John Harington, 1st Baron Harington of Exton

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For the nobleman with the same name, see John Harington

Sir John Harington (1539 – 1613) was the first Baron Harington of Exton, Rutland.

He was the son of James Harington and was knighted in 1584, Inner Temple 1558, MP for Rutland 1571, commissioner of the peace for Kesteven, Lincolnshire, from abt. 1559-1593, servant to Robert Dudley, 1st Earl of Leicester in the Netherlands 1585, keeper of Kenilworth Castle, Warwickshire, for Ambrose Dudley, Earl of Warwick 1588-1590, Sheriff of Warwickshire (1582_3), and MP in 1586, accompanied Mary, Queen of Scots, through Warwickshire on her way to Fotheringhay in Northamptonshire 1586, MP for Rutland in 1593 and 1601, Deputy Lieutenant of Rutland and Warwickshire during the 1590s.

Sir John Harington was created Baron Harington in July 1603 at the coronation of James I. He was made guardian of James' daughter, Elizabeth. The high cost of entertaining the Princess ruined him. As partial recompence Harington was granted a licence to mint the first copper farthings by the King. Princess Elizabeth married the Elector Palatine, Frederick V to become the "Winter Queen". Lord Harington accompanied her to Bohemia, but died on his way back in 1613. After his death, the Exton estate was sold to pay his creditors, being purchased by Sir Baptist Hicks.

[edit] References

• Jan Broadway, ‘Harington, John, first Baron Harington of Exton (1539/40–1613)’, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, Sept 2004; online edn, Aug 2005 accessed 15 Aug 2005

Political offices
Vacant Title last held by The Earl of Huntingdon	Lord Lieutenant of Rutland 1607–1613	Succeeded by The Lord Harington of Exton
Peerage of England
New creation	Baron Harington of Exton 1603–1613	Succeeded by John Harington