The Spring Baronets

The Spring Baronetcy of Pakenham was created in 1641 for the wealthy politician and businessman, William Spring (1613-1654), High Sheriff of Suffolk and future MP for Bury St Edmunds and Suffolk. The Springs were major landowners in East Anglia and a prominent local family who opposed King Charles I’s autocratic rule in the years leading up to the English Civil War. The baronetcy, along with many others, was created in an attempt by the king to buy-over anti-royalist families such as the Springs.
Several members of the family were knighted before the creation of the Baronetcy. Sir John Spring of Suffolk (d. 1549) was the eldest son of Thomas Spring III (1456 – 1523) and ran the Spring family wool and cloth business upon the death of his father, before his brother Richard took over from him. He was knighted by Henry VII. He married Dorothy Waldegrave (d. 1564), the daughter of Sir William Waldegrave of Smallbridge. Spring aided the dukes of Norfolk and Suffolk in suppressing the Lavenham revolt of 1525. This had been caused by Wolsey's Amicable Grant, a non-parliamentary tax that had caused great discontent in the Suffolk cloth towns. Their son, William, became High Sheriff of Suffolk in 1578 and was knighted by Elizabeth I. His grandson was in turn knighted by James I.
The baronetcy became dormant upon the death of Sir John Spring, 6th Baronet in 1769, however became extant when a successor claimed the title in April 2009.
Spring Baronets of Pakenham
- Sir William Spring (1613-1654) MP for Bury St.Edmunds 1646-1648 and Suffolk 1654
- Sir William Spring, 2nd Baronet (1642-1684) MP for Suffolk 1679-1684
- Sir Thomas Spring, 3rd Baronet (1 Dec 1672-5 Apr 1704)
- Sir William Spring, 4th Baronet (Jan 1697-died unm 22 March 1736/7), succeeded by his uncle
- Sir John Spring, 5th Baronet (1674-1740)
- Sir John Spring, 6th Baronet died 1769
Dormant
- Sir Michael Spring, 7th Baronet (b. 1953), as of 2009

 
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