John Jennings

Who was John Jennings?

Sir John Jennings KB was an English politician who sat in the House of Commons at various times between 1624 and 1642.

John Jennings of Sandridge in Hertfordshire succeeded his father, another Sir John, as head of the family in 1609. In 1624 he was elected Member of Parliament for St Albans in the Happy Parliament. He was High Sheriff of Hertfordshire in 1626 and was created Knight of the Bath in the same year. In 1628 he was elected MP for St Albans again and sat until 1629 when King Charles decided to rule without parliament for eleven years.

Jennings was re-elected MP for St Albans in April 1640 for the Short Parliament and again in November 1640 for the Long Parliament. He was a sympathiser of the Parliamentary cause, but died before the outbreak of the English Civil War.

John Jennings was married to Alice, daughter of Sir Richard Spencer of Offley, they had 22 children. Jennings' eldest son, Richard, succeeded him as MP for St Albans. Richard's daughter, Sarah, married the 1st Duke of Marlborough and was the confidant of Queen Anne.