KIRTON, James II (d.1611), of the Middle Temple, London and West Camel, Som.

Of a Wells family, Kirton was a Middle Temple lawyer who resided in London. At the time of his death he was master of the utter bar. It may have been convenient for the city authorities of Wells to have as recorder (and indeed MP) one who was already resident in London. At any rate, in 1601 Kirton became recorder of Wells and was elected senior member for the city in the Parliament of later that year. Nothing is known of his activities in this or James I’s first Parliament, but he, at least, considered that his membership had been of some worth. Submitting an account in 1606 he was granted £5 ‘by way of gratitude’ for his services as burgess, which had been ‘to his great charge as it is now alleged’. He died in 1611.1M.T. Recs. i. 279; M.T. Bench Bk. i. 369; ii. 456, 535; Wells act bk. 1553-1623, f. 253; N. and Q. (ser. 2), iv. 236.