vincent on 2 Sep 2003  •  Link

"...class mate [of SP]at St Pauls{ [London]..."
"...how Sir H. Yelverton (formerly my school-fellow) was chosen in the first place[in h:of parliament] for Northamptonshire .." from entries

Michael Robinson on 30 Apr 2009  •  Link

Per L&M Companion:

2nd. Bt. (1633-70). A contemporary of Pepys at St. Paul's School; elected M.P. for Northamptonshire 1660(with Manchester's support), and for Northampton Borough 1664. Author of two works in defense of episcopacy. 'A very pretty little gentleman' (Dorothy Osborne).

San Diego Sarah on 5 Mar 2023  •  Link

Yelverton’s ancestors first sat in Parliament in 1451. His father was an enclosing landlord and found a seat in the Long Parliament, where he served until Pride’s Purge.

The family was Puritan, but Yelverton was tutored by the deprived bishop of Durham, and became a devout Anglican.

The letter-writer Dorothy Osborne found him ‘a very pretty little gentleman’, and claimed credit for his excellent match in 1654 with Susan Longueville, s.j. Baroness Grey, heir of Charles, 12th Lord Grey of Ruthin. They had 4 sons and a daughter.

Yelverton was arrested as a royalist in 1659, and on his release declared he was ready to serve the King by raising 500 horse and securing Northampton.

With Thomas Crew MP, Yelverton presented to George Monck an address of thanks from Northants. for the recall of the secluded Members.

Recommended by Edward Montagu, 2nd Earl of Manchester as a ‘worthy person’, he stood as a Royalist for Northants. at the 1660 general election, and was returned after a contest.

Yelverton was among the more prominent Members in the opening weeks of the Convention Parliament. He was one of 4 Members entrusted with counting votes for the delegation to be sent to Breda. He was appointed to the committee to organize the King's reception.

He was appointed to the committee to examine unauthorized Anglican publications.

Altogether he was named to 13 committees in the Convention Parliament, and acted as teller in 3 divisions, he is not known to have spoken.

Yelverton did not stand for reelection in 1661. Perhaps his father’s record was against him, but this does not account for his failure to retain his place in the lieutenancy.

At a by-election for Northampton in 1663 he was defeated by Sir John Bernard (who enjoyed the support of dissenters), but was seated on petition after complaints of a ‘miscarriage’ by the mayor.

Backed by Richard Rainsford MP, Yelverton obtained a letter from Charles II on 2 June 1664, forbidding the ejection of ‘the loyal party’ from the corporation. Meanwhile Yelverton had acted as teller against a Lords amendment to the Conventicles Bill, but he was only moderately active.

He was appointed to 21 committees in the Cavalier Parliament; the most important was to prevent the import of foreign cattle on 20 Oct. 1665.
He was teller in one other unimportant division, and does not appear to have spoken in the House, although Samuel Pepys, meeting him for the first time since their school-days, found him ‘a wise man by his manner of discourse’.

By 1669 he was receiving official intelligence from Joseph Williamson. He was counted a supporter of Ormonde and one MP to be engaged for the Court by the Duke of York and his friends.

Yelverton died suddenly on 3 Oct. 1670. His son inherited the Grey of Ruthin peerage, and no other family members entered the Lower House.

Highlights from https://www.historyofparliamenton…