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BODMIN1628Family and Education b. c.1580, s. of William Killigrew by Margaret or Margery, da. of Thomas Saunders of Uxbridge, Mdx., wid. of Robert Wolman or Woolman and of John Leigh. educ. Christ Church, Oxf 1591; travelled abroad 1596. m. Mary, da. of Henry Woodhouse, at least 3s. 3da. Kntd. 1603; suc. fa. 1622.

Offices Held

?Official of privy chamber 1601; capt. Pendennis castle 1614, Falmouth 1618; farmer of the profits from seals in King’s bench and common pleas (at least £560 p.a.) in succession to his father 1622; ambassador to United Provinces 1606; vice-chamberlain to Queen Henrietta Maria 1630.

Biography
A Cornish borough seat was arranged for Killigrew about the time he attained his majority. He left no mark upon the records of the 1601 Parliament. On 31 Oct. 1601 John Chamberlain wrote:

Here is much jostling and suing for places in the privy chamber, by reason that most of them, being grown old and weary of waiting, would fain bring in a successor, as Master Killigrew his son and Killigrew succeeded to his father’s court career. He died, a wealthy man, between 20 Sept. 1632, when he made his will, and 12 July following, when it was proved.

Vivian, Vis. Cornw. 268; PRO Index 6800; duchy of Cornw. accts. roll 269; CSP Dom. 1601-3, p. 115; 1603-10, p. 10; 1611-18, pp. 242, 516; Chamberlain Letters ed. McClure, i. 133; N. and Q.(ser. 4), vii. 454; Lansd. 25, f. 83; PCC 69 Russell.

Ref Volumes: 1558-1603 Author: N. M. Fuidge

He was born the son of William Killigrew and Margery (Mary) Saunders. In January 1591, he matriculated at Christ Church, Oxford and later became a chamberlain to Queen Elizabeth I. He was elected MP for St Mawes in 1601 and, in the next reign, was knighted by King James I in 1603.

It is possible that he travelled to Jamestown in 1604. His name appears in the Second Charter of Virginia as a backer.

In June 1612, he was noted as "one of Carr's favourites" according to John Chamberlain. The following May, he was committed to the Fleet Prison for an unknown offence. Having become famous for his concoctions of drugs and cordials, he was at first suspected of complicity in the death of Sir Thomas Overbury in September 1613, but was subsequently officially exonerated.

In 1614, Killigrew was again elected to Parliament, this time as MP for Helston. On 12 May that year, he was involved in an altercation in the House of Commons. In July, he was appointed Keeper of Pendennis Castle, Falmouth, and a JP that same year. He clearly had a temper, as he is recorded as fighting a duel with Captain Burton in 1618. In October that year he was appointed an Officer of Protonotary of Chancery, and in December the following year was mentioned favourably by Buckingham. He was subsequently returned as MP for various constituencies: 1621 Newport, 1624 Penryn, 1625 (first Parliament) Cornwall and (second Parliament) Tregony, 1628 Bodmin, while being appointed Deputy Lieutenant for Cornwall in 1624. He was also appointed Ambassador to the United Provinces in September 1625, but this was not taken up by December that year. The following year, he was appointed Vice-Chamberlain to Queen Henrietta Maria. He died in 1633 in Bath, Somerset, with the probate of his will on 12 May.

He married Mary Woodhouse of Kimberley, Norfolk, (1584-1656), and they had several notable children:

William Killigrew (1605-1695) Anne Killigrew (1607-1641) Robert Killigrew (1611-1???) Thomas Killigrew (1612-1683) Henry Killigrew (1613-1700) Elizabeth Killigrew (c.1615-c.1619) Catherine Killigrew (1618-1689), wife of Sir Thomas Stanley Elizabeth Killigrew (1622-1681), wife of Francis Boyle, 1st Viscount Shannon, was a mistress of Charles II and bore him a daughter Mary Killigrew (1623-1677), later wife of Sir John James, she has been confused in other biographies [1] with Mary Sackville (1645-1679) (formerly Berkeley, née Bagot)--the widowed Countess of Falmouth--who was another mistress

References:

Loves of Charles II Dictionary of National Biography

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MP for St Mawes, Newport, Helston, Penryn, Tregony, Bodmin
Justice of the peace
Keeper of Pendennis Castle, Falmouth
Ambassador to the United Provinces (1625)
Vice-Chamberlain to Queen Henrietta Maria