Edward
Hyde, 1st Duke of Clarendon By Sir. Peter Lely
Edward Hyde, Duke of Clarendon (Chris Graham)
Edward Hyde was born the sixth of nine children to
Henry and Mary Hyde in 1609. From an early age, Edward intended to pursue a
life in service to the church, however, the death of his two older brothers he
was left the sole heir to his father’s estate. Through encouragement from his
uncle, Sir Nicholas Hyde, Edward began to study law at the Middle Temple, one
of four Inns of Court whose members were eligible to be called to the bar as
barristers. Shortly after the death of Edward’s first wife, Ann Ayliffe, Hyde
was called to the bar in 1633 with his colleague Bulstrode Whitelocke. They
were chosen to represent the middle temple by preparing a masque, or a form of
courtly entertainment, in response to Histrio-Mastix,
William Prynne's notorious attack on the theatre and the culture of the
Caroline court. The masque The Triumph of
Peace was performed before the King and Queen in February 1634. In 1634,
Hyde married his second wife, Frances, daughter of the courtier Sir Thomas
Ayelsbury. This marriage gave Hyde considerable connections to establish a
legal practice for himself. His clients included William Laud, the archbishop
of Canterbury. In 1640, he was elected to serve in the Short Parliament, and
then again in the Long Parliament. In November of 1641, Hyde voted against the Grand Remonstrance which he thought
would unbalance the relationship between the king, parliament, and the church.
In 1641, he was made an advisor to the king and spent his time writing
declarations and attempting to stave off some of the king’s more reckless
decisions. He attended the king during the English Civil war and was present
during the Battle of Edgehill, where he was tasked with looking after the
Princes, Charles and James. In February of 1643, Hyde was knighted and
appointed to the privy council and later appointed to the secret committee or
“junto” which discussed important matters with the king before they were
presented before the privy council. He continued to serve politically until
1648 when he was forced to join Prince Charles in exile in Paris during the
Second Civil War. He remained with Charles through the execution of his father
in 1649, and followed him through his coronation. After Oliver Cromwell’s death
in 1658, Hyde was appointed Lord Chancellor and entered into negotiations with
English Presbyterians who supported the return of the monarchy. Scandal broke
out when it was discovered that his daughter, Anne, had become pregnant. She
initially fingered James, Duke of York, as the father and they had been
secretly married. James vehemently denied his marriage to a commoner however,
Anne was recognized as Duchess of York in 1661. Edward Hyde was offered
Dukedom, however, he preferred to accept the lesser title of First Earl of
Clarendon. His career was short-lived, as he became the scapegoat for England’s
defeat in the Anglo-Dutch War [1665-67]. He was forced into exile in France
after threats of impeachment. He died in Rouen in December of 1674. His body
was brought back to England and he now rests in Westminster Abbey.
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