A One-Name Study for the BARNUM/BARNHAM Surname
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.
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.
A Research Guide to the Genealogy of the Barnum/Barnam/Barnham Family Worldwide
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