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WALDEGRAVE, George (c.1569-1637), of Hitcham, Suff.
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Biography Detail
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Constituency
Dates
Family and Education
b. c.1569, 1st s. of William Waldegrave of Wetherden Hall, Hitcham by Elizabeth, da. of Richard Poley or Pooley of Boxted. m. (1) Mary, da. and coh. of John More of Ipswich, 2da.; (2) Elizabeth, da. of Sir Thomas Jermy of Metfield, s.p. suc. fa. c.1581. Kntd. 1603.
Offices Held
J.p. Suff. by 1601.
Biography
Waldegrave presumably came into Parliament for Sudbury through his local standing, Hitcham lying about 12 miles from the town. Supposing that the references in the journals to Mr. Waldegrave are to him rather than to Sir William, Waldegrave spoke on 10 Nov. 1597 ‘touching the abuses of licences for marriages granted by ecclesiastical persons, and prayeth consideration may be had for reformation thereof by this House’. On 23 Nov., surprisingly for a country gentleman, he submitted a bill against the export of herrings to Leghorn, a practice which he thought caused a scarcity of herrings in this country, and in consequence was ‘a great means of spending much butter and cheese to the great enhancing of the prices thereof by reason of the said scarcity of herrings’. The bill was read a second time on 20 Jan. 1598, and committed to Waldegrave and others; on the following day the committee’s amendments were accepted by the House, and the bill was engrossed. On 23, Jan. Waldegrave was on the committee to consider the bill ‘for the better measuring of seven miles from the town of Great Yarmouth’.
He died on 15 Jan. 1637.
Vis. Essex (Harl. Soc. xiii), 121; Copinger, Suff. Manors, iii. 175; Wards 7/20/119; D’Ewes, 555, 562, 584, 585, 586; Townshend, Hist. Colls. 104, 122; C142/543/23.
