Background
William Lenthall, second son of William Lenthall, of Lachford, Oxfordshire, a descendent of an old Herefordshire family, was born at Henley-on-Thames in June 1591.
William Lenthall, second son of William Lenthall, of Lachford, Oxfordshire, a descendent of an old Herefordshire family, was born at Henley-on-Thames in June 1591.
William left Oxford without taking a degree in 1609, and- was called to the bar at Lincoln's Inn in 1616, becoming a bencher in 1633.
Lenthall represented Woodstock in the Short Parliament (April 1640), and was chosen by King Charles I to be speaker of the Long Parliament, which met on the 3rd of November 1640. According to Clarendon, a worse choice could not have been made, for Lenthall was of a " very timorous nature. " He was treated with scanty respect in the chair, and seems to have had little control over the proceedings. On the outbreak of the great rebellion, Lenthall threw in his lot with the parliament. He carried on his duties as speaker without interruption till 1647, when the power of the parliament had been transferred to the army. On the 26th of July a mob invaded the House of Commons and obliged it to rescind the ordinance re-establishing the old parliamentary committee of militia; Lenthall was held in the chair by main force and compelled to put to the vote a resolution inviting the king to London.
Threats of worse things came subsequently to Lenthall's ears, and, taking the mace with him, he left London on the 29th to join the army and Fairfax. Lenthall and Manchester, the speaker of the Lords, headed the fugitive members at the review on Hounslow Heath on the 3rd of August, being received by the soldiers " as so many, angels sent from heaven for their good. " Returning to London with the army, he was installed again by Fairfax in the chair (6th August), and all votes passed during his absence were annulled.
He put the question for the king's trial from the chair, and continued to act as speaker after the king's execution.
He still continued to use his influence in favour of the royalists, whenever this was possible without imperilling his own interests, and he saved the lives of both the earl of Norwich (8th March 1649) and Sir W. D'Avenant (3rd July 1650) by his casting vote. The; removal of the king had left the parliament supreme; and Lenthall as its representative, though holding little real power, was the first man in the state. His speakership continued till the 20th of April 1653, when the Long Parliament was summarily expelled. Cromwell directed Colonel Harrison, on the refusal of Lenthall to quit the chair, to pull him out-and Lenthall submitted to the show of force. In the second protectorate parliament, summoned by Cromwell on the 17th of September 1656, Lenthall Was again chosen member for Oxfordshire, but had some difficulty in obtaining admission, and was not re-elected speaker. In spite of his services, Lenthall was not included by Cromwell in his new House of Lords, and was much disappointed and crestfallen at his omission. Lenthall, however, had no wish to resume his duties as speaker, preferring the House of Lords, and made various excuses for not complying. Nevertheless, upon the officers threatening to- summon the parliament without his aid, and hearing the next morning that several members had assembled, he led the procession to the parliament house. Lenthall was now restored to the position of dignity which he had filled before. He was temporarily made keeper of the new great seal (14th of May). On the 6th of June it was voted that all commissions should be signed by Lenthall and not by the commander-in-chief. His exalted position, however, was not left long unassailed. On the 13th of October Lambert placed soldiers round the House and prevented the members from assembling. The army, however, soon returned to their allegiance to the parliament. On the 24th of December they marched to Lenthall's house, and expressed their sorrow. On the 29th the speaker received the thanks of the reassembled parliament. Lenthall now turned his attention to bring about the Restoration. He " very violently " opposed the oath abjuring the house of Stuart, now sought to be imposed by the republican faction on the parliament, and absented himself from the House for ten days, to avoid, it was said, any responsibility for the bill. On the 28th of March Lenthall forwarded to the king a paper containing " Heads of Advice. " Lenthall notwithstanding found himself in disgrace at the Restoration.
In spite of Monk's recommendation, he was not elected by Oxford University for the Convention Parliament, nor was he allowed by the king, though he had sent him a present of £3000, to remain master of the rolls. On the 11th of June he was included by the House of Commons, in spite of a recommendatory letter from Monk, among the twenty persons excepted from the act of indemnity and subject to penalties not extending to life. His last public act was a disgraceful one. Unmindful now of the privileges of parliament, he consented to appear as a witness against the regicide Thomas Scot, for words spoken in the House of Commons while Lenthall was in the chair. It was probably after this that he was allowed to present himself at court, and his contemporaries took a malicious glee in telling how " when, with some difficulty, he obtained leave to kiss the king's hand he, out of guilt, fell backward, as he was kneeling. "Lenthall died on the 3rd of September 1662.
In his will he desired to be buried without any state and without a monument, " but at the utmost a plain stone with this superscription only, Vermis sum, acknowledging myself to be unworthy of the least outward regard in this world and unworthy of any remembrance that hath been so great a sinner. " He was held in little honour by his contemporaries, and was universally regarded as a time- server.
Lenthall was, however, a man of good intentions, strong family affections and considerable ability.
Quotes from others about the person
According to Monk, Lenthall " was very active for the restoring of His Majesty and performed many services which could not have been soe well effected without his help. "
Lenthall was the second son of William Lenthall of North Leigh in Oxfordshire.
Lenthall's brother Sir John Lenthall, who it was said had too much influence with William, was notorious for his extortions as Keeper of the King's Bench prison.
