John Arundell (born 1576)
Encyclopedia
Sir John Arundell nicknamed "Jack for the King", was an English politician who sat in the House of Commons
at various times between 1597 and 1640. He was Royalist governor of Pendennis Castle
during the English Civil War
.
Arundell was the son of John Arundell
of Trerice
and his wife Gertrude Dennys, daughter of Sir Robert Dennys of Holcombe. He was a grandson of Admiral Sir John Arundell
(nicknamed "Jack of Tilbury"), and head of one of Cornwall
's leading families.
He entered Parliament in 1597 as Member of Parliament
for Mitchell
, a rotten borough
situated in one of the family's manors. He subsequently also represented Cornwall
in the Parliaments of 1601 and 1621 and was appointed sheriff of Cornwall
in 1607. He was MP for St Mawes
in 1624 and for Tregony
in 1628, sitting until 1629 when King Charles decided to rule without parliament for eleven years.
In April 1640, Arundell was re-elected MP for Tregony in the Short Parliament
. He was not elected to the Long Parliament
, though two of his sons were members, Richard
for Lostwithiel
and John for Bodmin
. Following the outbreak of the Civil War he was loyal to the King
, and was present at the Royalist victory at Braddock Down
. In around 1643 he was appointed governor of Pendennis Castle. After Naseby
the Parliamentary army swept through the West Country, but Arundell defiantly refused Fairfax's
demands to submit: "I resolve that I will here bury myself before I deliver up this castle to such as fight against his majesty, and that nothing you can threaten is formidable to me in respect of the loss of loyalty and conscience." However, he was forced to surrender in August 1646 after a five-month siege - the last castle but one to hold out for the King. The family was fined £10,000 by the government, a large but not impossible sum, and although their estates were sequestered and let, the Arundells were able to retrieve them on payment of a further sum.
Arundell died before the end of the Commonwealth, but after the Restoration
the family's fortunes were restored and his second son Richard, who had been active in the Sealed Knot
conspiracy, was raised to the Peerage as Baron Arundell of Trerice a few years later, partly in recognition of his father's service to the Crown.
Arundel married Mary Cary, daughter of George Cary of Clovelley.
House of Commons of England
The House of Commons of England was the lower house of the Parliament of England from its development in the 14th century to the union of England and Scotland in 1707, when it was replaced by the House of Commons of Great Britain...
at various times between 1597 and 1640. He was Royalist governor of Pendennis Castle
Pendennis Castle
Pendennis Castle is a Henrician castle, also known as one of Henry VIII's Device Forts, in the English county of Cornwall. It was built in 1539 for King Henry VIII to guard the entrance to the River Fal on its west bank, near Falmouth. St Mawes Castle is its opposite number on the east bank and...
during the English Civil War
English Civil War
The English Civil War was a series of armed conflicts and political machinations between Parliamentarians and Royalists...
.
Arundell was the son of John Arundell
John Arundell (of Trerice, died 1580)
Sir John Arundell , of Trerice in Cornwall, was an English landowner and Member of Parliament.Sir John was the son of Sir John Arundell...
of Trerice
Trerice
Trerice is an Elizabethan manor house, located in Kestle Mill near Newquay, Cornwall, UK . The building features a main south-east facing range of 'E'-plan abutting a south-west range containing two earlier phases. Phase I consisted of a tower house with low north-west block...
and his wife Gertrude Dennys, daughter of Sir Robert Dennys of Holcombe. He was a grandson of Admiral Sir John Arundell
John Arundell (admiral)
Sir John Arundell of Trerice , nicknamed "Tilbury Jack" , was a commander of the English Royal Navy at the time of King Henry VIII and Edward VI and twice High Sheriff of Cornwall. Arundell served Henry VIII as an Esquire to the Body, and was knighted at the Battle of the Spurs in 1513...
(nicknamed "Jack of Tilbury"), and head of one of Cornwall
Cornwall
Cornwall is a unitary authority and ceremonial county of England, within the United Kingdom. It is bordered to the north and west by the Celtic Sea, to the south by the English Channel, and to the east by the county of Devon, over the River Tamar. Cornwall has a population of , and covers an area of...
's leading families.
He entered Parliament in 1597 as Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
for Mitchell
Mitchell (UK Parliament constituency)
Mitchell, or St Michael was a rotten borough consisting of the town of Mitchell, Cornwall. From the first Parliament of Edward VI, in 1547, it elected two members to the Unreformed House of Commons.-History:The borough encompassed parts of two parishes, Newlyn East and St Enoder...
, a rotten borough
Rotten borough
A "rotten", "decayed" or pocket borough was a parliamentary borough or constituency in the United Kingdom that had a very small electorate and could be used by a patron to gain undue and unrepresentative influence within Parliament....
situated in one of the family's manors. He subsequently also represented Cornwall
Cornwall (UK Parliament constituency)
Cornwall is a former county constituency covering the county of Cornwall, in the South West of England. It was a constituency of the House of Commons of England then of the House of Commons of Great Britain from 1707 to 1800 and of the House of Commons of the United Kingdom from 1801 to 1832...
in the Parliaments of 1601 and 1621 and was appointed sheriff of Cornwall
High Sheriff of Cornwall
High Sheriffs of Cornwall: a chronological list:Note: The right to choose High Sheriffs each year is vested in the Duchy of Cornwall, rather than the Privy Council, chaired by the Sovereign, which chooses the Sheriffs of all other English counties, other than those in the Duchy of...
in 1607. He was MP for St Mawes
St Mawes (UK Parliament constituency)
St Mawes was a rotten borough in Cornwall. It returned two Members of Parliament ) to the House of Commons of England from 1562 to 1707, to the House of Commons of Great Britain from 1707 to 1800, and to the House of Commons of the United Kingdom until it was abolished by the Great Reform Act in...
in 1624 and for Tregony
Tregony (UK Parliament constituency)
Tregony was a rotten borough in Cornwall which was represented in the Model Parliament of 1295, and returned two Members of Parliament to the English and later British Parliament continuously from 1562 to 1832, when it was abolished by the Great Reform Act....
in 1628, sitting until 1629 when King Charles decided to rule without parliament for eleven years.
In April 1640, Arundell was re-elected MP for Tregony in the Short Parliament
Short Parliament
The Short Parliament was a Parliament of England that sat from 13 April to 5 May 1640 during the reign of King Charles I of England, so called because it lasted only three weeks....
. He was not elected to the Long Parliament
Long Parliament
The Long Parliament was made on 3 November 1640, following the Bishops' Wars. It received its name from the fact that through an Act of Parliament, it could only be dissolved with the agreement of the members, and those members did not agree to its dissolution until after the English Civil War and...
, though two of his sons were members, Richard
Richard Arundell, 1st Baron Arundell of Trerice
Richard Arundell, 1st Baron Arundell of Trerice was an English politician who sat in the House of Commons at various times between 1640 and 1664 when he was raised to the peerage...
for Lostwithiel
Lostwithiel (UK Parliament constituency)
Lostwithiel was a rotten borough in Cornwall which returned two Members of Parliament to the House of Commons in the English and later British Parliament from 1304 to 1832, when it was abolished by the Great Reform Act.-History:...
and John for Bodmin
Bodmin (UK Parliament constituency)
Bodmin was the name of a parliamentary constituency in Cornwall from 1295 until 1983. Initially, it was a parliamentary borough, which returned two Members of Parliament to the House of Commons of England and later the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom until the 1868 general...
. Following the outbreak of the Civil War he was loyal to the King
Charles I of England
Charles I was King of England, King of Scotland, and King of Ireland from 27 March 1625 until his execution in 1649. Charles engaged in a struggle for power with the Parliament of England, attempting to obtain royal revenue whilst Parliament sought to curb his Royal prerogative which Charles...
, and was present at the Royalist victory at Braddock Down
Battle of Braddock Down
The Battle of Braddock Down was a battle of the south-western campaign of the First English Civil War. It was fought on open ground in Cornwall, on 19 January 1643...
. In around 1643 he was appointed governor of Pendennis Castle. After Naseby
Battle of Naseby
The Battle of Naseby was the key battle of the first English Civil War. On 14 June 1645, the main army of King Charles I was destroyed by the Parliamentarian New Model Army commanded by Sir Thomas Fairfax and Oliver Cromwell.-The Campaign:...
the Parliamentary army swept through the West Country, but Arundell defiantly refused Fairfax's
Thomas Fairfax, 3rd Lord Fairfax of Cameron
Thomas Fairfax, 3rd Lord Fairfax of Cameron was a general and parliamentary commander-in-chief during the English Civil War...
demands to submit: "I resolve that I will here bury myself before I deliver up this castle to such as fight against his majesty, and that nothing you can threaten is formidable to me in respect of the loss of loyalty and conscience." However, he was forced to surrender in August 1646 after a five-month siege - the last castle but one to hold out for the King. The family was fined £10,000 by the government, a large but not impossible sum, and although their estates were sequestered and let, the Arundells were able to retrieve them on payment of a further sum.
Arundell died before the end of the Commonwealth, but after the Restoration
English Restoration
The Restoration of the English monarchy began in 1660 when the English, Scottish and Irish monarchies were all restored under Charles II after the Interregnum that followed the Wars of the Three Kingdoms...
the family's fortunes were restored and his second son Richard, who had been active in the Sealed Knot
Sealed Knot
The Sealed Knot was a secret Royalist association which plotted for the Restoration of the Monarchy during the English Interregnum.Its original founder members were:* John Belasyse, 1st Baron Belasyse...
conspiracy, was raised to the Peerage as Baron Arundell of Trerice a few years later, partly in recognition of his father's service to the Crown.
Arundel married Mary Cary, daughter of George Cary of Clovelley.