of Kent; (1.5) Elizabeth Barnham (1642-86), baptised at Boughton Monchelsea, 18 July 1642; married, 5 January 1685/6 at Boughton Monchelsea, Joseph Crowther; buried at Boughton Monchelsea, 25 June 1686; (1.6) Anne Barnham (1643-1717), baptised at Boughton Monchelsea, 23 August 1643; married, 25 January 1669 at Boughton Monchelsea, as his second wife, Charles Good (1638-1711) of Malden (Surrey), and had issue two sons and three daughters; died 28 February 1717; (1.7) Mary Barnham (1644-68), baptised at Boughton Monchelsea, 18 October 1644; married, 8 December 1659 at Boughton Monchelsea, Sir Nathaniel Powell (c.1640-1709), 2nd bt. (who m2, 26 January 1667/8 at St Martin-in-the-Fields, Westminster, Frances (d. 1719), daughter of Philip Stapleton of Warter (Yorks)), and had issue two sons and several daughters; buried at Boughton Monchelsea, 10 January 1667/8; (2.1) Philadelphia Barnham (1664-1730) (q.v.). He was settled at Boughton Monchelsea Place in his father's lifetime and inherited both that property and the Bilsington estate in Romney Marsh from his father in 1646, but sold the latter to his son-in-law before his death. He was buried at Boughton Monchelsea, 1 June 1685, when his baronetcy became extinct*; his will was proved 12 June 1685. His first wife's date of death is unknown. His widow was buried at Boughton Monchelsea, 28 December 1685.

• Curiously, he was unclear whether his baronetcy was disposable by will, and sought to bequeath it to his son-in-law, Thomas Rider. The way this was worded in his will led the editors of Burke's Extinct and Dormant Baronetcies to believe he had a son or grandson called Thomas who had inherited the title, but this was not the case.

Sources

• "Family Tree," database, FamilySearch (http://familysearch.org : modified 24 December 2020, 09:12), entry for Sir Robert Barnham(PID https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/4:1:LZ2M-L2S); contributed by various users.
• WikiTree profile Barnham-11 created through the import of WikiTree input from Ancestry.ged on Jun 23, 2011 by Cynthia Nicholson. See the Changes page for the details of edits by Cynthia and others.
• Barnum, Eben Lewis and Fr. Francis Barnum, SJ, Genealogical Record of the Barnum Family, Presenting a Conspectus of the Male Descendants of Thomas Barnum 1625-1695 (Gardner, MA: Meals Printing Co., 1912).
• Burke, Sir John Bernard, A Genealogical History of the Dormant, Abeyant, Forfeited, and Extinct Peerages of the British Empire, New ed. (London, England: Harrison, 1883).
• Rietstap, Johannes Baptist, Armorial Général, Precede d'un Dictionnaire des Termes du Blason (New York, NY: Barnes & Noble, 1965 (reprint of the 1884 ed)).
• The Origins Network: Inheritance Disputes Index, 1574-1714, OMR Services Limited online [1], accessed 07/04/2006.
• Archaeologia Cantiana (: Kent Archaeological Society, 1861), p 185.
• Cokayne, G. E. (1900). Complete baronetage. Exeter: W. Pollard & Co.