DELAVAL, Robert (1605-67), of South Dissington, Newburn, Northumb.

Delaval was a second cousin of Ralph Delaval* of Seaton Delaval. His father, Sir John Delaval, was a prominent figure in Northumberland affairs during the early Stuart period, serving as town clerk of Newcastle, county sheriff in 1610, 1624 and 1634 and as a knight of the shire in the 1626 Parliament.12Hist. Northumb. ix. 172. Robert Delaval, by contrast, is one of the most obscure of the county’s MPs in this period. He apparently went without a gentleman’s education at one of the universities or the inns of court and received no appointment to county office before the late 1640s. Very little is known about his conduct and allegiance during the civil war, although it was reported in February 1644 that he had come into the Scots’ quarters in Northumberland and taken the Covenant.13The Kingdomes Weekly Intelligencer no. 43 (7-14 Feb. 1644), 333 (E.33.6). His father was named to the Northumberland commission of array in June 1642, but was also appointed a parliamentary commissioner of oyer and terminer for the county in December 1644.14C181/5, f. 245v; Northants. RO, FH133, unfol.

Delaval was evidently deemed conformable by the commonwealth, for he was named to several assessment commissions from 1649 and was added to the Northumberland bench in 1651.15C231/6, p. 214. However, he made no known impact upon the county’s affairs until the elections to Richard Cromwell’s Parliament of 1659, when he signed the indenture returning Sir William Fenwicke and Ralph Delaval as knights of the shire for Northumberland.16C219/47, unfol. The next day, 14 January, he was returned himself for Morpeth.17Supra, ‘Morpeth’. The nature of his interest at Morpeth, where he apparently owned no property, is another mystery. In keeping with his inactivity in local politics, he received no committee appointments in this Parliament and made no recorded contribution to debate.

Delaval retained his place on the Northumberland bench at the Restoration, but to little effect in terms of leaving any trace in the records. At some point prior to 1662, he served in his father’s old office as town clerk of Newcastle, but when he was granted this office and how long he held it are not known.18Tyne and Wear Archives, MD.NC/1/3, f. 46v. He died childless on 6 February 1667 and was buried at Newburn two days later.19Newburn par. reg.; Hist. Northumb. ix. 172. In his will, he bequeathed his manor of South Dissington to his brother William and his heirs on condition that they ‘profess, remain, continue, and be in the Protestant religion’. He charged his estate with bequests of £425, and appointed as supervisor of his will one ‘John Pye of Morpeth parsonage, clerk’, which suggests that he at least had friends in the borough, if not property.20Durham Univ. Lib. DPR/I/1/1667/D6/1-2. Delaval was the last of his line to sit in Parliament.