John Packer

Politician and Philanthropist

John Packer, politician and philanthropist, was buried in St Margaret's church Westminster on 15th February 1649 but he has no monument or inscribed gravestone. He was born on 12th November 1572, son of William (died 1600), clerk of the Privy Seal, and his wife Elizabeth. His brothers were William and Thomas and with John held the offices of porter at Westminster Abbey and John lived in a house in the precincts. John attended Westminster School as a Queen's Scholar and went on to Cambridge university. Travelling to France he became secretary to the English Ambassador there and was later secretary to the Earl of Somerset and to George Villiers, Duke of Buckingham. He was offered the post of secretary of state but always refused. He purchased several lands including the manor of Groombridge, on the Kent and Sussex border, where he restored the church, and Shellingford in Berkshire. On 13th July 1613 he married Philippa Mills at St Katherine Cree church in London. They had five sons. Phillip (1618-1686) married Isabella Berkeley and secondly Sarah Isgar. He was Paymaster of the King's Works and Fellow of the Royal Society. John was baptised in Westminster Abbey on 13th May 1626 and married Jane Fettiplace. He died in 1706. He was a physician and their son was Robert. Robert Packer was baptised in the Abbey on 13th August 1627 and died in 1687 being a Member of Parliament and marrying Temperance Stephens (he is buried at Shellingford). Another son was George and William married Jane Saunders. The daughters of John and Philippa were Elizabeth who married John Browne, Frances who was baptised in the Abbey on 3rd October 1619 but died young, and Katherine baptised in the Abbey on 11th March 1624 who married John Gell, 2nd Baronet of Hopton in Derbyshire (their daughter Katherine was baptised in the Abbey on 22nd April 1645) and she was buried at Wirksworth in that county.