Arms of Erle: Gules, three escallops argent a bordure engrailed of the last[1]

Christopher Erle (c. 1590 – 1634) was an English lawyer and politician who sat in the House of Commons at various times between 1621 and 1629.

Erle was born at Stourminster Marshall, the son of Thomas Erle of Charborough House in Dorset and his wife Dorothy Pole, daughter of William Pole of Columpton, Devon. He matriculated at Christ Church, Oxford on 10 June 1608, aged 18. He was called to the bar at Middle Temple in 1617.[2] Erle and his brother Sir Walter Erle were issued shares in the Virginia Company in 1620.[3]

In 1621, Erle was elected Member of Parliament for Weymouth and Melcombe Regis.[2] He shared puritan ideals with Rev. John White in Dorchester and with his brother Walter invested in the Dorchester Company.[3] He was elected MP for Poole in 1626. In 1628 he was elected MP for Lyme Regis and sat until 1629 when King Charles decided to rule without parliament for eleven years.[4]

Erle died at the age of about 44 and was buried in the middle aisle of the Temple Church on 4 April 1634.[2]

Erle married Elizabeth Denny, daughter of Edward Denny of Stortford on 26 April 1623 at Birchanger in Essex. Their son Christopher born in 1624 was MP for Essex in 1653.[3]

References

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  1. ^ Pole, Sir William (d.1635), Collections Towards a Description of the County of Devon, Sir John-William de la Pole (ed.), London, 1791, p.481; Sir William Pole (d.1635) of Shute, Devon, author of this work, was the uncle of Col. Sir Walter Erle (1586-1665) of Charborough, the son of his sister Dorothy Pole
  2. ^ a b c 'Alumni Oxonienses, 1500-1714: Eade-Eyton', Alumni Oxonienses 1500-1714: Abannan-Kyte (1891), pp. 440-479. Retrieved 9 December 2011
  3. ^ a b c Michael Russell Christopher Erle
  4. ^ Willis, Browne (1750). Notitia Parliamentaria, Part II: A Series or Lists of the Representatives in the several Parliaments held from the Reformation 1541, to the Restoration 1660 ... London. pp. 229–239.
Parliament of England Preceded bySir Charles CaesarRobert BatemanBernard MichellJohn Roy Member of Parliament for Weymouth and Melcombe Regis 1621–1622 With: John FrekeGiles GreenMatthew Pitt Succeeded byArthur PyneMatthew PittThomas GiearJohn Freke Preceded byJohn PyneSir John Cooper Member of Parliament for Poole 1626 With: John Pyne Succeeded byJohn PyneSir John Cooper Preceded bySir Walter ErleThomas Paramour Member of Parliament for Lyme Regis 1628–1629 With: Thomas Paramour Parliament suspended until 1640
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