Family and Education

b. 13 Nov. 1598,2 1st s. of John Curzon of Kedleston and Millicent, da. of Sir Ralph Sacheverell of Stanton, wid. of Thomas Gell of Hopton, Derbys.3 educ. Magdalen, Oxf. 1618.4 m. 26 Aug. 1623,5 Patience (d. 30 Mar. 1642),6 da. of (Sir) Thomas Crewe* of Steane, Northants., 4s. (3 d.v.p.) 3da. (2 d.v.p.).7 suc. fa. 1632;8 cr. bt. [S] 18 June 1636, Eng. 11 Aug. 1641;9 kntd. 5 Aug. 1641.10 d. 13 Dec. 1686.11

Offices Held

?Commr. Forced Loan, Derbys. 1626-7;12 j.p. Derbys. 1634-49, 1654-70, Oxon. 1637-49;13 inquiry, High Peak forest 1634;14 sheriff, Derbys. 1637-8;15 dep. lt. 1638-c.42;16 commr. gaol delivery, Derby 1638, 1645, 1663,17 perambulation of Wychwood forest, Oxon. 1641,18 assessment, Oxon. 1641-2, Derbys. 1645-8, 1657-80,19 array, Oxon. 1642,20 sequestration, Derbys. 1643, levying money 1643, New Model Ordinance 1645, militia, Derbys. and Leics. 1648, 1660,21 oyer and terminer, Midlands Circ. 1657-70,22 steward, soke of Wirksworth 1665-d.23

Recvr.-gen. duchy of Lancaster 1641-52, 1660-d.;24 commr. excise 1645, Admlty. 1645, abuses in heraldry 1646, bps.’ lands 1646.25

Biography

The Curzons claimed Norman descent, and were seated at Kedleston by 1198.26 They represented the county regularly from the early fifteenth century, but suffered a temporary eclipse under Curzon’s grandfather, Francis Curzon†, who died with debts of £24,000. The family’s fortunes were restored by Curzon’s father.27 Curzon himself owed his return for Brackley in 1628 to his father-in-law (Sir) Thomas Crewe, who lived close to the borough. He left no trace on the parliamentary records. His chief interest at this time was in a project to drain and reactivate lead mines in Derbyshire.28 During his shrievalty in 1637-8 he seems to have done his best to collect Ship Money and calculated his expenses at £150, but nevertheless he was twice summoned before the Privy Council to answer for arrears.29 A Presbyterian, he staunchly supported Parliament during the Civil War, but retired from national and local politics after Pride’s Purge.30 After making his will, dated 22 Apr. 1670, he died on 13 Dec. 1686, and was buried at Kedleston.31 His grandson John, the third baronet, sat for Derbyshire from 1701 to 1727 as a Tory.

Ref Volumes: 1604-1629

Authors: Virginia C.D. Moseley / Rosemary Sgroi

Notes

• 1. Secluded at Pride’s Purge, 6 Dec. 1648: M. Keeler, Long Parl. 149.
• 2. J.C. Cox, Churches of Derbys. iii. 182.
• 3. Cal. Talbot Pprs. ed. G.R. Batho (Derbys. Recs. Ser. iv), 92.
• 4. Al. Ox.
• 5. C142/485/100.
• 6. Cox, iii. 181.
• 7. Vis. Derbys. (Harl. Soc. n.s. viii), 9-10.
• 8. C142/485/100.
• 9. CB i. 132-3.
• 10. Shaw, Knights of Eng. ii. 210.
• 11. Duchy of Lancaster Office-Holders ed. R. Somerville, 18.
• 12. E179/93/355.
• 13. C231/5, ff. 142, 253; S.C. Newton, ‘Gentry of Derbys. in Seventeenth Century’, Derbys. Arch. Jnl. lxxxvi. 17; C220/9/4, f. 15.
• 14. R. Somerville, ‘Commons and Wastes in NW Derbys.’, Derbys. Arch. Jnl. xcvii. 16.
• 15. List of Sheriffs comp. A. Hughes (PRO, L. and I. ix), 31.
• 16. HMC Cowper, ii. 259; A.J. Fletcher, ‘Petitioning and the outbreak of the Civil War in Derbys.’, Derbys. Arch. Jnl. xciii. 38.
• 17. C181/5, ff. 119, 248; 181/7, p. 193.
• 18. C181/5, f. 209v.
• 19. A. and O. i. 637, 963, 1080, ii. 1064; SR, v. 211, 329, 456, 529, 757, 902.
• 20. Northants. RO, FH133.
• 21. A. and O. i. 111, 228, 621, 1235, 1338, ii. 1429, 1434.
• 22. C181/6, f. 215, 239; 181/7, pp. 193, 207, 273, 534.
• 23. Duchy of Lancaster Office-Holders, 175.
• 24. Ibid. 18.
• 25. A. and O. i. 691, 783, 839, 905.
• 26. J.C. Cox, Churches of Derbys. iii. 171.
• 27. Cal. Shrewsbury Pprs. ed. C. Jamison (Derbys. Recs. ser. i), 121.
• 28. F.N. Fisher, ‘Sir Cornelius Vermuyden and the Dovegang lead mine’, Derbys. Arch. Jnl. lxxii. 93.
• 29. CSP Dom. 1637-8, pp. 327-8, 412-3, 597; 1638-9, pp. 29, 297; 1639-40, p. 454.
• 30. Fletcher, 38; Newton, 6, 17; Keeler, 149.
• 31. PROB 11/386, f. 145v-6; Cox, iii. 171, 181.