Sir John Coventry MP

  General Notes:

Sir John Coventry, of Pittminster, in the county of Somerset, and of Mere, In the county of Wilts, M.P., made Knight of the Bath at the Coronation of Charles II.

This gentleman was remarkable for being the occasion of the legislature's passing the Coventry Act, for " preventing malicious maiming and wounding." Sir John was one of those members of the House of Commons who strenuously resisted the passing of money bills and it was usual, in that day, after such bills had failed in the main vote, for those who had opposed them to endeavour to levy a tax on funds that might be unacceptable or deficient. On one of these occasions, it was proposed to tax the playhouses, which were at that time obnoxious to many. This was resisted by the court party, on the grounds that " the players were the King's servants, and a part of his pleasure."

A sarcastically offensive question, from Sir John, in reply, was indignantly reported to the court. " This," it was said, " was the first time that the King was personally reflected upon; if it passed over, more of the same kind would follow ; and it would prove a fashion to talk so. It was therefore fit to take such severe notice of this, that nobody should dare to talk at that rate for the future."

Bishop Burnet, in the History of his own Time, states, " that the Duke of York told him he had said all he could to the King to divert him from the resolution he took; which was to send some of the guards, and watch in the street where Sir John lodged, and leave a mark upon him."

The fact by bills of indictment, was found to have been committed by Sir Thomas Sandys, Knt., Charles O'Bryan, Esq., Simon Parry and Miles Reeves who had absconded. As Coventry was going home they drew about him, he stood up to the wall and snatched the flambeau out of his servant's hands and with that in one hand, and his sword In the other, he defended himself so well that he got credit by it. He wounded some of them but was soon disarmed and then they cut his nose to the bone, to teach him (as they said) to remember what respect he owed to the King and so they left him, and went back to the Duke of Monmonth's, where O'Bryan's arm was dressed.

That matter was executed by orders from the Duke of Monmouth, for which he was severely censured, because he lived then In professions of friendship with Coventry, so that his subjection to the King was not thought an excuse for directing so vile an attempt on his friend, without sending him secret notice of what was designed.

Coventry had his nose so well needled up, that the scar was scarce to be discerned. This put the House of Commons into a furious uproar, they passed a bill of banishment against the actors of it and put a clause In it, that it should not be in the King's power to pardon them and that it should be death to malm any person. This gave great advantage to all those that opposed the court and was often remembered, and much improved by all the angry men of those times.

  Noted events in his life were:

• Address: Pitminster, Somerset.