Norman, Ben A 17th Century Knight. The Life and Times of Simonds d'Ewes

Sir Simonds D'Ewes, a seventeenth-century gentleman who grew up in Dorset but was ultimately characterised by a deep and abiding love of Suffolk, was not destined for greatness. Nor was he destined for greatness in his short life. But that was hardly the point. The son of a distinguished family, D'Ewes rose through the local, legal and political ranks to become a direct witness to a series of monumental events in England. As MP for Sudbury from 1640, he was among those who witnessed the rapid decline of the political situation in the mid-17th century with agonising immediacy from the benches at Westminster. Simonds, like everyone else, held his breath as Charles I entered the House of Commons by force in 1642, and he witnessed the breathtaking rise of Oliver Cromwell in the 1640s. When the Civil War broke out, D'Ewes watched as the battle lines were drawn before his eyes. "A 17th Century Knight" has two aims. The first is to trace the life of Simonds D'Ewes himself: Husband, father, friend, antiquarian, devout Protestant - and even widower. It is a moving story of personal loss, professional and recreational gain and complex family relationships that deserves to be explored. Secondly, it attempts to tell a new story of the tumultuous first half of the seventeenth century, including the English Civil War, centred on D'Ewes's experiences and his wealth of written material. As this book shows, there is still much to discover about a period of history we all think we know.