Sir John Harington, 2nd Baron Harington of Exton

Sir John Harington (1561 – November 20, 1612) was known as Queen Elizabeth I's 'saucy Godson'. He was born in Kelston, Somerset, England. Download high resolution version (565x810, 175 KB)Sir John Harington (1561-1612) from Project Gutenberg eText 13403 English Travellers of the Renaissance, by Clare Howard http://www. ... Download high resolution version (565x810, 175 KB)Sir John Harington (1561-1612) from Project Gutenberg eText 13403 English Travellers of the Renaissance, by Clare Howard http://www. ... // Events The Edict of Orleans suspends the persecution of the Huguenots. ... November 20 is the 324th day of the year (325th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ... Events January 20 - Mathias becomes Holy Roman Emperor. ... Elizabeth I (7 September 1533–24 March 1603) was Queen of England, Queen of France (in name only), and Queen of Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death. ... Kelston is a small village in Somerset, 4 miles North West of Bath, and 8 East of Bristol. ... Somerset is a county in the south-west of England. ... Royal motto (French): Dieu et mon droit (Translated: God and my right) Englands location (dark green) within the United Kingdom (light green), with the Republic of Ireland (blue) to its west Languages English Capital London Largest city London Area – Total Ranked 1st UK 130,395 km² Population –mid-2004...

He was the son of John Harington of Kelston (d. 1582), the poet, and his second wife Isabella Markham (d. 1579), a gentlewoman of Queen Elizabeth's privy chamber, and became one of the Queen's 102 god-children. The Privy Chamber is part of the Topkapi Palace, Istanbul, where the Sultans have used as office and also kept the Sacred Trusts. ...

Although he had intended to study law, Harington was attracted early in life to the royal court, where his freespoken attitude and poetry gained the queen's attention. She encouraged his writing, but Harington was inclined to overstep the mark in his somewhat Rabelaisian and occasionally risqué pieces. His attempt at a translation of Ariosto's Orlando Furioso caused his banishment from court for some years, but was completed in 1591 and received great praise. Royal court (as distinguished from a court of law) may refer to a number of institutions: A noble court - the household or entourage of a monarch or other ruler The Royal Court of Jersey - the main court of justice of Jersey The Royal Court of Guernsey - the main court of... François Rabelais François Rabelais (ca. ... Ludovico Ariosto (September 8, 1474 _ July 6, 1533) was a Ferrarese poet, author of the epic poem Orlando furioso (1516), Orlando Enraged. He was born at Reggio, in Hungary in 1518, and wished Aniosto to accompany him. ... Ruggiero Rescuing Angelica by Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres Orlando Furioso is an epic poem written by Ludovico Ariosto in 1516. ... Events June - Capture of Zutphen by the Dutch under Maurice of Nassau. ...

Around this time, Harington also devised Britain's first flushing toilet — called the Ajax (i.e. "a jakes"; jakes being an old slang word for toilet) — installed at his manor in Kelston, and which was reputed to have been current with the queen herself. In 1596, Harington published a book on his device, entitled The Metamorphosis of Ajax, but his use of certain political allusions led to a further banishment from court, and he was threatened with proceedings in the Star Chamber. He chose to return to his manor house in Kelston and spend more time with his wife Mary, whom he had married around 1586, and their seven surviving children. In time, he was forgiven by the queen. Flush toilet A flush toilet or water closet is a toilet that disposes of the waste products by using water to sweep them away down a drainpipe. ... Slang is the use of highly informal words and expressions that are not considered standard in the speakers dialect or language. ... Boeing 747 toilet A toilet is a plumbing fixture and a disposal system primarily intended for the disposal of the bodily wastes; urine, fecal matter, vomit and menses. ... Kelston is a small village in Somerset, 4 miles North West of Bath, and 8 East of Bristol. ... Events February 5 - 26 catholics crucified in Nagasaki, Japan. ... The Star Chamber was an English court of law at the royal Palace of Westminster that began sessions in 1487 and ended them in 1641 when the court itself was abolished. ... 1586 was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar or a common year starting on Saturday of the Julian calendar. ...

In 1599 the queen sent an army led by Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex to Ireland put down a rebellion led by Hugh O'Neill, 2nd Earl of Tyrone. She strongly recommended that Essex include Harington in his army, and he was asked to command horseman under Henry Wriothesley, 3rd Earl of Southampton. Harington's legacy from this campaign were his letters and journal, which served to give the queen good intelligence about the progress of the campaign and its politics. Indeed, Harington wrote, "I have informed myself reasonably well of the whole state of the country, by observation and conference: so I count the knowledge I have gotten here worth more than half the three hundred pounds this journey hath cost me." During the campaign Essex confered a knighthood on Harington for his services. Essex fell into disfavour with the queen for concluding a humiliating truce which ended the campaign, and also caused her fury over the large number of knighthoods he awarded. So it was that Harington, who had been present at the truce negotiations and had to accompany Essex, when he was recalled to account to the queen, experienced her wrath. However, with his wit and charm he soon secured the queen's forgiveness for himself. Events The Jesuit educational plan known as the Ratio Studiorum is issued (January 8). ... Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex (10 November 1566 – 25 February 1601), favourite of Queen Elizabeth I of England, is the best-known of the many holders of the title Earl of Essex. He was a military hero, but following a poor campaign against... Hugh ONeill, 2nd Earl of Tyrone - Wikipedia /**/ @import /skins/monobook/IE50Fixes. ... Essex is a county in the East of England. ... Henry Wriothesley, 3rd Earl of Southampton (October 6, 1573 - November 10, 1624), one of Shakespeares patrons, was the second son of Henry Wriothesley, 2nd Earl of Southampton, and his wife Mary Browne, daughter of the 1st Viscount Montague. ...

After the queen's death, Harington's fortunes faltered at the court of the new King, James I. He spent some time at his manor at Kelston, but then found himself serving time in prison. He had stood surety for the debts of his cousin, Sir Griffin Markham, in the sum of £4000, when the latter had become involved in the Bye and Main Plots. Not able to meet his cousin's debts without selling his own lands, and unwilling to languish in gaol, he escaped custody in October 1603. However, James I had already recognised his loyalty and created him a Knight of the Bath and also granted him the properties forfeited upon Markham's exile. James VI of Scotland/James I of England and Ireland (Charles James Stuart) (June 19, 1566 – March 27, 1625) was King of England, King of Scotland, and King of Ireland and was the first to style himself King of Great Britain. ... The Bye Plot was a conspiracy by English Catholics to kidnap King James I of England and force him to repeal anti-Catholic legislation. ... The Main Plot was a conspiracy by English Catholics, allegedly led by lay Catholic Lord Cobham, to remove King James I of England from the English throne, replacing him by aid of Spain with his cousin Arabella (or Arbella) Stuart. ... Military Badge of the Order of the Bath The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. ...

Harington continued to write, even though he had vowed to give up poetry upon the death of Queen Elizabeth. He published just one more slim volume of verse in 1607, but continued to send letters both to friends and to the king's eldest son, Prince Henry, until 1609. Some of these letters were later collected by Harington's descendant, Henry Harington, and published under the title of Nugae Antiquae in 1769. The volume is a significant source for the history of the Tudor re-conquest of Ireland. Events January 20 - Tidal wave swept along the Bristol Channel, killing 2000 people. ... For other people known as Henry, Prince of Wales see Henry, Prince of Wales (disambiguation) Henry Frederick Stuart, Prince of Wales ( February 19, 1594 - November 6, 1612) was the eldest son of King James VI of Scotland/ James I of England and Anne of Denmark. ... // Events April 4 – King of Spain signs an edit of expulsion of all moriscos from Spain April 9 – Spain recognizes Dutch independence May 23 - Official ratification of the Second Charter of Virginia. ... 1769 was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... The Tudor re-conquest of Ireland took place under the English Tudor dynasty during the 16th century. ...

Harington fell ill in May 1612 and died on 20 November 1612; he was buried in Kelston. November 20 is the 324th day of the year (325th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ... Events January 20 - Mathias becomes Holy Roman Emperor. ...

Image

The above picture is of a relation, Lord Harington of Exton, of which there have been many, and they are often confused with Sir John Harington of Kelston (of whom a portrait, on loan from the National Portrait Gallery, London, is on show Montacute House, Somerset, England and another is here.) The exact relationship between the John Harington of Kelston and the line of John Harington of Exton has not been established. Apparently John of Kelston did not know the pedigree of his obscure grandfather, Alexander of Stepney. Nevertheless it is generally assumed that he was also descended from the first Lord Harington of Aldingham a baron in Edward II's time. It has been suggested that Portrait painting be merged into this article or section. ... At least three art galleries are named National Portrait Gallery: National Portrait Gallery, Australia National Portrait Gallery, London National Portrait Gallery, Washington, DC This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... London is the capital city of England and of the United Kingdom, and is the most populous city in the European Union. ... Montacute House, the west front. ... Somerset is a county in the south-west of England. ... Royal motto (French): Dieu et mon droit (Translated: God and my right) Englands location (dark green) within the United Kingdom (light green), with the Republic of Ireland (blue) to its west Languages English Capital London Largest city London Area – Total Ranked 1st UK 130,395 km² Population –mid-2004... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ...

Quotes

"Treason doth never prosper: what's the reason? For if it prosper, none dare call it treason."

Bibliography

Grimble, Ian (1957). The Harington Family. Jonathon Cape, London.

Kilroy, Gerald (2004). "Sir John Harington: ‘A Protesting Catholique Purytan’".