John Bodvel
Encyclopedia
John Bodvel was a Welsh politician who sat in the House of Commons
from 1640 to 1644. He was a colonel in the Royalist army in the English Civil War
.
Bodvel was the son of Sir John Bodvel (died 1631) and his wife Elizabeth Wynn, daughter of Sir John Wynn of Gwydir. He was admitted to Middle Temple
in 1633.
Bodvel's grandfather had acquired by marriage the estate of Caerfryn on Anglesey and in April 1640, Bodvel was elected Member of Parliament
for Anglesey in the Short Parliament
. He was re-elected MP for Anglesey for the Long Parliament
in November 1640. He stood with the militant Protestants who opposed the court, and was nominated as Deputy Lieutenant
of Caernarvonshire in March 1642. On 2 August 1642 he was given leave of absence by the House of Commons and provided with a stock of arms with which to defend his home in Wales.’
However by May 1643 Price had become a commissioner of array for Caernarvonshire and a Custos Rotulorum of Anglesey
. He attended King Charles' Oxford Parliament in January 1644 and was awarded the degree of D.C.L. from Oxford University. When the Oxford Parliament adjourned in July 1644, Bodvel went with his family to Caerfryn and became governor of Caernarvon Castle from March 1646. As colonel and commissioner of array he helped in both the defence of the island of Anglesey and in the negotiations for its surrender in July 1646. His wife was a strong Puritan and in 1646 she appealed to the Lords to have their children removed from their father's custody because he set a bad example. His estates were sequestered in November 1647 and was further fined for supporting the Royalist rising of 1648 in Anglesey . After the execution of the King, he fled abroad, and when he retuened his name was listed in the Act of 1651 for the sale of delinquents’ estates. These sales were cancelled in 1652 and he was finally cleared of delinquency in April 1655.
Bodvel married Ann Russell, daughter of Sir William Russell of Chippenham, Cambridgeshire in 1640 but there was no male heir. In 1657 his wife arranged a marriage between their second daughter Sarah and Robert Robartes
son of John Robartes, 1st Earl of Radnor
, a wealthy Cornish Presbyterian and former Parliamentarian field-marshal. The marriage was without Bodvel's consent and he refused to recognize the match. After the restoration he relented and promised to make his grandson Charles Bodvel Robartes his heir. However Bodvel's distant cousin Thomas Wynn of Boduan hid him from creditors in London, where he made a new will leaving his estates to Wynn 's son Griffith and another distant cousin. After Bodvel's death in March 1663 Lord Robartes and his son contested the will in Chancery and the House of Lords and obtained an Act of Parliament which set it aside in favour of Charles Robartes.
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...
from 1640 to 1644. He was a colonel in the Royalist army in the English Civil War
English Civil War
The English Civil War was a series of armed conflicts and political machinations between Parliamentarians and Royalists...
.
Bodvel was the son of Sir John Bodvel (died 1631) and his wife Elizabeth Wynn, daughter of Sir John Wynn of Gwydir. He was admitted to Middle Temple
Middle Temple
The Honourable Society of the Middle Temple, commonly known as Middle Temple, is one of the four Inns of Court exclusively entitled to call their members to the English Bar as barristers; the others being the Inner Temple, Gray's Inn and Lincoln's Inn...
in 1633.
Bodvel's grandfather had acquired by marriage the estate of Caerfryn on Anglesey and in April 1640, Bodvel was elected 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 Anglesey 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 re-elected MP for Anglesey for 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...
in November 1640. He stood with the militant Protestants who opposed the court, and was nominated as Deputy Lieutenant
Deputy Lieutenant
In the United Kingdom, a Deputy Lieutenant is one of several deputies to the Lord Lieutenant of a lieutenancy area; an English ceremonial county, Welsh preserved county, Scottish lieutenancy area, or Northern Irish county borough or county....
of Caernarvonshire in March 1642. On 2 August 1642 he was given leave of absence by the House of Commons and provided with a stock of arms with which to defend his home in Wales.’
However by May 1643 Price had become a commissioner of array for Caernarvonshire and a Custos Rotulorum of Anglesey
Custos Rotulorum of Anglesey
This is a list of people who have served as Custos Rotulorum of Anglesey.* Thomas Holte bef. 1544–1546* Sir Richard Bulkeley bef. 1558–1572* Sir Richard Bulkeley bef. 1577 – bef. 1584...
. He attended King Charles' Oxford Parliament in January 1644 and was awarded the degree of D.C.L. from Oxford University. When the Oxford Parliament adjourned in July 1644, Bodvel went with his family to Caerfryn and became governor of Caernarvon Castle from March 1646. As colonel and commissioner of array he helped in both the defence of the island of Anglesey and in the negotiations for its surrender in July 1646. His wife was a strong Puritan and in 1646 she appealed to the Lords to have their children removed from their father's custody because he set a bad example. His estates were sequestered in November 1647 and was further fined for supporting the Royalist rising of 1648 in Anglesey . After the execution of the King, he fled abroad, and when he retuened his name was listed in the Act of 1651 for the sale of delinquents’ estates. These sales were cancelled in 1652 and he was finally cleared of delinquency in April 1655.
Bodvel married Ann Russell, daughter of Sir William Russell of Chippenham, Cambridgeshire in 1640 but there was no male heir. In 1657 his wife arranged a marriage between their second daughter Sarah and Robert Robartes
Robert Robartes, Viscount Bodmin
Robert Robartes, Viscount Bodmin was an English diplomat and politician who sat in the House of Commons between 1660 and 1679...
son of John Robartes, 1st Earl of Radnor
John Robartes, 1st Earl of Radnor
John Robartes, 1st Earl of Radnor PC , known as The Lord Robartes between 1634 and 1679, was an English politician, who fought for the Parliamentary cause during the English Civil War...
, a wealthy Cornish Presbyterian and former Parliamentarian field-marshal. The marriage was without Bodvel's consent and he refused to recognize the match. After the restoration he relented and promised to make his grandson Charles Bodvel Robartes his heir. However Bodvel's distant cousin Thomas Wynn of Boduan hid him from creditors in London, where he made a new will leaving his estates to Wynn 's son Griffith and another distant cousin. After Bodvel's death in March 1663 Lord Robartes and his son contested the will in Chancery and the House of Lords and obtained an Act of Parliament which set it aside in favour of Charles Robartes.