John Poulett, 1st Baron Poulett, of Hinton Street George, Somerset, was an English sailor and politician who sat in the House of Commons between 1610 and 1621 and was later raised to the peerage.
Background
Poulett was the son of Sir Anthony Poulett (1562–1600) (alias Paulet), of Hinton Street George, Governor of Jersey, and Captain of the Guard to Queen Elizabeth by his wife Catherine Norris, daughter of Henry Norris, 1st Baron Norreys (1525-1601) of Rycote in Oxfordshire.
Education
He was educated at University College, Oxford and was admitted as a student of the Middle Temple in 1610.
Career
He was a Justice of the Peace for Somerset by 1613 to at least 1640 and was appointed Sheriff of Somerset for 1616-1617. Poulett was raised to the peerage as Baron Poulett, of Hinton Street George in the County of Somerset, on 23 June 1627. He served in the Royal Navy to secure English commerce and bullion ships from Dutch raiding expeditions.
At the start of the Civil War he put his signature, together with those of other Lords and Councillors, to a declaration disavowing any intention by King Charles I to wage war against the Parliament, but as hostilities broke out he sided, on 15 June 1642, with the Royalist cause.
He was one of the principal commanders at the siege of Lyme in Dorset. At war"s end, Parliament gave him a pardon, but his house was constrained to settle a large sum in reparations.
He died on 20 March 1649.
Membership
Addled Parliament]
He was elected as Member of Parliament for Somerset in 1610 and 1614, and for Lyme Regis in 1621.