Sampson Lennard

Not to be confused with his cousin Samson Lennard.

Sampson Lennard
Member of the British Parliament for Launceston
In office 1571
Member of the British Parliament for Bramber
In office 1584–5
Member of the British Parliament for St Mawes
In office 1586–7
Member of the British Parliament for Christchurch
In office 1589
Member of the British Parliament for St Germans
In office 1593
Member of the British Parliament for Rye
In office 1597
Member of the British Parliament for Liskeard
In office 1601
Member of the British Parliament for Sussex
In office 1614
Personal details
Born	c. 1544
Died	20 September 1615
Spouse	Margaret Fiennes
Children	13, including Sir Henry Lennard

Sampson Lennard (c. 1544 – 20 September 1615), of Chevening in Kent, was an English Member of Parliament who represented an unusually large number of different constituencies during the reigns of Elizabeth I and James I.

A prominent member of the Kent and Sussex gentry, Lennard was High Sheriff of Kent in 1590–1. He entered Parliament in 1571 as member for Launceston (Cornwall). He subsequently also represented Bramber (1584–5), St Mawes (1586–7), Christchurch (1589), St Germans (1593), Rye (1597), Liskeard (1601) and Sussex (1614).

Lennard married Margaret Fiennes, daughter of Thomas Fiennes, 9th Baron Dacre, and after her brother's death in 1594 he successfully claimed the barony on her behalf, so that she became the 11th Baroness Dacre. However, "imperfections in Mr. Lennard’s precedents" meant he did not receive the title he desired.

They had thirteen children, and their younger son, Sir Henry Lennard, succeeded his mother as 12th Baron Dacre, "leaving [Sampson] Lennard to watch him enjoying the title while more land was sold to pay off debts". Sampson Lennard is buried at St. Botolph, Chevening, Kent, England

Sources

• J E Neale, The Elizabethan House of Commons (London: Jonathan Cape, 1949)

Arms of Lennard: Or, on a fess gules three fleurs-de-lys of the field