BARRINGTON, JOHN [SSNE 6646]

Surname: BARRINGTON
First name: JOHN
Nationality: ENGLISH

Text source

John Barrington was the youngest son of Sir Francis and Lady Joan Barrington. He migrated to La Rochelle and married Marie Pinaule there in 1624. John was a merchant there and was imprisoned in 1626 for a debt. In 1628 he was engaged in the mission to relieve La Rochelle. He returned to England and from December until September 1630 remained in London, during which time he broke a leg (February 1629). He also sought commissions in various armies including one destined for Venice in 1628 and another for Sweden in late 1629. During this time he received £120 from his mother to cover his medical and subsistence expenses. It is intriguing that he was preparing to go to war when he could not even bend his knee (see letter of 21 August 1629)! As the extract below shows, Barrington's fervent desire to undertake military service at this time had a certain financial motivation behind it. He also presented a pessimistic image of foreign service to his mother in November that year, noting "moste parte of the English which went over last sommer into Swethland being placed in the front of the king's army weare cut of by the Polanders" (12 November 1629). In December Sir Francis Harris obtained a position of "captayne governer" under Lord Darby at the castle on the isle of Man. He eventually secured a position in Vere's army for the Netherlands, setting sail in May 1630, but he died there early in 1631

A. Searle, ed., Barrington Family Letters, (London, 1983), 19-20, 23, 41, 57, 70, 76-77, 79-80, 81-83, 84, 89, 96-97, 101, 110-111, 113, 117, 120, 121-122, 131, 132-133, 134-135, 142, 143, 146-147, 147-148, 151-152, 253

extract from John's letter to his mother, 13 August 1629:"I do hope (God willing) to goe for Swede and to have a company for that service, but as yet wee have noe absolute answeare of those condicions are sent to the king, which are carried thither by a Dutchman who is to be our collonell (if wee are agreed upon our condicions). I was demanded by a speciall frind if I would be one of the regiment, to which I have willingly agreed. As yet wee have no certaintie before wee heare from thence, which wee earnestlie expect. The chiefe points wee stand upon are for monie to be paid us heare to rayse our men; and for the time how long they will entertaine us, wee desire to make in our condicions that the king shalbe bound to keepe us in pay three yeares at least. They would pay us (as to some before) halfe our monie heare and the rest a month after our arrivall theare, for raysing our men, but wee hope to have all our monie heare to rayse and transport our men, which is 300 li to each captain. A captain's meanes is good theare which is twentie five pounds a month, ten to a lieutenant, as much to an ensigne. I shall be wondrous willing to imbraced this imployment if wee can agree to have all our monie heare to rayse and transport our men, else wee cannot rayse them for want of monie."

Service record

FRANCE, LA ROCHELLE: Arrived 1624-01-01; Departed 1626-12-31; Capacity MERCHANT, purpose MERCANTILE
ENGLAND, LA ROCHELLE: Arrived 1628-01-01; Departed 1628-12-31; Capacity SOLDIER, purpose MILITARY
ENGLAND, ISLE OF MAN: Arrived 1629-12-12, as CAPTAIN-GOVERNOR; Capacity OFFICER, purpose MILITARY
DUTCH REPUBLIC, LORD VERE'S ARMY: Arrived 1630-09-01; Departed 1631-03-31; Capacity SOLDIER, purpose MILITARY