Pierrepont was the second son of
Robert Pierrepont, 1st Earl of Kingston-upon-Hull and his wife
Gertrude Talbot, daughter of Hon. Henry Talbot of Burton Abbey, Yorkshire. He matriculated from
Emmanuel College, Cambridge, in 1624 and was admitted at
Lincoln's Inn on 1 April 1627. He was appointed
Sheriff of Shropshire for 1638. For his services at Newport, he was thanked by Parliament; but he retired from active political life soon afterwards, as he disliked the purging of the
House of Commons by
Colonel Pride and the proceedings against the king. In spite of his moderate views Pierrepont enjoyed the personal friendship of Cromwell. He was elected MP for
Nottinghamshire in 1654 for the
First Protectorate Parliament. Although elected, he would not sit in the parliament of 1656, nor would he take the place offered to him in the
Protector's House of Lords. When
Richard Cromwell succeeded his father, Pierrepont was an unobtrusive but powerful influence in directing the policy of the government, and after a short period of retirement on Richard's fall he was chosen, early in 1660, a member of the council of state but refused to take his seat when secluded members were readmitted to the Restored Rump. He was elected MP for Nottinghamshire in the
Convention Parliament of 1660, and probably was instrumental in saving the lives of some of the parliamentary leaders. At the general election of 1661, he was defeated and spent the remainder of his life in retirement. He died in 1678. ==Family==