Edward Wynter

Sir Edward Wynter or Wintour (born 1560, died 1619) was an English mariner and landowner who sat in the House of Commons at various times between 1587 and 1601. He developed the iron workings around the family estates at Lydney in the Forest of Dean, which in his son's time were of importance to the Royalist cause. His marriage to Lady Anne Somerset produced a strongly Roman Catholic allegiance among his children. Life Wynter was the eldest son of Admiral Sir William Wynter of Lydney, Gloucestershire (died 1589) and his wife Mary Langton. He matriculated at Brasenose College, Oxford on 20 December 1577, aged 17 and was awarded BA on 28 January 1579. He was a student of the Inner Temple in 1579. In 1587, he was elected Member of Parliament for Newport. Wynter sailed to the Caribbean with Sir Francis Drake, setting out as Captain of the Aid in the voyage of 1585-1586, during which his brother Nicholas Wynter was lost. In August 1588, Wynter served on board his father's ship against the Spanish Armada. In February 1589 his father died, and in that month Edward took his seat as MP for Gloucestershire. His father's will, naming Edward sole executor, was proved on 15 March 1588/89 by oath of his attorney. He succeeded his father to the estate which Sir William had built up since c.1560 around the manors and dependencies of Lydney. At about this time, Wynter killed Henry Walsh of Little Sodbury in a duel in Marylebone, for which he was granted a royal pardon. Soon afterwards, having resolved to journey abroad, he was captured in 1589 and was sold as a prisoner to the Spanish ambassador in France, Bernardino de Mendoza. He was at first held in Amiens, but was soon afterwards transferred to the castle of Antwerp, for almost four years. During this period lawsuits were brought against him in England which he was unable to defend, except through appeal to members of the Council. He became a hostage against the release of Don Pedro de Valdes, General of the Andalusian squadron, who had been captured by the English at the time of the armada. Upon his release Wynter found he was expected to pay a large ransom for the release of Valdes, owing to the inequality of their condition. As patron of Lydney church he presented Antony Stirrey, or Sterry, as vicar in 1594, who was instituted in August 1595 and remained in that living (as rector from 1603) until at least 1623.