Alexander Popham

Colonel Alexander Popham, of Littlecote, Wiltshire, portrait circa 1660-5 by Abraham Staphorst

Arms of Popham: Argent, on a chief gules two stag's heads cabossed or

Alexander Popham, of Littlecote, Wiltshire (1605 – 1669) was an English politician who sat in the House of Commons at various times between 1640 and 1669. He was patron of the philosopher John Locke.

Early life

Popham was born at Littlecote House in Wiltshire, the son of Sir Francis Popham and Anne Gardiner Dudley, and grandson of Sir John Popham and wife Amy Games. He was educated at Balliol College, Oxford, and admitted to the Middle Temple in 1622.^[1]

Antebellum

Popham was a prominent figure and Justice of the Peace in Somerset. In April 1640 he was elected Member of Parliament for Bath in the Short Parliament. He was re-elected MP for Bath for Long Parliament in November 1640.^[1]

Civil War and Interregnum

Popham came from a Presbyterian family and was himself an elder in the church. He supported the Parliamentary cause and fought in the Parliamentary army with the rank of colonel and had a garrison stationed at Littlecote House. Despite his Presbyterianism, his sympathies lay with the Army during the Second Civil War, so he survived Pride's Purge in late 1648 and — after the execution of King Charles I and the founding of the Commonwealth — he served on the Council of State.^[1]

In 1654 he was elected MP for Bath again in the First Protectorate Parliament. He was elected MP for Wiltshire in the Second Protectorate Parliament and for Minehead in the Third Protectorate Parliament. He did not support the Protectorate and although he sat in the Protectorate parliaments he refused to take his seat in Cromwell's Other House (1657–1658).^[1]

Restoration

In April 1660 he was elected MP for Bath again in the Convention Parliament. After the restoration of the monarchy, he made his peace with Charles II and entertained him to a "costlie dinner" at Littlecote. He was re-elected MP for Bath in 1661 to the Cavalier Parliament.^[1]

Marriage & progeny

Popham married Letitia Carre, daughter of William Carre of Ferniehurst, Scotland, half brother to Robert Carre, favourite of King James I. By his wife he had eight children, including:

Sons

• Sir Francis Popham (d. 28 August 1674), of Littlecote, Wiltshire, who married Helena Rogers and had progeny:
  • Alexander Popham, married Anne Montagu, daughter of Ralph Montagu, 1st Duke of Montagu, by whom he had progeny:
    • Elizabeth Popham (d. 20 March 1761), married firstly Edward Montagu, Viscount Hinchingbrooke, and secondly Francis Seymour, of Sherborne, Dorset.
  • Letitia Popham (d. 1738), who married Sir Edward Seymour, 5th Baronet (d.1741), her aunt's step-son, the son of the 4th Baronet by his first wife Margaret Wale. Her son was Edward Seymour, 8th Duke of Somerset (1695-1757), who inherited the dukedom from his father's 6th cousin Algernon Seymour, 7th Duke of Somerset (d.1750) who died without male progeny.

Daughters

• Essex Popham, eldest daughter, who married on 17 August 1663 John Poulett, 3rd Baron Poulett and had issue;
• Letitia Popham (d. 16 March 1714), who married (as his second wife) Sir Edward Seymour, 4th Baronet (d.1708), of Berry Pomeroy in Devon, who served as Speaker of the British House of Commons. Her two sons successively inherited the estates, but not the titles, of her childless cousin Edward Conway, 1st Earl of Conway (c.1623-1683) (whose mother was Frances Popham, daughter of Sir Francis Popham (1573–1644) MP, of Wellington in Somerset and Littlecote) and under the terms of the bequest adopted the arms and additional surname of Conway. Her second son and heir to his brother Popham Seymour-Conway (1675-1699) was Francis Seymour-Conway, 1st Baron Conway (1679-1732) father of Francis Seymour-Conway, 1st Marquess of Hertford (1718–1794).

Deaf nephew

This Alexander Popham is not to be confused with his nephew Alexander Popham, son of Alexander's brother Edward Popham, who was born deaf and was taught to speak by two scientists, John Wallis and William Holder.^[2] He is considered to be one of the earliest cases of a born deaf person learning to talk.^[2]

References

1. Helms & Cassidy 1983.
2. Elliott 2008.

Sources

• Elliott, Jane (26 July 2008), Find could end 350-year science dispute, BBC News, retrieved 2008-07-27
• Helms, M.W.; Cassidy, Irene (1983), "Popham, Alexander (c.1605-69), of Houndstreet, Som. and Littlecote, Wilts.", in Henning, B.D., The History of Parliament: the House of Commons 1660-1690, Boydell and Brewer

Further reading

• Popham, Frederick William, “A West Country Family: The Pophams since 1150, privately printed, 1976
• Hansard, Thomas, ed. (1808), Cobbett's Parliamentary history of England, from the Norman Conquest in 1066 to the year 1803, London

External links

• John Locke Bibliography--Part I -- Early miscellaneous works