Ella on Clarendon

Edward Hyde, Earl of Clarendon

Edward Hyde, 1^st earl of Clarendon was born on February 18, 1609 in Wiltshire, England to Henry Hyde.  He was taught at Magdalen Hall, Oxford and trained in law at London’s Middle Temple.  He was married twice; his first wife, Anne Ayliffe died within six months of their marriage.  Two years later he married Frances, who was the daughter of Sir Thomas Aylesbury, who held a high legal office.  Through the connection of his father-in-law, he was able to pursue a career at the bar.  He was well-established in the literary and philosophical circles.

In 1640 he entered politics as a member of the Short Parliament (April-May 1640) and then in the Long Parliament, which opposed Charles I during the Civil War.  During his time in parliament, Hyde criticized new policies of the crown that he, as well as others, believed were a misuse of royal power, while at the same time opposing efforts to limit the king’s power in choosing ministers.  He was balanced in his understanding of royal power.

In 1641, Hyde became an advisor to Charles I and used his position to take the edge off of some of the king’s more imprudent policies.  While he was one of the king’s closest advisors, during his tenure in the government several policies and plans he had recommended failed, damaging his reputation and standing.

Following Charles I’s execution after the Royalist defeat in the Second Civil War, Hyde accompanied Charles II to his exile in France where he remained his most trusted advisor.  Hyde’s goal during this time was to keep Charles II from renouncing his Anglican faith and thus hurt chances for reconciling with his subjects.  When Oliver Cromwell died in 1658 negotiations began with those in England favorable to the crown.  Hyde, who was appointed Lord Chancellor during this time, played a crucial role in drafting the Declaration of Breda, a treaty that sought to restore the king and exemplified Hyde’s belief that this could only be accomplished by a free parliament working with the king in good faith.

In 1660, Hyde’s daughter married James, duke of York and so he became related to the royal family.  His daughter, Anne, became the mother of two queens: Mary II and Anne.  In 1661, he became the earl of Clarendon.  By the end of his time as Lord Chancellor, Hyde had become the scapegoat for unpopular decisions and the disastrous Anglo-Dutch War of 1665, even though he had opposed going to war against Denmark.  The House of Commons threatened Hyde with impeachment in 1667 and he fled to France, where he lived in exile for the rest of his life.  He authored The History of the Great Rebellion, a view of the English Civil War from the Royalist perspective, nto which he incorporated autobiographical elements.  He died in 1674 in Rouen, France.

Sources:

Morrill, John S. “Edward Hyde, 1^st earl of Clarendon.” Encyclopaedia Britannica. Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc., February 14, 2019. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Edward-Hyde-1st-Earl-of-Clarendon

Plant, David.  “Biography of Sir Edward Hyde, 1st Earl of Clarendon,” BCW Project, Febryary 16, 2013.
http://bcw-project.org/biography/sir-edward-hyde 

Portrait via The National Portrait Gallery, London online. Npg.org.uk