, secretary of state in the reign of James I. was son of Mr. Lewis Winwood,
, secretary of state in the
reign of James I. was son of Mr. Lewis Winwood, some
time secretary to Charles Brandon, duke of Suffolk; and
was born about 1565, at Aynho, in Northamptonshire. He
was at first sent to St. John’s college, Oxford, whence he
was elected a probationer-fellow of Magdalen college in
1582. He took both the degrees in arts, and that of bachelor of law; and in 1692, was proctor of the university.
Afterwards he travelled on the continent, and returned a
very accomplished gentleman. In 1599, he attended sir
Henry Neville, ambassador to France, as his secretary;
and, in' the absence of sir Henry, was appointed resident
at Paris: whence he was recalled in 1602-3, and sent that
year to the States of Holland by James I. In 1607, he was
knighted; and the same year appointed ambassador jointly
with sir Richard Spencer to Holland. He was sent there
again in 1609, when he delivered the remonstrance of
James I. against Vorstius (See Vorstius) the Arminian,
to the assembly of the States, to which they seemed to pay
very little attention. Upon this the king proceeded to
threaten them with his pen; and plainly told them, that
if they had the hardiness to “fetch again from hell ancient
heresies long since dead, &c. he should be constrained to
proceed publicly against them.
” It is certain that his majesty wrote a pamphlet against Conr. Vorstius, which was
printed in 1611.