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Bible Encyclopedias
Strafford, Thomas Wentworth, Earl of
The Nuttall Encyclopedia
or English statesman, born in London, of an old Yorkshire family; studied at Cambridge; after some months' travel on the Continent entered Parliament in 1614, but took no active part in affairs till 1621; he took sides at first with the party for freedom, but in 1622 felt compelled to side with the king, to his elevation of greater and greater influence as his counsellor; his policy, named "Thorough," was to establish a strong Government with the king at the head, and to put down with a strong hand all opposition to the royal authority; appointed Lord-Deputy in Ireland in 1633, he did all he could to increase the royal resources, and was at length, in 1640, exalted to the Lord-Lieutenancy, being at the same time created Earl of Strafford; he had risen by this time to be the chief adviser of the king, and was held responsible for his arbitrary policy; after the meeting of the Long Parliament he was impeached for high treason; the impeachment seemed likely to fail, when a Bill of Attainder was produced; to this the king refused his assent, but he had to yield to the excitement his refusal produced, and as the result Strafford was beheaded on Tower Hill (1593-1641).
Public Domain.
Wood, James, ed. Entry for 'Strafford, Thomas Wentworth, Earl of'. The Nuttall Encyclopedia. https://www.studylight.org/encyclopedias/eng/nut/s/strafford-thomas-wentworth-earl-of.html. Frederick Warne & Co Ltd. London. 1900.
