Who was Sir Henry Bellingham?
Henry Bellingham was a member of a Northern gentry family during the English Civil War. He was born in the late sixteenth century, the eldest son of Sir James and Agnes (Curwen) Bellingham. Henry resided primarily in Helsington, Westmorland (England), throughout his life.
His Education
Henry was admitted to Queen's College Cambridge as a Fellow-Commoner on November 10, 1609. He was admitted to the Inns of Court (Middle Temple) in London to study law on February 16, 1610/1. In the seventeenth century, these pursuits were as much about introducing young men to influential individuals as exposing them to influential ideas. The fact that Henry Bellingham did not finish a degree at the University of Cambridge does not indicate anything about him as an intellectual. Enrolling at university brought elite young men from throughout the kingdom together into a centralized social environment where they forged friendships and sought patronage. These social relationships — in addition to kinship — formed important networks on which they relied throughout their lives, especially as elites in English politics.
Baronetcy
In May 1620, King James I made Henry Bellingham a baronet. The receipt for the fees associated with the ceremony is one of the items that Henry chose to include in his commonplace book. This receipt played a central role in identifying which seventeenth-century Henry Bellingham (among many) had compiled the materials in this manuscript. "Henry" was a common name given to boys in the Bellingham family, and Henry had many uncles and cousins living in Westmorland and Ireland.
"Baronet" was a hereditary title created by King James I in order to raise money. The baronetcy is ranked higher than the knighthoods, but lower than peers. In the seventeenth century, English peers sometimes derided the baronetcy as a title sought after by persons wishing to "buy" status.
Member of Parliament
Sir Henry Bellingham served Helsington, Westmorland as a Member of the House of Commons. He took part in the Parliaments of 1625, 1626, and 1640 (both). The second 1640 Parliament, also known as the Long Parliament, was in session throughout the Civil Wars, Commonwealth, and Protectorate; it was only dissolved with the restoration of monarchical government in 1660. Sir Henry served in the Long Parliament until 1645, at which point he was "disabled to sit." He was fined as a royalist twice: £3,228 in February 1647 and £1,971 in May 1649.
Family life
Sir Henry Bellingham married Dorothy, the daughter of Sir Francis Boynton. They had one son, James Bellingham, who was baptized September 8, 1623. Dorothy died January 23, 1626/7. Although it is unknown how many children were born to Henry and Dorothy, James was their only son who survived until adulthood.
Sir Henry was buried on October 10, 1650. His son and heir, Sir James Bellingham, 2nd Bt., died two weeks later; he was buried on October 26, 1650.
Sources
Cokayne, G.E., ed. Complete Baronetage, vol. 1. (Alan Sutton, 1983), 145-146.