CHIVERTON, Henry (c.1511-c.81), of Quethiock, Cornw.

Published in The History of Parliament: the House of Commons 1558-1603, ed. P.W. Hasler, 1981
Available from Boydell and Brewer

Constituency

Dates

1545
1547
Mar. 1553
Oct. 1553
Apr. 1554
Nov. 1554

Family and Education

b. c.1511, s. of Richard Chiverton. educ. L. Inn by 1533, called 1539. m. by Jan. 1556, Alice, da. of one Kingdon of Trehunsey, 2s. ?1da.1

Offices Held

Chantry commr. Devon and Cornw. 1548; j.p. Cornw. from 1547; escheator, Devon and Cornw. 1548-9; commr. for relief, Cornw. 1550, for assessionable manors, duchy of Cornw. 1553-74; sheriff 1563-4; commr. piracy 1565.2

Biography

Chiverton belonged to a younger branch of the Chivertons of Paul, long settled in West Cornwall. Speculation in former chantry property, and a fortunate marriage made him into a substantial country gentleman. He voted against a government measure in 1555, and missed Mary’s last Parliament. In 1559 he was returned for Liskeard, near his property at Quethiock. He may have owed his return at Dunheved to the local Trevanion family. Both in 1559 and 1563 he would have been an acceptable candidate to the 2nd Earl of Bedford.3

During Elizabeth’s reign there are few references to Chiverton at Lincoln’s Inn, though he did finally become an ‘associate to the bench’ in 1567. He presumably found his administrative work in the west country, and the management of his wife’s property there, a full-time task, sufficiently lucrative for him not to need a legal practice in London. In any event, as the list of his local offices shows, Elizabeth’s government kept him constantly occupied, and he was in addition, employed on numerous ad hoc commissions. Once at least he displeased the Council: he and Hugh Trevanion were censured for allowing a suspected felon to escape. The date of his death has not been found. His name does not appear on the 1573-4 commission of the peace, but he retained his duchy of Cornwall office until 1574. A Star Chamber document of 3 Apr. 1581 described him as ‘now late deceased’.4

Ref Volumes: 1558-1603

Author: N. M. Fuidge

Notes

  • 1. St. Ch. 4/4/28; Vis. Cornw. (Harl. Soc. ix), 43 and n.; Vivian, Vis. Cornw. 87; C1/1111/46.
  • 2. A. L. Rowse, Tudor Cornw. 253; J. Maclean, Trigg Minor, i. 417 n; CPR, 1547-8, p. 82; 1548-9, p. 135; 1553 and App. Edw. VI, pp. 327, 351; APC, vii. 283; Duchy Cornw. index nom. 54.
  • 3. LP Hen. VIII, iv. 237; Rowse; Maclean; CPR, 1548-9, pp. 176-7; Truro mss, HK 12/27; KB 27/1176-1180; Guildford Mus. Loseley 1331/2.
  • 4. Maclean, i. 213; Lansd. 8, f. 77; APC, vii. 249; St. Ch. 5/C27/38.