SHAFTESBURY, ANTHONY ASHLEY COOPER, I ST EARL OF (1621-1683), son of Sir John Cooper and Anne, the daughter of Sir Anthony Ashley, Bart., was born at Wimborne St. Giles, Dorset, on July 22, 1621. His parents died before he was ten years of age, and he inherited extensive estates in Hamp shire, Wiltshire, Dorsetshire and Somersetshire, much reduced, however, by litigation in Chancery. He married Margaret, daugh ter of Lord Coventry, with whom he and his wife lived at Dur ham House in the Strand and at Canonbury House in Islington. Though still a minor, he was elected for Tewkesbury in 1640, but he took no part in parliamentary proceedings. In 164o Lord Coventry died, and Cooper then lived with his brother-in-law at Dorchester House in Covent Garden. For the Long Parliament, which met on Nov. 3, 1640, he was elected for Downton, Wiltshire, but the return being disputed, he did not take his seat until the last days of the Rump. He was present as a spectator at Nottingham on Aug. 25, 1642 ; and in 1643 he appeared openly on Charles's side in Dorsetshire, where he raised at his own expense a regiment of foot and a troop of horse, of both of which he took command. He was also appointed governor of Weymouth, sheriff of Dorsetshire for the king and president of the king's council of war in the county. In January 1644, how ever, he resigned his governorship and commissions and went over to the parliament, because, as he explained to a committee of the two Houses, he saw danger to the Protestant religion in the king's service. In July 1644 he went to Dorsetshire on mili tary service, and on Aug. 3, received a commission as field-mar shal general. He assisted at the taking of Wareham, and shortly afterwards compounded for his estates by a fine of £500 from which he was afterwards relieved by Cromwell. On Oct. 25, he was made commander-in-chief in Dorsetshire; in November he took Abbotsbury, the house of Sir John Strangways; and in December he relieved Taunton. His military service terminated at the time of the Self-denying Ordinance in 1645 ; and as he had associated himself with the Presbyterian faction, he was not included in the New Model. For the next seven or eight years he lived in com parative privacy, only carrying out his duties as high sheriff of Wiltshire (1646-48). Upon the execution of Charles, Cooper took the Engagement, and was a commissioner to administer it in Dorsetshire. In 1652 he was named on the commission for law
reform, of which Hale was the chief and on March 17, 1653, he was pardoned of all delinquency and thus at last made capable of sitting in parliament. He sat for Wiltshire in the Barebones Parliament, where he supported Cromwell against the extreme section, was appointed on the council of thirty, and on the resig nation of this parliament he became a member of the council of state named in the "Instrument." In 1654 he left the privy council, and henceforward is found with the Presbyterians and Republicans in opposition to Cromwell.
Cooper was again elected for Wiltshire in 1656, but Cromwell refused to allow him, with many others of his opponents, to sit. In the parliament of 1658, however, he took his seat, and was active in opposition to the new constitution of the two Houses. He also led the opposition in Richard Cromwell's parliament, especially on the matter of the limitation of the power of the protector, and against the House of Lords.
In 1659 Cooper was arrested on a charge of corresponding with the leader of the Cheshire rising, but he was unanimously acquit ted by the Council. In the disputes between Lambert at the head of the military party and the Rump in union with the council of State, he supported the latter, and upon the temporary supremacy of Lambert's party worked indefatigably to restore the Rump. He co-operated with Monk, whom he assisted to the post of corn mander-in-chief of the forces, was instrumental in securing the Tower for the parliament, and in obtaining the adhesion of Ad miral Lawson and the fleet. On the restoration of the parliament Cooper was one of the commissioners to command the army, and was made one of the new council of State. On Jan. 7, 166o, he took his seat on his election for Downton in 1640, and was made colonel of Fleetwood's regiment of horse. He secured the admis sion of the secluded members, was again one of the fresh council of State, consisting entirely of friends of the Restoration, and accepted from Monk a commission to be governor of the Isle of Wight and captain of a company of foot. He now steadily pur sued the design of the Restoration, and was one of the 12 commis sioners who went to Charles at Breda to invite him to return. In the Convention Parliament he sat for Wiltshire.