Coventry Sir John

Coventry, Sir John (1640-1682), was a member of the Long Parliament. Taking part with the Royalists, and sharing in their vicissitudes, he was made a Knight of the Bath in 1660. In 1667 he was returned to Parliament by the borough of Weymouth, and managed to offend the Court party by his proceedings in Parliament. Some ruffians of this party waylaid him and slit his nose, and in consequence Parliament passed in 1670 an Act directed against the offence of cutting and maiming, generally known as the Coventry Act.