John Colepeper, 1st Baron Colepeper
During the Commonwealth he lived abroad in Europe, where he continued to act as a servant, advisor and supporter of King Charles II in exile.
[6] Walter Colepeper married Anne (daughter and heir of Harry Aucher of Lossenham, a manor in Newenden, Kent), and at the time of his death in 1514 was Under-Marshal of Calais.
Thomas Colepeper then remarried to Mary, daughter of Roger Beeston (citizen of London), and widow of Francis Gibbon of Benenden, Kent.
[16] John Colepeper began his career in military service abroad, and came first into public notice at home through his knowledge of country affairs, being summoned often before the council board to give evidence on such matters.
He then took the popular side, speaking against monopolies on 9 November 1640,[18] being entrusted with the impeachment of Sir Robert Berkeley on 12 February 1641,[19] supporting the attainder of Thomas Wentworth, 1st Earl of Strafford, and being appointed to the committee of defence on 12 August 1641.
He opposed the London petition for the abolition of episcopacy,[22] the project of religious union with the Scots, and the Root and Branch Bill, and on 1 September he moved a resolution in defence of the prayer-book.
[23] In the following session he opposed the Militia Bill and the Grand Remonstrance,[24] and finally on 2 January 1642 he joined the party of Charles I, taking office as Chancellor of the Exchequer[20] in the same motion by which Lord Falkland was appointed Secretary of State,[25] and both were sworn as Privy Councillors.
[31] On 25 August 1642 he appeared at the bar of the House of Commons to deliver the king's final proposals for peace:[32] "There standing bareheaded, he looked so dejectedly as if he had been a delinquent rather than a member of the House, or privy counsellor, or messenger from His Majesty"[33] He was afterwards present at the Battle of Edgehill, where he took part in Prince Rupert's charge and opposed the retreat of the king's forces from the battlefield.
His influence in military affairs caused him to be much disliked by Prince Rupert and the army, and the general animosity against him was increased by his advancement to the peerage on 21 October 1644 by the title of Baron Colepeper of Thoresway in Lincolnshire.
Colepeper was obliged to leave France under the terms of the treaty agreed in August 1654 between Oliver Cromwell and Mazarin, and thenceforth he appears to have resided in Flanders.
His white marble wall monument, with a long inscription, was set up in Hollingbourne church by his son John, 3rd Baron Colepeper, and his daughter Elizabeth Hamilton, in 1695.
The epitaph includes part of his Patent of Honour from King Charles I of 1644, given both in Latin and in English:"Whereas our wellbeloved and most faithfull counsellor Iohn Culpeper Kt Mr of the Rolles of our Chancery of the Antient and Noble family of the Culpepers in our Counties of Kent and Sussex (many Ages past renowned for Persons of Eminent Ability both in War & Peace) hath given us signall testimonies of his apparent Loyalty Singular Manhood and profound judgement, Who in that never to be forgotten Battell of Keinton where both our owne and the publicke safety were manifestly at stake being then Chancellor of our Exchequer acquitted himself like a brave Man at Armes when at Newbery and in other occasions alwayes enobled his gowne with Martiall Atchievements, latterly who in our most perillous junctures by his seasonable and wise counsells hath been a principall support of our Crowne & Dignity &c."[41]Several contemporary writers agree in testifying to Colepeper's great debating powers and to his resources as an adviser, but complain of his want of stability and of his uncertain temper.
