17 Facts About John Pym

John Pym was an English politician and administrator who played a major role in establishing what would become the modern English Parliamentary system.

John Pym was a leading member of the Providence Island Company, which attempted to establish a Puritan colony in Central America.

John Pym's father, Alexander Pym, was a member of the minor gentry, from Brymore, Somerset.

John Pym was a successful lawyer in London, where John was born in 1584.

John Pym was educated at Pembroke College, Oxford, then known as Broadgates and famous for 'advanced Protestantism'.

Whitaker's father had been Member of Parliament for Westbury, Wiltshire, and in 1621, John Pym was elected for the nearby seat of Calne.

John Pym argued it was for the Commons to decide guilt or innocence, leaving the Lords only to determine the penalty; this would become significant in his future Parliamentary career.

John Pym became treasurer of the Providence Island Company in 1630, a role that increasingly consumed his time, and he relinquished his Exchequer position in 1639.

Where John Pym differed from Clarendon, and many of his own colleagues, was recognising Charles would not keep commitments he felt had been forced from him.

However, John Pym was hampered by the fact Charles was essential to a stable government and society.

John Pym was one of the few who believed only military defeat would force Charles into agreeing meaningful reforms.

John Pym created the foundations of victory by ensuring Parliament had sufficient financial and military resources, one of his last acts being to negotiate the Solemn League and Covenant that secured Scottish support.

Amidst the escalating tensions, one particular step John Pym took played a major role in consolidating Parliament's authority.

John Pym orchestrated the expulsion of Henry Marten, a fellow Parliamentarian known for his radical views and outspoken criticism of the monarchy.

John Pym seized upon this opportunity to remove Marten, demonstrating his commitment to maintaining a more moderate and unified Parliamentarian front.

John Pym's reputation suffered in comparison to less complex figures like Hampden and Viscount Falkland, especially during the Victorian era which romanticised the Royalist cause.

John Pym is generally viewed as an astute politician who laid the foundations of modern Parliamentary democracy and effective speaker, whose ideas and language were adapted by Patriots during the American Revolution and 19th century American liberals.