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Sir John Pakington (1549 – 18 January 1625) of Aylesbury was a courtier in the reigns of Elizabeth I and James I. He was a favourite of Elizabeth's who nicknamed him "Lusty Pakington" for his physique and sporting abilities. Away from court he held a number of official positions including Sheriff of Worcestershire in 1595 and in 1607. ==Biography== John Pakington was the eldest son of Sir Thomas Pakington (died 2 June 1571) of Hampton Lovett, Worcestershire, and Dorothy (1531–1577), the daughter of Sir Thomas Kitson of Hengrave Hall, Suffolk, by his second wife, Margaret Donnington.〔.〕 John was educated at Christ Church, Oxford, graduated B.A. on 13 December 1569, and was a student of Lincoln's Inn in 1570. Pakington attracted the notice of Queen Elizabeth in her progress to Worcester in August 1570, when she invited him to court. In London he lived for a few years in great splendour, and outran his fortune. He was remarkable both for his wit and the beauty of his person. The Queen, who took great pleasure in his athletic achievements, nicknamed him "Lusty Pakington". It is said that he once laid a wager with three other courtiers to swim from the Palace of Westminster to London Bridge, but the Queen forbade the match. From 1587 to 1601 Pakington was deputy-lieutenant for Worcester. In 1587 he was knighted. In 1593 he was granted by the crown a patent for starch.〔 cites John Noake, ''Worcestershire Nuggets'', p. 272; ''Hist. MSS. Comm.'' 5th Rep. p. 277, 6th Rep. p. 257, 7th Rep. p. 94.〕 The Queen, to help him in his financial difficulties, made him bow-bearer of Malvern Chase, and is said to have given him a valuable estate in Suffolk; but when he went to the place and saw the distress of the widow of the former owner, he begged to have the property transferred to her. Strict economy and a period of retirement enabled him to pay his debts, and a wealthy marriage in 1598 (see blow) greatly improved his position. Pakington devoted much attention to building, and to improving his estates in Worcestershire. The central portion of the house at Westwood, which after the Civil War became the residence of the family, was Pakington's work. He also constructed a lake at Westwood, which unfortunately encroached on the highway. His right to alter the road being questioned, he impetuously had the embankments cut through, and the waters of his lake streamed over the country and coloured the Severn for miles. Pakington was Sheriff of Worcestershire in 1595 and in 1607. In June 1603 he entertained James I with great magnificence at his house at Aylesbury. In 1607 Pakington, as justice of the peace for Worcestershire, resisted the jurisdiction claimed by the council of Wales over the county.〔 (Wright, Ludlow, p. 419).〕 Pakington died in January 1625, and was buried at Aylesbury.〔In 1895 there was a portrait of Pakington at Westwood Park, Worcestershire .〕 His son Sir John preceded him by a few months, so he left his estates to his grandson Sir John Pakington, 2nd Baronet, who was still a child. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「John Pakington (died 1625)」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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