STAPYLTON, Henry (c.1617-79), of Myton Hall, Myton-on-Swale, Yorks.

Stapylton was returned for Boroughbridge on the interest of his father Brian Stapylton, the ‘recruiter’ MP for the neighbouring constituency of Aldborough and lord of the nearby manor of Myton. At the time of Stapylton’s election, his father was aligned with the Independent interest at Westminster, and it is possible that Stapylton’s candidacy was supported by the 2nd Baron Fairfax (Sir Ferdinando Fairfax*) – father of the commander of the New Model army, Sir Thomas Fairfax* – the dominant figure in the Boroughbridge area by the mid-1640s.21T. Lawson-Tancred, ‘Parlty. hist. of Aldborough and Boroughbridge’, YAJ xxvii. 333.

Stapylton was named to only three committees during his brief career in the Long Parliament, of which the most important was that set up on 4 January 1648 (the day after the vote of no addresses) to prepare ordinances for the redress of grievances and the removal of burdens on the people’s liberties.22CJ v. 417a, 471a; vi. 47a. On 23 February, he was named to a committee on an additional ordinance for the stricter observance of the sabbath, which was dominated by men of strongly Presbyterian views.23CJ v. 471a. That same day he took the Covenant, along with Arthur Annesley, Thomas Crompton, Robert Ellison, Francis Holles, John Moyle II and Sir John Palgrave, all of whom would either be secluded at Pride’s Purge or would stay away from Parliament thereafter.24CJ v. 471a. Stapylton’s only Commons’ appointment between February and December 1648 was on 9 October to a committee for maintaining troops to guard Parliament.25CJ vi. 47a. Evidently regarded as an opponent of the army, he was secluded at Pride’s Purge, although there is no record of his being turned away from the House or imprisoned.26A List of the Imprisoned and Secluded Members (1648, 669 f.13.62). Brian Stapylton continued to sit for a few days after Pride’s Purge, but then withdrew from the House permanently.27Mercurius Pragmaticus no. 38 (12-19 Dec. 1648), sig. Ddd7 (E.476.35).

Like his father, Stapylton retired from public life during the Interregnum. He probably spent most of his time at Myton, which was within easy calling distance of his uncle, the royalist Sir Henry Slingesby*, whom he seems to have held in great esteem and affection.28Leeds. Univ. Lib. DD149/62. He also appears to have been on good terms with the royalist, Sir Richard Mauleverer (son of Sir Thomas Mauleverer*), who made Stapylton, Sir William Strickland* and two others, trustees to raise portions for his children after his death.29York Minster Lib. Hailstone mss, Box 3.26 (Misc. deeds).

Stapylton appears to have welcomed the Restoration, joining Sir Thomas (now 3rd Lord) Fairfax and the Yorkshire Presbyterian gentry in their declaration to General George Monck* of 10 February 1660, calling for the return of the secluded Members or a free Parliament – either of which would almost certainly have led to the restoration of monarchy.30SP18/219/49, f. 75; A Letter and Declaration of the Nobility and Gentry of the County of York (1660, 669 f.23.48); A.H. Woolrych, ‘Yorks. and the Restoration’, YAJ xlix. 501-7. Despite the re-admission of the secluded Members soon afterwards, Stapylton appears to have remained in Yorkshire. Returned for Boroughbridge to the 1660 Convention with his brother-in-law Conyers Darcy, Stapylton was classed by Philip Wharton, 4th Baron Wharton as one who was likely to support a Presbyterian church settlement.31G.T.F. Jones, ‘The composition and leadership of the Presbyterian party in the Convention’, EHR lxxix. 345. In the event, however, Stapylton appears to have played little or no part in the Convention’s proceedings.32HP Commons, 1660-90, ‘Henry Stapleton’. His creation as a baronet in June 1660 was probably associated with royal efforts to reward the ‘Presbyterian’ gentry who had joined with Fairfax in support of Monck.33CB. There is no evidence that Stapylton stood for election again, although he remained active on the North Riding bench until 1675, at about which time he moved to live with his daughter Grace and her husband at Merton in Surrey.34N. Riding QS Recs. ed. J.C. Atkinson (N. Riding Rec. Soc. vi), 49-237.

Stapylton died on 26 March 1679 at Merton and was buried in the church there.35Manning, Bray, Surr. i. 260. In his will, he assigned most his estate to his brother-in-law Richard Topham and Sir Christopher Wyvell* to hold in trust for the provision of an annuity of £40 to his brother Robert, and annuities of £100 and portions of £2,200 to each of his two unmarried daughters. He left the residue of his estate, including the manor of Myton, to his eldest son Brian, who sat for Aldborough in the second Exclusion Parliament of 1679 and for Boroughbridge in eight Parliaments between 1690 and 1713.36PROB11/359, ff. 495-6; HP Commons 1660-90, ‘Sir Brian Stapylton [Stapleton]’.