Cheney Culpeper


Sir Cheney Culpeper was an English landowner, a supporter of Samuel Hartlib, and a largely non-political figure of his troubled times, interested in technological progress and reform. His sister Judith was the second wife of John Colepeper, 1st Baron Colepeper.

Landowner

After a legal training, he was knighted in 1628. He had an estate at Great Wigsell, but only briefly.
He bought in 1650 Elmley, Worcestershire. Being later disinherited, he became heavily indebted.

Hartlib circle

Of the Hartlibians, he had most to do with Benjamin Worsley. He was interested in alchemy, but most of all in agricultural topics. While on the Parliamentarian side, he was a moderate, against the more theocratic tendencies. He had contacts in Parliament; but insufficient clout to make a real difference to the attitude to Hartlib's projects.