Background
Knollys was the son of Sir Francis Knollys, of Greys Court in Oxfordshire, and of Reading, in Berkshire, and his wife, Catherine Carey and was generally known as Francis Knollys the younger.
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Francis Knollys
Edit ProfileEducation
He attended Magdalen College, Oxford in and around 1564.
Career
He was a student of Gray"s Inn in 1565. In those early years he was involved in piracy with Sir Francis Drake, serving as a rear-admiral on privateering activities in the Caribbean, returning in 1586 with considerable booty. He soon after served with his brother-in-law, the Earl of Leicester, in the Netherlands campaign and was knighted by him at Flushing on 7 December 1587.
Knollys was once again elected Member of Parliament in 1597, this time for Berkshire.
He was awarded Master of Arts at Oxford on 10 July 1598. In 1604 he was re-elected Member of Parliament for Berkshire and sat until 1611.
He was elected Member of Parliament for Berkshire again in 1625. He sat until his death in 1648.
Knollys died before May 1648 at the age of about 90, described by his colleagues as "the ancientest Parliament man in England".
He was buried at Street Lawrence church, Reading.
Membership
Short Parliament; Useless Parliament]
In December 1575 Knollys was elected Member of Parliament for Oxford following the death of Edward Knollys, and held the seat unit 1589. He was one of the oldest ever members of parliament and has the record for the longest span of service as an Member of Parliament, 73 years between first being elected and his death.
