John Digby (1618–1664)

John Digby (1618 – 17 March 1664) was an English politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1640 to 1642. He fought on the Royalist side in the English Civil War and died as a priest at a convent in France.

Digby was born in London, the son of John Digby, 1st Earl of Bristol, and his wife Beatrix Walcot, daughter of Charles Walcot of Walcot Shropshire.^[1] He matriculated at Magdalen College, Oxford, on 12 May 1634, aged 16.^[2]

In November 1640, Digby was elected Member of Parliament for Milborne Port in the Long Parliament.^[3] In 1641 after his brother George Digby was accelerated to the House of Lords, John perched himself on a ladder at the door of the chamber which the speaker, William Lenthall took as an act of disrespect and insubordination and told him to take his place, and not to sit upon the ladder as if he were going to be hanged. Another MP Richard King complained that the Speaker had transgressed his duty in using so disgraceful a speech to so noble a gentleman and after some turmoil obtained a conditional apology.^[4]

During the civil war Digby supported the King and was disabled on 5 August 1642. He was a general of horse under Ralph, Lord Hopton.^[2]

In 1660, Digby "a most holy devout person" became a priest at a convent of English Benedictines at Pontoise which was built that year. In March 1666 members of the community including Digby planned a visit to England. It was noted that "Mr Digby was a severe man to himself, and fasted Lent most strictly and having a great weakness in his head by the many wounds he had received in the wars, was subject to pains in his head in those wounds; and fasting this Lent with nothing but a mess of peas porridge and bread, being a corpulant man became weak of his head by it. And some day or two before the designed journy, in the night fell into an apoplex, was annealed and died the next day."^[5] The convent at Pontoise contained his tomb which was inscribed "Hic jacet umbra, et pulvis, et nihil."^[6]

References

1. John Burke A general and heraldic dictionary of the peerages of England, Ireland, and Scotland
2. 'Alumni Oxonienses, 1500-1714: Dabbe-Dirkin', Alumni Oxonienses 1500-1714: Abannan-Kyte (1891), pp. 366-405. Date accessed: 24 February 2011
3. 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.
4. Somersetshire Archaeological and Natural History S. Proceedings (Volume 16).
5. Lady Abbess Anne Neville English Benedictine nuns in Flanders 1598-1687 Annals of their five communities
6. Beautiful France - St. Leu Taverny, The Abbey du Val Pontoise