The royal pardon: the Warde family’s brush with royalty

As family history goes, not many of us can say we hold a warrant from the King in our family archives, but Henry Warde, the 8th generation to live at Squerryes Court, can claim this accolade thanks to his relative, Patience Warde, who received one from King Charles II back in 1688.

Patience was born in 1629 near Pontefract and after university, started a career in commerce. He began an apprentice for a merchant-taylor and merchant-adventurer and later set himself up in business in London. On completing his apprenticeship, he became a freeman of the Merchant Taylor’s Company in 1671.

At the same time as he was building his career, he also entered the political world, being elected sheriff in 1670 and the alderman for the ward of Farringdon Within. His rise up the ranks continued when was then knighted in 1675 by Charles II before becoming Lord Mayor in 1680. In his election speech he maintained his protestant principles which would later cause his downfall. When the King dissolved his third short parliament a year later, and the common council appointed Patience to address the King, it did not go down well. Patience was tried for perjury, accused of having sworn that to the best of his remembrance he did not hear the words spoken which were said to be criminal. Having been found guilty, he fled to Holland and spent 6 years in exile before seeking a pardon from the King.
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The manuscript pictured above, was the pardon received from King Charles II which allowed his return to London where his career continued to flourish under William III. If you visit the Monument in the City of London, you can see Patience’s name inscribed on the stone and there’s a mural monument to him at St Mary Abchurch where he was buried in 1696. His portrait is also part of the collection at the National Portrait Gallery and at the Merchant Taylor’s Guild.

So as we mark the coronation of King Charles III this weekend, the Warde family will be raising a glass (of Squerryes vintage sparkling wine of course) to the King and his Queen Consort. Here’s to hoping there are no altercations between this King Charles and the Warde family!