PYTTS (PITTS), James (c.1627-86), of Kinnersley Castle, Herefs. and Kyre Park, Worcs.

Published in The History of Parliament: the House of Commons 1660-1690, ed. B.D. Henning, 1983
Available from Boydell and Brewer

Constituency

Dates

13 Apr. - 16 July 1660
Mar. 1679
8 Apr. 1685 - bef. 16 Feb. 1686

Family and Education

b. c.1627, 1st s. of Edward Pytts. m. (1) Lucy, da. and h. of William Smallman of Kinnersley Castle, s.p.; (2) Anne, da. of Sir John Fettiplace, 1st Bt., of Childrey, Berks., s.p. suc. fa. 1672.1

Offices Held

Commr. for assessment, Herefs. 1657, Jan. 1660-80, Worcs. 1673-80, Leominster 1679-80; j.p. Herefs. July 1660-d., Worcs. 1673-d.; commr. for recusants, Worcs. 1675, sheriff 1679-80, dep. lt. 1685-d.; alderman, Bewdley 1685-d.2

Biography

Pytts married the heiress of one of the Members for Leominster in the Short Parliament and thereby greatly improved his family interest in Herefordshire. He seems to have lived at Kinnersley, five miles from Weobley, during his father’s lifetime, and at the Restoration was accused of obstructing the return of the Anglican incumbent to his rectory. He was returned for Weobley at the general election of 1660, but the election was declared void three months later. Like his father, he seems to have taken no part in the Convention, but if he voted it was probably with the Opposition.3

In 1669 it was reported that the family estate in Leominster was up for sale, but no purchaser could be found even on the most generous terms. In 1676, however, Pytts sold Kinnersley to the father of Sir John Morgan for £5,700, and in the same year was adopted as candidate for Leominster by the country party. He was duly returned at the next general election and classed by Shaftesbury as ‘honest’. He was moderately active in the first Exclusion Parliament, being appointed to six committees, of which the most important was to draw up an address promising revenge on the Papists if the King should meet a violent end. But he voted against the exclusion bill, and was not returned to the next two Parliaments.4

When the Tory reaction set in, Pytts began to cultivate his interest in Worcestershire, and with the lord lieutenant’s approval was elected for the county in 1685. He was an inactive Member of James II’s Parliament, in which he was named only to the committee for corn and wool prices on 5 June. The date of his death is uncertain, but he probably survived the second session, as no new writ was issued. His will, dated five days before his election, was proved on 16 Feb. 1686. His heir was his cousin Samuel Pytts, Tory Member for Hereford 1699-1700 and Worcester 1710-15.5

Ref Volumes: 1660-1690

Authors: M. W. Helms / Edward Rowlands

Notes

  • 1. Kyre Park Charters ed. Amphlett (Worcs. Rec. Soc.), p. xiii; Vis. Worcs. (Harl. Soc. xc), 81.
  • 2. CSP Dom. 1685, p. 138.
  • 3. HMC 7th Rep. 143.
  • 4. HMC Portland, iii. 311; CSP Dom. 1675-6, p. 461.
  • 5. CSP Dom. 1685, p. 23; Kyre Park Charters, 133-4.