Simon (Stewart) Steward KB MP JP (1575 - 1632)

Born 15 Jul 1575 in Shinfield, Berkshire, England

Ancestors

Husband of Grace St. Barbe — married 13 Apr 1597 in City of London, England

Died 10 Feb 1632 at age 56 in Cambridgeshire, England [uncertain]

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Biography

Simeon (Stewart) Steward KB MP JP is Notable.

Simeon (Stewart) Steward KB MP JP was born in Berkshire, England.

Early life - childhood and family

Simon Steward was born on 15 Jul 1575 in Shinfield, Berkshire on the estate of his maternal grandparents ^[1]

Simon Steward was the son of Sir Mark Steward (1524-1604) of Stuntney and Anna (Huick) Steward (the daughter of Dr Robert Huick, a physician to Elizabeth I Queen of England). Simon lived in Stuntney. The handwritten will of Simon's father Sir Mark mentions 'two children', 'my son Simeon' and also 'my daughter begotten in lawful matrimony'. Simon's sister was Mary (Steward) Forster c.1574-1661 who became Lady Forster Steward of Aldermaston House. She was the wife of Sir William (Forster) of Aldermaston KB 1574-1618 ^{[2] [3]}

Education

Simon Steward attended Hart Hall, Oxford from 1587 where he achieved a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1591 aged about sixteen. He was a student at Gray's Inn in 1593. He later attended Trinity Hall, Cambridge University ^[4]

Marriages and children

Simon Steward's first marriage was to Grace St. Barbe on 13 Apr 1597 at an unknown place ^{[5] [6]}

They had a son Sir Robert Steward 1599-1634.

Simon Steward's second marriage was to Lady Mary (Monson) Reresby (daughter of Sir John Monson of South Carlton, Lincolnshire and the widow of Sir Thomas Reresby of Thribergh, Yorkshire). The marriage took place in 1620 at an unknown place ^[5]

It was reported of Sir Simon Stewards's second marriage to Mary Monson in 1620 -

"... Sir Simon Steward of the Isle of Ely (who pretended to be married to the said lady Reresby, relict of Sir Thomas) released all the title, claim. &c., that he or his lady had in the said lands to Sir George, by deed bearing date Sept. 10, 1620, which was so ill resented by the lady (amongst other things) that she denied her marriage with Sir Simeon, which was, it seemed, so privately performed by a priest (if at all) that it could never be proved..." ^[7]

Knighthood and Political career

Simon Steward was knighted as Sir Simon Steward on 23 Jul 1603 at Whitehall by the new king James VIth of Scotland and Ist of England (1566 - 1625). Sir Simon Steward succeeded his father Sir Mark Steward (1524-1604) in 1604 ^{[8] [9]}

From 1603 to 1625, Sir Simon Steward (plaintiff) had a legal dispute with Luke Saunders (defendant) concerning the lease of the rectory in Stutney ^[10]

Sir Simon Steward held the following positions-

Freeman of Southampton, Hampshire 1599-1606,

Sir Simon Steward was a Justice of the Peace for the Isle of Ely from 1604 to 1614 and from 1617-1632 and also for Cambridgeshire from 1614 to 1632.

Commissioner of the Great Fens sewers 1604, 1609-7, 1620-5, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire. 1624-1632 (Sir Simon Steward stood up for his commoner tenants in Parliament in opposition to Sir Miles Sandys, with regard to drainage of the fens),

Commissioner of gaol delivery and subsidy, 1608,

Swan Warden, Cambs. and Hunts. 1610, 1616, 1620, 1630, Eng. 1629. Historically, swans were considered to be royal property in England.

Compounder for purveyance, Isle of Ely 1610-25,

Sir Simon Steward was appointed High Sheriff of Cambridgeshire and Huntingdonshire for 1611–12 ^[8]

In 1614, Sir Simon Steward was elected Member of Parliament for Shaftesbury for the Addled Parliament of 1614 (2nd Parliament of King James VIth of Scotland and Ist of England (1566 - 1625)).

Sir Simon Steward was a Justice of the Peace for the West Riding of Yorkshire from 1620 to 1625.

He was elected MP for Cambridgeshire again for the Happy Parliament of 1624 (4th Parliament of King James VIth of Scotland and Ist of England (1566 - 1625)) in 1624. However, Sir Simon Steward lost the seat in March of the same year.

Commissioner, oyer and terminer, Norfolk circa 1625-1632, including a Forced Loan to, Cambridgeshire and Isle of Ely 1626-7,

Captain of militia, Cambridgeshire by 1628.

In 1628 Sir Simon Steward was elected MP for Aldeburgh and sat until 1629 when Charles I, King of England, King of Scotland, Lord of Ireland ruled without parliament for eleven years.

During his spell in Parliament, Sir Simon Steward is known to have made several speeches. In March 1624 he expressed the view that the Spaniards had ‘practised to set all Christendom on fire, that by the light thereof they might see the clearer to their own ambitious designs’, Sir Simon Steward succeeded in raising the question of differences with Spain to a debate for the committee of the whole House, including the House of Lords. This was a few decades after the defeat of the Spanish Armada in 1588, which was part of the longer Anglo-Spanish War 1585-1604 . Hostilities ceased with the Treaty of London in 1604 but it seems that there was still a feeling of distrust and enmity towards Spain for decades, culminating in another Anglo-Spanish War 1654-1660.

In 1624 Sir Simon Steward is also reported to have warned the committee on the courts of justice about the danger of acceptance of evidence from known delinquents.

In 1626 Sir Simon Steward had to face the Privy Council on charges of embezzlement of purveyance money and of pressing soldiers. He was bound for the sum of five hundred pounds not to claim privilege to defer the hearing in the Star Chamber. A committee was appointed on 10 May 1626 to consider the accusations against Steward, but it did not report anything. In the recess of 1628-29 Sir Simon Steward was fined fifty pounds for ‘an error rather than any willful misdemeanour’ in the pressing case. The other charges were dismissed ^[5]

Death and burial

Sir Simon Steward passed away on 10 Feb 1632. He died intestate (without leaving a will) and his son Robert died two years later.Hence it is reported that his estate passed to his grandson, Thomas ^{[5] [11]}

Sources

1. ↑ "Royal Berkshire History by David Nash Ford" Royal Berkshire History (accessed 19 Dec 2022)
2. ↑ "Sir Humphrey Forster, 1st Baronet Aldermaston family tree"Ancestry Sharing Link - Ancestry uk Record 24-125fm1k (accessed 19 Dec 2022)
3. ↑ "Will of Sir Mark Steward Reference: PROB 11/103/344 Description: Will of Sir Mark Steward Date: 17 March 1604 Held by: The National Archives, Kew Legal status: Public Record(s)" The National Archives (accessed 19 Dec 2022)
4. ↑ "Alumni Oxoniensis 1500-1714 p.1423" Alumni Oxoniensis 1500-1714 p.1423 (accessed 19 Dec 2022)
5. ↑ ^{5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3} "STEWARD, Sir Simeon (1575-1632), of Stuntney, Cambs. The History of Parliament: the House of Commons 1604-1629, ed. Andrew Thrush and John P. Ferris, 2010 Cambridge University Press" The History of Parliament Sir Simon Steward MP (accessed 20 Dec 2022)
6. ↑ Marriage "London, England, Church of England Baptisms, Marriages and Burials, 1538-1812"
   London Metropolitan Archives; London, England; London Church of England Parish Registers; Reference Number: P69/Ola1/A/001/Ms28867
   Ancestry Sharing Link - Ancestry uk Record 1624 #4742536 (accessed 21 December 2022)
   Simon Stewede marriage to Grace Simbearke on 13 Apr 1597 in St Olave, Hart Street, City of London, London, England.
7. ↑ " The Memoirs of Sir John Reresby of Thrybergh, Bart. M.P. for York &c, 1634 - 1689 Abbreviation: Sir John Reresby Memoirs Author: Sir John Reresby, Editor: James J Cartwight M.A. Cantab Publication: Longmans, Green & Co, London, 1875" The Memoirs of Sir John Reresby of Thrybergh (accessed 20-12-2022)
8. ↑ ^{8.0 8.1} "The progresses, processions, and magnificent festivities, of King James the First, his royal consort, family, and court ; collected from original MSS., ... v.1." Mark Steward Sheriff and Knighthood (accessed 21 Dec 2022)
9. ↑ "The Knights of England. A complete record from the earliest time to the present day of the knights of all the orders of chivalry in England, Scotland, and Ireland, and of knights bachelors, incorporating a complete list of knights bachelors dubbed in Ireland by Shaw, William Arthur, 1865-1943; Burtchaell, George Dames, 1853-1921" Knights of England, Sir Simon Steward Knight Bachelor (accessed 21 Dec 2022)
10. ↑ Reference: C 2/JasI/S22/6 Description: Short title: Steward v Saunders. Plaintiffs: Sir Simon Steward. Defendants: Luke Saunders. Subject: lease of the rectory of Stuntney, Cambridgeshire. Document type: [pleadings] Date: 1603-1625 Held by: The National Archives, Kew Legal status: Public Record(s)" The National Archives (accessed 19 Dec 2022)
11. ↑ Burial "UK and Ireland, Find a Grave Index, 1300s-Current"
    URL: Find A Grave: Memorial #205653631
    Ancestry uk Record 60526 #169146521 (accessed 21 December 2022)
    Simeon Steward burial (died in 1629) in Ely, East Cambridgeshire District, Cambridgeshire, England.

• "Wikipedia Simon Steward (MP)" Wikipedia (accessed 19 Dec 2022)

Acknowledgements

This profile has been improved by a member of the England Project's Orphan Trail