John Feilder was an English politician who sat as a royal independent during the Rump Parliament

Rump Parliament

The Rump Parliament is the name of the English Parliament after Colonel Pride purged the Long Parliament on 6 December 1648 of those members hostile to the Grandees' intention to try King Charles I for high treason....

, where he has been described as "one of the most conservative influences".

After attending Oxford University he joined the Army, becoming a Colonel and Captain of Foot, and Captain of a Troop of Horse 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...

, when he was initially Commander of Farnham Castle

Farnham Castle

Farnham Castle is a castle in Farnham, Surrey, England .First built in 1138 by Henri de Blois, grandson of William the Conqueror, Bishop of Winchester, the castle was to become the home of the Bishops of Winchester for over 800 years. The original building was demolished by Henry II in 1155 after...

 and thereafter commanded the forces of Surrey. In 1649 he briefly served as Governor of Portsmouth .

He entered politics after marrying the sister of Sir John Trevor, a fellow Cornish MP. He was High Sheriff of Hampshire

High Sheriff of Hampshire

This is a list of High Sheriffs of Hampshire, the title was often given as High Sheriff of the County of Southampton until 1959.-List of High Sheriffs:*1070–1096: Hugh de Port *1105: Henry de Port *1129: William de Pont de l'Arche...

 for 1642 and then returned as Member of Parliament for St Ives, Cornwall

St Ives (UK Parliament constituency)

St. Ives is a county constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election.-History:...

for 1647-53 and again in 1659.

The family lived at Horkesley Hall, in Essex, and Heyshott Manor, in West Sussex.