Charles le Grosse
Sir Charles Le Grosse was an English politician who sat in the House of Commons at various times between 1628 and 1653.
Le Grosse was the son of Sir Thomas Le Gros (d.1613) of Crostwight Hall near North Walsham, Norfolk and was knighted on 6 December 1616.[1] He was appointed High Sheriff of Norfolk for 1626–27.
In 1628, Le Grosse was elected Member of Parliament for Orford and sat until 1629 when King Charles decided to rule without parliament for eleven years.[2] In April 1640, Le Grosse was re-elected MP for Orford in the Short Parliament and re-elected MP for Orford for the Long Parliament in November 1640, retaining his seat until 1653.[2]
He acquired by marriage a moiety of the manor of Eccles, which allowed him to hold court there.[3] In 1637 he and Dr. Thomas Lushington were instrumental in persuading the physician and philosopher Thomas Browne, to re-locate to Norwich.[4] In 1658 Browne dedicated his Hydriotaphia, Urn Burial to Le Grosse's eldest son, Thomas.
Le Grosse died before 31 May 1660. He had married Muriel, the daughter of Sir Thomas Knyvet and his wife Elizabeth[3] and had 2 sons and 6 daughters.[5]
The poet Ralph Knevet had dedicated the following poem to him.[6]
- The King of Pyrrhus shewd the Muses nine
- And Phoebus portraited by sculpture fine:
- But thou faire Knight-hoods fairer ornament
- Conspicuously dost to our eyes present
- Phoebus, the Muses nine, the Graces three,
- Mercurie, and Mars, yea more Gods then bee
- In Homers Iliads; or at least much greater:
- For thy mind's a Pantheon, or a Theater,
- Wherein all vertues, and all graces stand,
- In decent order link'd, with hand in hand.
- The[e] 'mongst the chiefest of the Arts few friends
- I list: and so adore thy noble ends,
- That if my Quill to vertue can life give,
- Thy honourd fame shall Nestors age outlive.
References
- Knights of England
- Willis, Browne (1750). Notitia Parliamentaria, Part II: A Series or Lists of the Representatives in the several Parliaments held from the Reformation 1541, to the Restoration 1660 ... London. pp. 229–239.
- 'Hundred of Shropham: Eccles', An Essay towards a Topographical History of the County of Norfolk: volume 1 (1805), pp. 405-411. Date accessed: 30 May 2011
- The Life of Sir Thomas Browne Kt
- "LE GROS (GROSS), Sir Charles (c.1596-1650), of Crostwight, Norf". History of Parliament Online. Retrieved 20 April 2013.
- The Shorter Poems of Ralph Knevet
| Parliament of England | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Sir Robert Hitcham Charles Croft |
Member of Parliament for Orford 1628–1629 With: Sir Lionel Tollemache, 2nd Baronet |
Succeeded by Parliament suspended until 1640 |
| Preceded by Parliament suspended since 1629 |
Member of Parliament for Orford 1640–1653 With: Sir Edward Duke, 1st Baronet 1640 Sir William Playters, 2nd Baronet 1640–1648 |
Succeeded by Not represented in Barebones Parliament |