ACLAND, Arthur (1616-91), of Bittadon, Devon.

Published in The History of Parliament: the House of Commons 1660-1690, ed. B.D. Henning, 1983
Available from Boydell and Brewer

Constituency

Dates

Oct. 1679 - 24 Dec. 1680

Family and Education

bap. 24 Mar. 1616, 2nd s. of Lewis Acland of Braunton by Mary Lamprey. m. 9 Feb. 1655, Elizabeth, da. of Henry Chichester of Marwood, 2s. 2da. d.v.p.1

Offices Held

Alderman, Barnstaple 1662-Sept. 1688, Oct. 1688-d., mayor 1663-4; j.p. Devon 1674-July 1688, Oct. 1688-d., commr. for assessment 1679-80, 1689.2

Biography

Acland came from a branch of the family so obscure that it failed to attract the attention of the heralds in their 1620 visitation of Devon. He was probably living in Chittlehampton in 1640. He seems to have taken no part in the Civil War, unless he is to be identified with the Arthur Acland of Winkleigh who was described as a notorious Popish delinquent in 1648. Undoubtedly a Royalist in sympathy, he was nominated to the Barnstaple corporation by the commissioners, and became a county magistrate in 1674. He was returned for the borough as a court supporter at the second general election of 1679 on his corporation interest, but took no known part in the proceedings of the second Exclusion Parliament before he was unseated on petition by Richard Lee. He was absent when the lord lieutenant’s questions on the repeal of the Test Act and Penal Laws were asked, but was removed from all his offices in 1688, though his brother was nominated as mayor, with Lee as recorder, in the new charter of Barnstaple. He took the oath of allegiance to the new regime in 1689 and was buried at Barnstaple on 21 Jan. 1691, leaving an estate of £500 p.a. to his brother Richard. His nephew Richard sat for the borough as a Tory from 1708 to 1713.3

Ref Volumes: 1660-1690

Author: J. S. Crossette

Notes

  • 1. Eg. 2748, f. 12; Devon Protestation Returns ed. Howard, 126; Devon and Cornw. N. and Q. xvii. 361; Barnstaple Par. Reg. ed. Wainwright, i. 97, 99, 103, 106; ii. 29; W. Drake, Notes on Chichester Fam. 293; PCC 209 Allchin; C8/613/4.
  • 2. J. B. Gribble, Mems. Barnstaple, 203, 299, 303.
  • 3. Devon Protestation Returns, 440; Cal. Comm. Comp. 98; Trans. Devon Assoc. xxxviii. 168; CSP Dom. 1663-4, p. 625; 1687-9, p. 275; Gribble, 300, 303; Barnstaple Par. Reg. iii. 97; C8/613/4.