Sir Justinian Isham

Life

Sir Justinian Isham, the second baronet, has a biography as a royalist in the great Dictionary of National Biography, but his sufferings for the cause were not endured in the field, and, indeed, it could hardly be expected of a family which regarded its own growth and prosperity with such affectionate solicitude, that it should risk its head amongst the bullets.^? Yet Justinian Isham confessed when he came to compound with the parliamentary commissioners that, although never in arms, he had been in the king's quarters, and the confession cost him a fine of 1,106l. for the redemption of his Shangton estate.^? He was a scholarly man and the chief founder of the famous Lamport library on whose shelves so many rarities have been found, but his name and his pompous ways made him 'the Emperor' of the letters of Dorothy Osborne, who declared that she would rather choose a chain to lead her apes than marry him.^?

Sir Justinian Isham of Lamport, the second baronet, only son and heir of Sir John Isham, was born on Sunday 20 Jan. 1610/1 at Lamport and christened there 3 Feb.^? The Christian name of Justinian, afterwards so frequent among his descendants, was taken from his uncle Sir Justinian Lewin.^? On 18 April 1627 he was admitted a fellow-commoner at Christ's College, Cambridge, to whose new buildings he gave 20l. in May 1640.^? After his first wife's death he courted Dorothy Osborne (1627–95), whose letters to Sir William Temple describe with some humour the pompous gentleman's persistent suit.^? Rather than marry 'the Emperor' she would 'choose a chain to lead her apes in,' but the rejected lover's second marriage in 1653 gave her own vanity some displeasure.^? He was a scholarly man, and began to collect the famous library at Lamport in which so many rarities have come to light.^? Like his father he was the king's man, but although he appeared in the king's quarters at Oxford he did not draw the sword.^? His cavalier sympathies, however, brought him many troubles, and he was imprisoned in 1644 and 1649.^? He compounded for his estates at Shangton on 18 Sept. 1646, and on 26 Dec. 1646 his fine was fixed at 1,100l., a sum which his subsequent petitions failed to reduce.^? In 1655 he was again arrested and was imprisoned at St. James's with his friend Sir Ralph Verney.^? At the Restoration he was returned for Northamptonshire to the parliament of 1661.^? He died on 2 March 1674/5 at Oxford, where he had been entering a son at Christ Church, and was buried 3 March at Lamport.¹ In 1700 his son Sir Justinian set up on the wall of Lamport Church a monument, whose long Latin inscription praises his loyalty and learning.^? A will of 20 Dec. 1672 was proved 12 May 1675 by Sir Thomas Isham, baronet, the son and executor.^?

He married (i.) at Tottenham, 10 Nov. 1634, Jane Garrard, eldest daughter of Sir John Garrard of Lamer, co. Hertford, knight and baronet.^? She died in childbed on 4 March 1637/8, aged twenty-five years and ten months, and was buried 5 March at Lamport, where she has a wall monument upon which three angels honour her with laurel crowns inscribed Religiosa Deo: Casta marito and Liberis chara.^?

He married (ii.) in 1653 Vere Leigh, second daughter of Thomas Leigh, Lord Leigh of Stoneleigh, by Mary, daughter and coheir of Sir Thomas Egerton.^? The wedding was probably at Stoneleigh, but the register there is imperfect.^? She died 29 Oct. 1704, and was buried 1 Nov. at Lamport, where her husband's monumental inscription names her.^?

1. Index, 1674 Justinian Isham Sr in the Northamptonshire, England, Church of England Baptisms, Marriages and Burials, 1532-1812

^? marks 21 statements for which no attached source was found.

No life sketch on the FamilySearch Family Tree yet. The passage above is transcribed from “Isham of Lamport”, Northamptonshire Families, pp. 142, 158; dates there may differ from the tree. Footnotes link each statement to the attached source that supports it; they were matched by machine and should be read as a guide, not a verification.