Heneage Finch

the eldest Son of Sir Heneage Finch of Kensington in Midd. Kt, Serjeant at Law and Recorder of London, by Frances his Wife, Dau. of Sir Edm. Bell of Beaupre in Norfolk Kt, was born ((d))((d)) Reg. Matric. Univ. Oxon. P.P. fol. 29. a. in Kent, particularly, I presume, at Eastwell, on the 23. of Dec. 1621, educated in Westminster School, became a Gent. Communer of Ch. Ch. in Lent term 1635, continued there two or three years, went to the Inner Temple, where by his sedulity and good parts he became a noted proficient in the municipal Laws, was successively Barrester, Bencher, Treasurer, Reader, &c. In 1660 on the 6 of June he was made Sollicitor general to his Majesty, and on the day after, being then a Knight, he was advanced to the dignity of a Baronet, by the name of Sir Heneage Finch of Raunston in Buckinghamshire. The next year he was Autumn or Summer Reader of the Inner Temple, choosing then to read upon the Statute of 39. Elizab. concerning The payment and recovery of the debts of the Crown; which Statute (tho ever seasonable and then most necessary) was never before read upon (as ’twas then reported) by any but himself. The reading and entertainment lasted from the 4th to the 17 of Aug. The former, was with great strength of reason, depth of Law, and admirable sense, and the other, with as great variety as could be imagined, carried on. The first days entertainment was of divers Peers of the Realm and Privy Counsellors, with many others of his noble friends. The second of the Lord Mayor, Aldermen and chief Citizens of London. The third (which was two days after the former) of the whole College of Physitians, who all came in their caps and gowns. The fourth was of another long robe for all the Judges and Advocates (Doctors of the Civil Law) and all the Society of Doctors Commons. The fifth was of the Archbishops, Bishops and chief of the Clergy; and the last which was on the 15 of Aug. was of the King, Duke of York, Lord Chancellour, most of the Peers and great Officers or Court, the Lords Commissioners of Scotland and Ireland, &c. In Apr. the same year (1661) he was chosen Parliament man for this University, but did us no good, when we wanted his assistance, for the taking off the tribute belonging to Hearths. In 1665, after the Parliament then sitting at Oxon, had been prorogued, he was created, in a full Convocation, Doctor of the Civil Law, he being then one of the four members of Parliament, that had communicated the thanks of the honorable H. of Commons, lately sitting in the said Convocation House, to the members of the University for their Reasons concerning the solemn League and Covenant, negative Oath, &c. made 1647. Which creation being concluded, in the presence of several Parliament Men, (besides the said four) the Vicechancellour stood up and spoke to the publick Orator to do his office. Whereupon he making a most admirable harangue, said among other things to this effect, that the University wished they had more Colleges to entertain the Parliament men, and more Chambers, but by no means no more Chymneys, &c. at which Sir Heneage changed his countenance, and drew a little back. In 1670 he was constituted the Kings Attorney General, and upon the removal of Shaftesbury from being Lord Chancellor, he was made Lord Keeper of the Great Seal, 9. Nov. 1673. Shortly after which he was advanced to the degree of a Baron of this realm by the title of Lord Finch of Daventre in Northamptonshire, and upon his surrender of the Great Seal to his Majesty on the 19. of Dec. 1675, he received it immediatly back again with the title of Lord high Chancellor of England. In the most boisterous and ticklish times, when the swoln waves beat highest, (occasion’d by the Popish Plot) he behaved himself with so regular, exactly pois’d and with such even steadiness, whilst others, whose actions not being so justly ballanced, either were discharged from their Offices, or else they themselves by an ungenerous cowardise voluntarily resign’d them up, as unwilling manfully to encounter approaching difficulties, of which they pretended to have prospects; that he still stood firm in the good opinion of his Prince, and which is more to be admired, at that time, when many worthy Ministers of State, were by the malice of designing men, branded with the old infamous character of Evil Counsellours, in order to have them to be run down and worried by the violent outrages of the unthinking, giddy and head-strong multitude. During all which time and clamour against persons, (which continued from Oct. 1678. to the beginning of the year 1681, after the Oxford Parl. was dissolved) he was neither bandied against, or censur’d in the more private seditious Cabals, nor was his Master publickly addressed to for his removal. In 1681. May 14, or thereabouts, he was created Earl of Nottingham, as a mark of the great satisfaction his Majesty had in the many faithful services which his Lordship had rendred the Crown, being then a person of so eloquent and fluent speech, and of so great sapience, that he was usually stiled the English Roscius and the English Cicero. A noted ((e))((e)) Dr. Gilb. Burnet in his pref. to the sec. Vol. of the Hist. of the reformation of the Church of England. author tells us that his great parts and greater vertues, are so conspicuous, that it were a high presumption in him to say any thing in his commendation, being in nothing more eminent than in his zeal for, and care of, this Church of England. See his character most excellently described under the name of Amri, in the second part of a poem entit. Absalom and Achitophel, Lond. 1682. first edit. p. 30. Under the name of this worthy person are published,

Several speeches and discourses in the trial of the Judges of K. Ch. 1.—He being then Sollicitor General. See in the book entit. An exact and most impartial accompt of the indictment, arraignment, trial and judgment (according to Law) of 29 Regicides, &c. Lond. 1660. qu. 1679. oct.

Speeches to both Houses of Parliament, 7. Jan. 1673, 13. of Apr. and 13. Oct. 1675. 15. Feb. 1676. 6. March 1678 and 30. of Apr. 1679.—These were spoken while he was Lord Keeper and Chancellour.

Speech at the sentence of Will. Visc. Stafford, 7. Dec. 1680—Printed in one sh. in fol. and in The Trial of the said Visc. p. 212.213. At which time he performed the office of L. High Steward of England.

Answers by his Majesties command, upon several Addresses presented to his Maj. at Hampton Court, 19 May 1681. Lond. 1681. in 1. sh. in fol.

His Arguments: upon which he made the Decree in the cause between the honorable Charles Howard Esq. plaintiff; Henry late Duke of Norfolk, Hen. Lord Mowbray his Son, Henry Marq. of Dorchester and Richard Marriott Esq. Defendants: wherein the several ways and methods of limiting a trust of a term for years, are fully debated. Lond. 1685 in 9 sh. in fol. He also left behind him written with his own hand,

Chancery Reports—MS in fol. in the hands of his Son Daniel Earl of Nottingham. At length his body being worn out with t [•] o much business, which his high station and office required, he yeilded to nature in his house in Queen-street near Covent Garden, on the 18. of Decemb. in the afternoon, in sixteen hundred eighty and two: whereupon his body was buried on the 28 of the same month in the Church of Raunston before mention’d,1682. near Oulney in Bucks. On the 20 of the said month his Majesty was pleased to commit the custody of the Great Seal to the right honorable Sir Francis North, Lord Ch. Justice of the Common-pleas, with the title of Lord Keeper of the Great Seal of England, and on the 22, he was sworn at the Council-board, and took his place as Lord Keeper. This noble Earl of Nottingham left behind him several Sons, the eldest of which named Daniel, who had been sometimes Gent. Com. of Ch. Ch. succeeded his Father in his honors, having been before a Parliament Man, one of the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty and Privy Counsellour. The second is named Heneage, bred also in the said House, and afterwards in the Inner Temple, who became Sollicitor General in the place of Sir Franc. Winnington, but removed thence about the 21 Apr. 1686, and Sir Tho. Powis put in his place, about five days after. He hath been several times elected Burgess by the University of Oxon. to serve in Parliaments for the members thereof.