Sir Samuel Lennard, Kt., MP

LENNARD, Samuel (c.1553-1618), of West Wickham, Kent.

Family and Education

• b. c.1553, 3rd son of John Lennard of Chevening, and brother of Sampson.
• educ. Peterhouse, Cambridge 1566, BA 1572, MA 1575; L. Inn 1577.
• m. Elizabeth, daughter of Sir Stephen Slaney, lord mayor of London, 4 sons 8 daughters
• Knighted 1603.

Offices Held

• Justice of the Peace for Kent 1601.

Biography

Lennard was born at Chevening and, after Cambridge and Lincoln’s Inn, settled at West Wickham. He presumably obtained his seat for Fowey through Cecil pressure on the local Treffry family. He was a puritan who signed the 1584 petition from Kent gentlemen on behalf of suspended ministers. His will begins with a long Latin preamble in which he witnessed his faith ‘according to the weakness of his knowledge’. His principal concern was for the upbringing and education of his children:

Considering that natural corruption wherein we were all born ... and further that parents stand not only charged with the sins committed in their own persons but are oftimes in God’s justice found guilty of the transgressions of their children, he charged his wife to ‘add fear to fear and care to care’ in their education, causing them to be instructed so that the fear of God having made impression in their tender hearts, they may grow up together in the graces both of body and mind, till they have attained such strength as may enable them in this unclean and dissolute age to keep themselves unblameable.

Lennard died at his mother-in-law’s house in London 1 Apr. 1618 and was buried at West Wickham. He was succeeded by his son Stephen, aged 15.

Sources:

• Hasted, Kent, ii. 33-5;
• Vis. Kent (Harl. Soc. lxxv), 63;
• Lansd. 43, f. 7;
• PCC 13 Parker;
• T. L. Barrett, Hist. Lennard and Barrett Fams. 9;
• C142/371/116.

Ref Volumes: 1558-1603

Author: N.M.S.