He was born in France on 14 April 1581 into a
Huguenot family, the younger son of Thomas Papillon, captain of the guard and valet-de-chambre to
Henri IV of France, and his wife Jeanne Vieue de la Pierre. In 1588 his mother sailed with him and his two sisters for England. Their ship was wrecked off
Hythe; the mother died, but the children were saved. He was brought up in England. Papillon was involved in London property development. As an architect, he is known for
Papillon Hall, an octagonal house from 1622 that he built at
Lubenham, Leicestershire. It was demolished in 1950. A Parliamentarian of the
English Civil War, Papillon was treasurer of Leicestershire from 1642 to 1646. He fortified
Leicester and
Gloucester for the parliament, and advised on the defence of
Northampton. After his death in March 1659, a memorial to Papillon was placed in
St Katherine Coleman, London, a church that has also since been demolished. ==Works==