Background
Leigh was the son of John Leigh of Coldrey, Hampshire and his wife Margaret or Margery Saunders, daughter of Thomas Saunders of Uxbridge, Middlesex.
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John Leigh
Edit ProfileCareer
His father died on 20 January 1576 when he was a year old and he succeeded to the manors of Coldrey, Chauntsinger near Alton, Medstead, Alresford and Bishops Sutton in Hampshire. He was Justice of the Peace for Hampshire from 1592. He served in the army at Cadiz, where he was knighted by the Earl of Essex in 1596.
He went with the Earl of Essex to Ireland in April 1599 as captain of 50 horse, but returned to England in the autumn.
He was not involved in the 1601 rebellion. Instead in 1601 he was elected Member of Parliament for Newport in Cornwall.
In 1604 he was elected Member of Parliament for Helston. Leigh died of "the stone" at the age 36 "after a lingering sickness".
Leigh married Elizabeth West, daughter of Sir Thomas West, of Testwood, Hampshire and had a son Thomas.
Membership
In 1597, he was elected Member of Parliament for Grampound.
