John Coke

For other people named John Coke, seeJohn Coke (disambiguation).

Sir John Coke MPJPPC
Sir John Cokec.1639
Secretary of State
In office September 1625 – January 1640
Member of Parliament forCambridge University
In office February 1626 – March 1629
Lord Privy Seal
In office 1625–1628
Member of Parliament forSt Germans
In office 1624–1625
Master of Requests
In office November 1622 – 1625
Member of Parliament forWarwick
In office January 1621 – January 1622
Personal details
Born	5 March 1563 Trusley,Derbyshire
Died	8 September 1644(1644-09-08)(aged 81) Tottenham,Middlesex
Nationality	English
Spouse(s)	(1) Mary Powell (1604–1624) (her death) (2) Joan Lee (1624–his death)
Children	Joseph (ca.1605–1624);John(1607–1650);Thomas(1610–1656); Ann (1617–1686);
Alma mater	Trinity College, Cambridge
Occupation	Civil servant and politician

Sir John CokeMPJPPC(5 March 1563 – 8 September 1644) was an English civil servant and naval administrator, described by one commentator as "theSamuel Pepysof his day ".He wasMPfor various constituencies in theHouse of Commonsbetween 1621 and 1629, and served asSecretary of StateunderCharles I,playing a key part in government during the eleven years ofPersonal Rulefrom 1629 to 1640.

The younger son of aDerbyshirelawyer, Coke owed his career to the patronage ofFulke Greville, 1st Baron BrookeandGeorge Villiers, 1st Duke of Buckingham,both of whom valued his efficiency and capacity for hard work. This brought him to the attention of Charles I, who appointed him Secretary of State in 1625 with responsibility for implementing his domestic policy. TheRoyaliststatesmanEdward Hyde, 1st Earl of Clarendonlater wrote that he was "unadorn’d with any parts of vigour or quickness",but he retained this position until dismissed at the age of 77 in January 1640.

When theFirst English Civil Warbegan in August 1642, his eldest sonJohnsupportedParliamentwhile his younger sonThomasjoined theRoyalists.Too old to take part and with his country house ofMelbourne Halloccupied by a Parliamentarian garrison, Coke moved toTottenham,where he died on 8 September 1644.

Personal details

John Coke was born inTrusleyon 5 March 1563, second son of Richard Coke (ca.1540–1582), a prominentDerbyshirelawyer, and his wife Mary.He was one of at least four children, the others being his elder brother Francis (1561–1639), who inherited the family estates,George Coke(1570–1646), laterBishop of Hereford,and Dorothy, wife ofValentine Cary(ca. 1570–1626),Bishop of Exeterfrom 1621 to 1626.

Coke married twice, the first time in 1604 to Mary or Marie Powell (ca.1578–1624), with whom he had six surviving children; Joseph (ca.1605–1624),John(1607–1650),Thomas(1610–1656), Ann (1617–1686);

Career

Thought to have attendedWestminster School,Coke enteredTrinity College, Cambridgein 1576, where he remained for the next fifteen years, serving as a lecturer inrhetoricfrom 1584 to 1591. During this period, he became loosely acquainted with a circle of friends aroundRobert Devereux, 2nd Earl of EssexincludingFulke Greville, 1st Baron Brooke,for whom he seems to have acted as an accountant. He left Cambridge in 1591 to work for Greville full time, then spent the years from 1593 to 1597 travelling inEurope,almost certainly on behalf of Essex who was seeking to establish a network of agents there.

In 1621 Coke was elected Member of Parliament forWarwick.He was appointed aMaster of Requestsin 1622 and wasknightedin 1624. In 1624 he was elected MP forSt Germansand was re-elected for the seat in 1625.In the parliament of 1625 Coke acted as asecretary of state;in this and later parliaments he introduced the royal requests for money, and defended the foreign policy ofCharles IandBuckingham,and afterwards the actions of the king. His actual appointment as secretary dates from September 1625. He was elected MP forCambridge Universityin 1626 and 1628. Disliked by the leaders of the popular party, his speeches in the House of Commons did not improve the king's position.

Melbourne Hall, Derbyshire

Coke married Marie Powell, and they set up home at Hall Court,Kynaston,Much Marcle.Several of their letters to each other survive.

King Charles ruled without a parliament from 1628 and he found Coke's industry very useful to him. Coke kept his post until 1640. Dismissed from office, he retired tohis estateatMelbournein Derbyshire, which he had bought in 1628. He died at his house inTottenhamnear London, on 8 September 1644.

Coke in his earlier years had been a defender of absolute monarchy and greatly disliked the papacy. He was described byClarendonas "a man of very dumb education and a narrower mind"; and again he says, "his cardinal perfection was industry and his most eminent infirmity covetousness."

Coke's elder son,Sir John Cokewas aParliamentarianin theEnglish Civil War,while his younger sonThomas Cokewas aRoyalist.

The Coke family continued to ownMelbourne HalluntilGeorge Lewis Coke,an ambiguous figure who died childless in 1777. His sister married the family's lawyer and the Coke name was lost.

Sources

• Lockyer, Roger (1984).Buckingham: The Life and Political Career of George Villiers, First Duke of Buckingham 1592-1628.Taylor, Francis.ISBN978-0582494152.
• Thrush, Andrew (2010).COKE, John (1563-1644), of Hall Court, Kynaston, Herefs.; Garlick Hill, London and Tottenham, Mdx.; later of Melbourne Hall, Melbourne, Derbys inThe History of Parliament: the House of Commons 1604-1629.CUP.ISBN978-1107002258.
• Young, Michael (2004). "Coke, Sir John (1563–1644)".Oxford Dictionary of National Biography(online ed.). Oxford University Press.doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/5828.(Subscription orUK public library membershiprequired.)
• Young, Michael (1986).Servility and Service: The Life and Work of Sir John Coke.Royal Historical Society.ISBN978-0861932023.