Sir Robert Long, 1st Bt (1598-1673)

Sir Peter Lely (Soest 1618 – London 1680). Oil painting on canvass, Sir Robert Long (1618-1680), by Sir Peter Lely (1618-1680). Three-quarter length portrait of a mature man, seated agfainst a carved stone pedestal, in a full-bottomed brown wig, wearing brown robes, of a white shirt with full sleeves, and a white lace jabot. Auditor of Receipts at the Exchequer. : Signed and inscribed lower right: SR. ROBERT LONG / BY SR. PETER LELY. The Rt. Hon. Sir Robert Long, 1st Bt. was born in 1598 at Wiltshire, the youngest son of Sir Walter Long (b.c.1565-1610) of Wraxall and Draycott and Catherine Thynne (c.1567-c.1584) his second wife, daughter of Sir John Thynne of Longleat. He was educated at Queens' College, Cambridge and was admitted to Lincoln's Inn on 14 October 1619.. He was MP for Devizes in 1626, 1628-1629; Midhurst 1640. Became Surveyor of the lands of the Queen Consort in 1643 thus beginning an association with Henrietta Maria and her party that was to last until her death. In 1644, he became Secretary of the newly-created Council for the Prince of Wales. Suspected of treachery with the Earl of Essex, he escaped in 1646 to France, to Paris, where, however, Henrietta Maria sent him back to attend on the Prince, whose unsuccessful expedition to the Thames in 1648 he participated in. On 14 May 1649 Charles, now King, appointed him to his Privy Council, and in 1650 he was with him in Jersey. His estate was sequestered in 1650. In 1651 he left Charles for Amsterdam, whence he managed his finances; but in June 1654 he was in London. MP for Tewkesbury in 1659. Held the office of Chancellor of the Exchequer from 1660 to 1661; Lord of the Treasury on 8 September 1660. MP for Boroughbridge 1661-1673. Auditor of the Exchequer 1662-1673.3. Created 1st Baronet Long, of the City of Westminster, 1 September 1662.On 22 September 1670, Charles II granted him the lease of the Great Park, Great Park Meadow, and Worcester House, all at Nonsuch, but Pepys records him as living there earlier.He died on 13 July 1673, unmarried. and was buried on 28 July 1673 at Westminster Abbey (no monument), but left a legacy of £300 to Sir Richard Mason (q.v. his portraits by Huysmans), the husband of his great-niece, to be expended for the benefit of his soul- creating the suspicion that he had been a crypto-Catholic (which would explain his favour with Henrietta Maria). His extensive property, along with the baronetcy by special remainder, passed to his nephew, James Long (1617-1692). Belton House, Lincolnshire (Accredited Museum)