My history hero: Sir Lindsay Hoyle chooses William Lenthall (1591–1662)
Speaker of the House of Commons Sir Lindsay Hoyle chooses William Lenthall as a history hero
In profile
William Lenthall served as speaker of the House of Commons for nearly 20 years, both before and after the execution of Charles I. The lawyer-turned-politician is best known for the defiance he showed on 4 January 1642, when the king tried to seize five MPs whom he accused of treason. Lenthall’s refusal to reveal their whereabouts was an assertion of the rights of the Commons in the face of royal tyranny. He died in Burford, Oxfordshire.
When did you first hear about William Lenthall?
At school, though it’s only since becoming speaker – just like William Lenthall – that I’ve fully come to appreciate his significance as a historical figure.
What kind of man was he?
Firstly, he was a man of great strength of character. Secondly, he was a family man, and every time I walk up the stairs to the speaker’s chambers and see the magnificent painting of Speaker Lenthall and his family in all their finery – believed to have been painted by the portraitist Edward Bower – I’m reminded of that fact.
What was his finest hour?
Well, it’s got to be the moment that he stood up to Charles I in 1642 after the king, accompanied by around 400 loyal troops, attempted to seize five MPs who he thought guilty of treason. When Charles asked Speaker Lenthall where they were, he famously replied: “May it please your majesty, I have neither eyes to see, nor tongue to speak, in this place, but as the house is pleased to direct me, whose servant I am here.” It was a defining moment in English history because it was the first time that a speaker had declared his first loyalty to the liberty of Parliament rather than the will of the monarch.
Crucially, it also changed the relationship between Parliament and monarch for good: the king or queen has never again been allowed to enter the Commons chamber – and the respect that sovereign and speaker now show each other is down to his stand all those years ago.
Even now, after more than three years in the role, I sometimes ask myself: “How would Speaker Lenthall have handled this?” And that gives me the courage to do the right thing.
Is there anything that you don’t particularly admire about him?
Every speaker has had his or her detractors – the role inevitably involves ruffling feathers from time to time. But nothing I’ve learned about Lenthall has lessened my respect for him.
Can you see any parallels between Lenthall’s life and your own?
Like Speaker Lenthall, I maintain order in the chamber and am always strictly impartial. Thankfully, however, speakers no longer run the risk of ending up being beheaded if they incur the sovereign’s displeasure! Incidentally, I should add that I get on very well with today’s King Charles.
What would you ask Lenthall if you could meet him?
I’d love to know what gave him the strength to stand up to Charles I – was it his anger at the king’s behaviour, or merely his desire to try and do the right thing?
Sir Lindsay Hoyle has been speaker of the House of Commons since 2019, and the MP for Chorley since 1997. Before his election as speaker, he was a Labour Party politician.
This article was first published in the July 2024 issue of BBC History Magazine
Authors
York Membery is a regular contributor to BBC History Magazine, the Daily Mail and Sunday Times among other publications. York, who lives in London, worked on the Mirror, Express and Times before turning freelance. He studied history at Cardiff University and the Institute of Historical Research, and has a History PhD from Maastricht University.