Sir Edward Stephens, MP, of Little Sodbury

Biography

Sir Edward Stephens (1597 – c. 1670) of Little Sodbury, Gloucestershire, England., was an English lawyer and politician who sat in the House of Commons variously between 1640 and 1660.

• Parents:  eldest son of Thomas Stephens, b 1558 in Lypiott Park, Little Sodbury, Eastington, Gloucester, England, who was the prince's attorney-general & Elizabeth Stone b: 1562 in London, England

Married

1. by 1619 to Anne Crewe, b about 1599. Daughter of Sir Thomas Crewe of Stene, Northamptonshire.  

They had 3 sons and 1 daughter:

1. Temperance, daughter of Col. Edward Stephens of Sodbury, member of the Long Parliament.  Married Robert Packer, MP
2. Thomas, born about 1619, succeeded his father
3. John, 2nd son, born about 1622, died 1643 in Oxford, England.
4. Edward, 3rd son, born about 1624.

Stephens bore a common Gloucestershire surname, which achieved gentility only in the 16th century. A cousin, Nathaniel Stephens, sat for the county in 1628 and again in the Long Parliament. The whole family was parliamentarian during the Civil War. Stephens, who had to live down his record as a ship-money sheriff, was imprisoned at Pride’s Purge. He publicly called on Thomas Fairfax (3rd Lord Fairfax), to save the King’s life, but abstained from further political activity until 1660. He probably stood again in 1661, for Wharton expected him to manage his son-in-law Robert Packer and other Members of the Cavalier Parliament; but a few months later he was replaced by his son, Sir Thomas, on the assessment commission. None of his descendants sat in Parliament.4 More Biography

Notes

• b. 23 Apr. 1597, 1st s. of Thomas Stephens of Lypiatt, Glos., attorney-gen. to the Prince of Wales 1603-13, by Elizabeth, da. and coh. of John Stone, Haberdasher, of Bow Churchyard, London and Bourne Hall, Herts; bro. of John Stephens. educ. M. Temple, entered 1612; Oxf. 1613. m. by 1619, Anne, da. of Sir Thomas Crew† of Nantwich, Cheshire and Stene, Northants., 3s. 1da. suc. fa. 1613.2 

References

• http://www.historyofparliamentonline.org/volume/1660-1690/member/st...
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_Stephens_(MP)
• http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=62752
• http://www.british-history.ac.uk/alumni-oxon/1500-1714/pp1394-1422
  • Stephens, Edward subscribed 15 Oct., 1613; perhaps student of Middle Temple 1612 (as son and heir of Thomas, late treasurer of the Middle Temple), and M.P. Tewkesbury 1640 (L.P.), till Aug., 1641, and Oct., 1641, till secluded in Dec., 1648, and co. Gloucester 1660; father of John 1637. See Foster's Parliamentary Dictionary.
• Stevens genealogy. Some descendants of the Fitz Stephen family in England and New England by Stevens, Charles Ellis, 1853-1906. [from old catalog] Published 1905, page 52, careful: has errors.
• Visitation of Gloucestershire Page 151: Stephens < Archive.Org >
• Knighted by King Charles II in 1660.
• Birthplace is described as Lypiatt Park, Little Sodbury, England. Same for marriage site and death site.