Nicholas Hyde

Sir Nicholas Hyde (c. 1572 – 25 August 1631) was Lord Chief Justice of England.

Hyde was born at Wardour, in Wiltshire, a son of Lawrence Hyde (d.1590) of West Hatch, Wiltshire, MP for Heytesbury in 1584, by his second wife Anne Sibell, daughter of Nicholas Sibell of Farningham, Kent, and widow of Matthew Colthurst of Claverton, Somerset. He was the brother of Henry Hyde (c.1563–1634), MP, and Lawrence Hyde (1562–1641), attorney-general to Anne of Denmark, wife of King James I.

Hyde was educated at Exeter College, Oxford, entered the Middle Temple and was called to the bar in 1598.

Hyde entered the House of Commons in 1597 as one of the two members for Old Sarum. He represented Andover in 1601, Christchurch in 1604, Bath in 1614 and the county seat of Bristol in 1625. He soon became prominent as an opponent of the king's court, although he does not appear to have distinguished himself in the law. Before long, however, he deserted the popular party and in 1626 was employed by George Villiers, 1st Duke of Buckingham, to defend him against impeachment by the House of Commons.

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