Page:Dictionary of National Biography volume 34.djvu/181

 

LOVELL, SALATHIEL (1619–1713), judge, son of Benjamin Lovell, rector of Lapworth, Warwickshire, and brother of  [q. v.], was born in 1619. He was called to the bar at Gray's Inn in November 1656, and became an ancient of the inn in 1671. In 1684 he was counsel for Sacheverell, who with others was indicted for a riot at an election for the mayoralty of Nottingham. In June 1688 he became a serjeant-at-law, and four years later he was a candidate against Mr. Selby for the recordership of London. Each candidate obtained twelve votes, and Lovell was elected by the casting vote of the lord mayor. On 22 Oct. 1692 he carried up an address of congratulation to the king at Kensington Palace on his return from abroad, and an invitation to a banquet at the Guildhall on lord mayor's day, and was thereupon knighted. In 1695, on 24 May, the first day of term, he was called within the bar as king's serjeant, and in the following year became a judge on the Welsh circuit. He continued to be principally occupied with the administration of the criminal law, and in 1700 he petitioned the crown for a grant of the forfeited estate of Joseph Horton of Cotton Abbotts in Cheshire, on the ground that he had been more diligent in the discovery and conviction of criminals than any other person in the kingdom, and that he had been a loser by it, his post being worth but 80l. a year with few perquisites, and usually being regarded as a mere stepping-stone to a judgeship in Westminster Hall. In June 1700, when the superannuation of Baron Lechmere was expected, Lovell was looked on as his successor, but he continued without reward until ultimately the land in question was granted to him, and on 17 June 1708, at the age of ninety, he was appointed a fifth baron of the exchequer. He had resigned his Welsh judgeship in the previous year, and now vacated the recordership. He sat on the bench five years, but was old and incompetent. He was ‘distinguished principally for his want of memory, and his title of recorder was converted into the nickname of the Obliviscor of London.’ He died 3 May 1713. A son Samuel became a Welsh judge.



LOVELL, THOMAS (d. 1524), speaker of the House of Commons, was fifth son of Sir Ralph Lovell of Barton Bendish in Norfolk, by Anne, daughter of Robert Toppe, alderman of Norwich. He was probably related to, viscount Lovell [q. v.]; his family had been seated at Barton Bendish since the fourteenth century, and was Lancastrian in politics. His eldest brother, Gregory, inherited Barton Bendish, was knighted at Stoke in 1487, and was, by Margaret, daughter of Sir William Brandon, standard-bearer to Henry at Bosworth Field, father of Sir Thomas Lovell of Barton Bendish and of Sir Francis Lovell (d. 1550), who became adopted son and heir to his uncle. Another brother, Sir Robert Lovell (d. 1520?), was made a knight-banneret at Blackheath in 1497. Thomas Lovell seems to have been entered at Lincoln's Inn, and in 1473 received an annuity of twenty shillings a year from Henry Heydon, a neighbour, in consideration of the valuable advice he had given. He staunchly adhered to Henry Tudor, earl of Richmond, afterwards Henry VII, and was attainted in the first parliament of Richard III. He returned with Henry, fought at Bosworth Field, and his attainder was reversed in Henry VII's first parliament. On 12 Oct. 1485 he was created chancellor of the exchequer for life; on 27 Oct. he became esquire of the king's body, with a pension of forty marks a year, and he was advanced to be knight of the king's body before August 1487. He was also treasurer of the king's and queen's chambers. In the parliament summoned for 7 Nov. 1485 Lovell was chosen for Northamptonshire, and on 8 Nov. 1485 he was elected speaker. He headed the commons on 10 Dec. 1485, when they requested the king to marry Elizabeth of York, to whom he subsequently lent 500l. upon the security of her plate. On 3 July 1486 he was one of the commission to treat with the Scots. He probably continued to sit in parliament, though it is only certain that he was elected to that summoned for 16 Jan. 1496–7. Sir John Mordaunt was chosen speaker in 1488.

In 1487 Lovell sided with Henry against Lambert Simnel, and he and his brothers fought at Stoke, where he was knighted (9 June). On 11 March 1489 he became constable of Nottingham Castle.

The services rendered by Lovell to Henry VII included an active participation in the king's policy of extortions; numerous bonds which were made to Lovell, as well as to Empson and Dudley, were cancelled early in the reign of Henry VIII. In November 1494 he was present at the tourna-