Sir Edwin Sandys (1561-1629), a great figure in the British Parliament during the turbulent first quarter of the 17th century, was important in the English colonization of America.

Born on Dec. 9, 1561, in Worcestershire, Edwin Sandys was the son of an archbishop of the Church of England and thus a member of the English nobility. He was educated at Oxford University and the Middle Temple.

Sandys entered Parliament in 1586 and distinguished himself as an energetic legislator. He also traveled much and found time to write about religious matters, early displaying his liberalism. He was among James l's first supporters; under his patronage Sandys emerged as a prime mover in parliamentary circles.

Within a decade, however, Sandys deserted the Crown and took leadership of the opposition. He had come to believe that a king ruled under law and this imposed limitations on the rights of both the Crown and its...