Cyril Wyche

Sir Cyril Wyche PRS (c.1632 – 28 December 1707) was an English lawyer and politician.

Sir Cyril Wyche PRS
Sir Cyril Wyche
Chief Secretary for Ireland
In office 1692–1693
Preceded by	John Davis
Succeeded by	Richard Aldworth
In office 1676–1682
Preceded by	William Harbord
Succeeded by	Sir William Ellis
5th President of the Royal Society
In office 1683 – 30 November 1684
Preceded by	John Hoskyns
Succeeded by	Samuel Pepys
Member of the England Parliament for Preston
In office 1702–1705
Preceded by	Henry Ashhurst Thomas Molyneux
Succeeded by	Francis Annesley Edward Rigby
Member of the Ireland Parliament for Dublin University
In office 1692–1693
Preceded by	Sir John Meade, 1st Baronet Joseph Coghlan
Succeeded by	Richard Aldworth William Molyneux
Member of the England Parliament for Saltash
In office 1685–1689
Preceded by	Sir John Davie Bernard Granville
Succeeded by	John Waddon Bernard Granville
Member of the England Parliament for East Grinstead
In office 1681–1685
Preceded by	Goodwin Wharton William Jephson
Succeeded by	Simon Smith Thomas Jones
Member of the England Parliament for Callington
In office 1661–1678
Preceded by	Sir Hugh Pollard Sir John Coryton
Succeeded by	Samuel Rolle Sir John Coryton
Personal details
Born	1632 Constantinople, Turkey
Died	28 December 1707 (aged 74–75) Hockwold cum Wilton, Norfolk
Resting place	St Peter's Church, Hockwold
Spouse(s)	Elizabeth Jermyn ​ (m. 1663)​ Susanna Norreys ​ (m. 1684)​ Mary Evelyn ​ (m. 1692)​
Father	Sir Peter Wyche
Alma mater	University of Oxford (BA, MA, DCL)

He was born in Constantinople, Turkey, where his father, Sir Peter Wyche, was the English Ambassador. He was educated at Christ Church, Oxford with Bachelor of Arts in 1653. He received his Master of Arts (MA) in 1655 and his Doctor of Civil Law (DCL) in 1665. Between the time he received his MA and his DCL, he was knighted (1660). This is so close in time to the English Restoration that he was almost certainly a Cavalier, and may have served in the military for the Royalist cause.

He was an original member of the Royal Society and served as President from 1683–1684.[1]

He joined the bar in 1670 and became Chief Secretary for Ireland in 1692. He was a Member of Parliament for several constituencies at different times, (MP for Callington (1661–1678), for East Grinstead (1681–1685), for Saltash (1685–1687), and for Preston (1702–1705)[2]

He married three times; firstly in 1663, Elizabeth, the daughter of Sir Thomas Jermyn of Rushbrooke, Suffolk, with whom he had 2 sons (1 of whom predeceased him) and 2 daughters, secondly in 1684 Susanna, the daughter of Sir Francis Norreys of Weston on the Green, Oxfordshire and the widow of Sir Herbert Perrott of Wellington. Herefordshire and thirdly in 1692 Mary, the daughter of George Evelyn of Wotton, Surrey. Mary was the niece of John Evelyn, the diarist.[2]

Around 1690 he purchased Hockwold Hall (then called The Poynings) at Hockwold cum Wilton, Norfolk. He died there and a monument to him can be found in St Peter's Church, Hockwold.

References

1. "Fellows Details". Royal Society. Retrieved 29 April 2019.
2. "WYCHE, Sir Cyril (c.1632-1707), of Gray's Inn, Westminster and Flanchford, Surr". History of Parliament Trust. Retrieved 20 April 2019.

Further reading

• Sir Cyril Wyche and the Popish Plot, 1678-80, Hugh Fenning, O.P., in Seanchas Ard Macha volume 19/2, pp. 53–62, 2002
• Herbert Rix, "Wyche, Cyril", Dictionary of National Biography, 1885–1900, Volume 63