Paul Wentworth
Paul Wentworth (1534–13 January 1594) of Burnham, Buckinghamshire, was an English politician in the reign of Elizabeth I. He served in the House of Commons for three different constituencies: Chipping Wycombe in 1559, Buckingham from 1563 to 1567, and Liskeard from 1572 to 1583.
He belonged to the Lillingstone Lovell branch of the Wentworth family, the son of Sir Nicholas Wentworth and Jane Josselyn. In 1563 he married Helen Agmondesham, widow of William Tyldesley, and they had eight children (four sons and four daughters). Through his wife he acquired Burnham Abbey.
Wentworth was a Puritan-leaning figure. He challenged Elizabeth I’s prohibition on discussing the issue of the queen’s successor in Parliament in 1566, a move that made him notable. He is sometimes thought to have authored a Puritan devotional work published later (The Miscellanie), though this attribution is uncertain. His brother Peter Wentworth was also a prominent advocate for freedom of speech; together they are often described as early voices for parliamentary liberty, though their overall impact was limited.
He died on 13 January 1594 and was buried at St Peter’s Church, Burnham. He is remembered as devout and steadfast in his faith and, for a time, as a zealous defender of truth.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 18:56 (CET).