Sir Francis Knollys (died 1648) was an English politician who sat in the House of Commons variously between 1575 and 1648.

Knollys was the son of Sir Francis Knollys, of Greys Court in Oxfordshire, and of Reading, in Berkshire, and his wife, Catherine Carey and was generally known as Francis Knollys the younger. He attended Magdalen College, Oxford in and around 1564. He was a student of Gray's Inn in 1565. He was knighted in 1587.[1]

In December 1575 Knollys was elected Member of Parliament for Oxford and held the seat unit 1589. In those early years he was involved in piracy with Sir Francis Drake, serving as a rear-admiral on privateering activities in the Caribbean, returning in 1586 with considerable booty. He soon after served with his brother-in-law, the Earl of Leicester, in the Netherlands campaign and was knighted by him at Flushing in December 1587.

He was once again elected MP in 1597, this time for Berkshire.[2] He was awarded MA at Oxford on 10 July 1598.[1] In 1604 he was re-elected MP for Berkshire and sat until 1611. He was elected MP for Berkshire again in 1625.[2] In April 1640, Knollys was re-elected MP for Reading in the Short Parliament with his son, and was re-elected for the Long Parliament in November 1640. He sat until his death in 1648.[2]

Knollys died before May 1648.[1] He had married in 1588 Lettice Barrett, daughter of John Barrett, of Hanham. Knollys was the father of Francis and Robert.[1] and father-in-law of John Hampden, who married his daughter Lettice.

References

  1. ^ a b c d Alumni Oxonienses, 1500-1714: Kandruth-Kyte, Alumni Oxonienses 1500-1714: Abannan-Kyte (1891), pp. 837-867. Date accessed: 23 February 2011
  2. ^ a b c Browne Willis Notitia parliamentaria, or, An history of the counties, cities, and boroughs in England and Wales: ... The whole extracted from mss. and printed evidences 1750 pp229-239
Parliament of England Preceded by Member of Parliament for Oxford 1575-1589 Succeeded by Preceded by Member of Parliament for Berkshire 1597-1598 Succeeded by Preceded by Member of Parliament for Berkshire 1604-1614 With: Sir Henry Neville Succeeded byEdmund DunchSir Richard Harrison Preceded byEdmund DunchSir Richard Harrison Member of Parliament for Berkshire 1625 With: Edmund Dunch Succeeded byEdmund DunchJohn Fettiplace Preceded byParliament suspended since 1629 Member of Parliament for Reading 1640-1648 With: Sir Francis Knollys jun. 1640-1643Tanfield Vachel 1645-1648 Succeeded by
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