Thomas Myddelton (younger)
Encyclopedia
Sir Thomas Myddelton of Chirk Castle (1586–1666) was a Welsh politician and Parliamentary general.
. He matriculated from Queen's College, Oxford, on 22 February 1605, and became a student of Gray's Inn
in 1607. he was knighted on 10 February 1617, and was M.P. for Weymouth and Melcombe Regis
, 1624-5, and for the county of Denbigh in 1625 and 1640-8.
he became prominent as Sergeant Major General of the Parliamentary forces in north Wales
. In the summer of 1642 he was sent to his constituency to exercise his influence on behalf of the parliament, and accordingly, in December 1642, he addressed to his countrymen a letter with strong advice to submit to and assist parliament. By the king's order, Colonel Ellis of Gwesnewydd, near Wrexham, seized Myddelton's residence, Chirk Castle
, in his absence in January 1643. A garrison was placed there under Sir John Watts.
By a parliamentary ordinance, dated 11 June 1643, Myddelton, who had by that time returned to London, was appointed sergeant-major-general for North Wales. On 10 August he reached Nantwich
in Cheshire
, where he was joined by Sir William Brereton. They proceeded on 4 September to Market Drayton
, and on 11 September to Wem
, which they seized, garrisoned, and made their Shropshire
headquarters. While they were still engaged in fortifying Wem, Arthur Capell, 1st Baron Capell of Hadham, with reinforcements from Staffordshire
, marched on Nantwich, but was defeated outside Wem in two separate conflicts, on 17 and 18 October. After this victory Brereton and Myddelton left Nantwich on 7 November, were joined at Stretton
by Sir George Booth with troops from Lancashire
, and crossing the River Dee
at Holt
, entered north Wales, where Wrexham
, Hawarden
, Flint
, Mostyn Mold, and Holywell
were taken. But all these place were given up quickly after the landing at Mostyn on 18 November of some 2,500 royalist soldiers from Ireland, and the leaders were criticised. Myddelton's troops were militiamen, while his opponents were trained soldiers.
In February 1644 Myddelton's command in North Wales was confirmed by a fresh commission. He left London about the end of May 1644, and marched to Nantwich, and thence to Knutsford
, where a muster of all the Cheshire forces was intended, against Prince Rupert and Lancashire. But the royalists, to the number of about four thousand, laid siege to Oswestry
. Myddelton hurried there before the arrival of his colleagues, and raised the siege on 2 July. Returning to Nantwich, Myddelton for some time watched Prince Rupert's movements, making occasional raids into Montgomeryshire
. On 4 September he captured the garrison at Newtown, and the same day advanced to Montgomery
, and without any resistance the castle there was surrendered to him by its owner, Edward Herbert, 1st Baron Herbert of Cherbury
. Sir Michael Ernely, who was in command of the royalist forces at Shrewsbury
, marched upon Montgomery to recover it. Myddelton sallied out to collect provisions but Ernely intercepted his return, and defeated him outside the town. Myddelton's foot-soldiers, under Colonel Thomas Mytton
, succeeded in re-entering the castle, which Ernely at once besieged; but Myddelton retired to Oswestry, and after obtaining reinforcements from Lancashire returned, accompanied by Brereton and Sir William Fairfax. They arrived on 17 September in sight of Montgomery, where the whole strength of both parties in North Wales and the borders was now assembled. After a desperate conflict, in which Fairfax was mortally wounded, the parliamentarians completely routed their opponents.
Myddelton was left for a time in command at Montgomery, but after the capture of Powis Castle
on 3 October the county generally declared for parliament, and Myddelton was therefore able to turn to Shrewsbury, where he captured most of the outposts, and blocked the passages to the town. Myddelton appeared on 21 December 1644 before his own castle of Chirk, still held by Sir John Watts, who after a three days' siege was able to write on Christmas Day to Prince Rupert that he had beaten Myddelton off.
Myddelton was superseded and the command was transferred to his brother-in-law, Colonel Thomas Mytton. When, however, there was a general reaction in the county in favour of the king in 1648, Myddelton was one of the persons to whom the principal inhabitants of Flintshire and Denbighshire, in their fidelity to parliament, entrusted the management of their county affairs. However, he disapproved of the king's trial, and was excluded from Parliament in 1649. On 14 May 1651 Myddelton was ordered by the council of state to enter into a bond of £10,000 for his general good behaviour, and having received the security it was further ordered on 16 May that the garrison should be withdrawn from his house.
In 1659 he joined the Cheshire Rising led by George Booth
, and proclaimed Charles II
as king in Wrexham market place. As a result General John Lambert
besieged Chirk Castle, after defeating Booth. He compelled Myddelton to surrender on 24 August 1659. Myddelton and his brothers were given notice to quit the country.
Sir Thomas is said to have received £60,000 to compensation and his son was ennobled as Sir Thomas Myddelton, 1st Baronet of Chirk Castle.
, Bedfordshire
, and sister of Richard Napier
the astrologer
, by whom he had seven sons and six daughters. The eldest, Thomas Myddelton (d. 1663), who was created a baronet in 1660, and was besieged by Lambert in Chirk Castle in August 1659, left two sons, Thomas (d. 1684), M.P. for Denbigh, and Richard Myddelton (d. 1716), M.P. for Denbigh 1685-1716, both of whom succeeded in turn to the baronetcy. Sir Richard's son, William Myddelton, fourth baronet, died unmarried in 1718, when the baronetcy became extinct and the estates reverted to Robert Myddelton of Llysvassi, a son of the parliamentary general's third son Richard, from whom Robert Myddelton-Biddulph, later owner of Chirk Castle, traced descent. A daughter of Myddelton, Ann, married Edward Herbert, 3rd Baron Herbert of Chirbury, grandson of the first lord.
Early life
He was the son of Sir Thomas MyddeltonThomas Myddelton
Sir Thomas Myddelton was the fourth son of Richard Myddelton, Governor of Denbigh, and Jane Dryhurst.As a youth, he was apprenticed to a grocer in London, and made his fortune in trade...
. He matriculated from Queen's College, Oxford, on 22 February 1605, and became a student of Gray's Inn
Gray's Inn
The Honourable Society of Gray's Inn, commonly known as Gray's Inn, is one of the four Inns of Court in London. To be called to the Bar and practise as a barrister in England and Wales, an individual must belong to one of these Inns...
in 1607. he was knighted on 10 February 1617, and was M.P. for Weymouth and Melcombe Regis
Weymouth and Melcombe Regis (UK Parliament constituency)
Weymouth and Melcombe Regis was a parliamentary borough in Dorset represented in the English House of Commons, later in that of Great Britain, and finally in the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It was formed by an Act of Parliament of 1570 which amalgamated the existing boroughs of Weymouth and...
, 1624-5, and for the county of Denbigh in 1625 and 1640-8.
First English Civil War
During the English Civil WarEnglish Civil War
The English Civil War was a series of armed conflicts and political machinations between Parliamentarians and Royalists...
he became prominent as Sergeant Major General of the Parliamentary forces in north Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
. In the summer of 1642 he was sent to his constituency to exercise his influence on behalf of the parliament, and accordingly, in December 1642, he addressed to his countrymen a letter with strong advice to submit to and assist parliament. By the king's order, Colonel Ellis of Gwesnewydd, near Wrexham, seized Myddelton's residence, Chirk Castle
Chirk Castle
Chirk Castle is a castle located at Chirk, Wrexham, Wales.The castle was built in 1295 by Roger Mortimer de Chirk, uncle of Roger Mortimer, 1st Earl of March as part of King Edward I's chain of fortresses across the north of Wales. It guards the entrance to the Ceiriog Valley...
, in his absence in January 1643. A garrison was placed there under Sir John Watts.
By a parliamentary ordinance, dated 11 June 1643, Myddelton, who had by that time returned to London, was appointed sergeant-major-general for North Wales. On 10 August he reached Nantwich
Nantwich
Nantwich is a market town and civil parish in the Borough of Cheshire East and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. The town gives its name to the parliamentary constituency of Crewe and Nantwich...
in Cheshire
Cheshire
Cheshire is a ceremonial county in North West England. Cheshire's county town is the city of Chester, although its largest town is Warrington. Other major towns include Widnes, Congleton, Crewe, Ellesmere Port, Runcorn, Macclesfield, Winsford, Northwich, and Wilmslow...
, where he was joined by Sir William Brereton. They proceeded on 4 September to Market Drayton
Market Drayton
Market Drayton is a small market town in north Shropshire, England. It is on the River Tern, between Shrewsbury and Stoke-on-Trent, and was formerly known as "Drayton in Hales" and earlier simply as "Drayton" ....
, and on 11 September to Wem
Wem
Wem is a small market town in Shropshire, England. It is the administrative centre for the northern area committee of Shropshire Council, which has its headquarters at Edinburgh House in the centre of Wem. Wem railway station is on the Shrewsbury to Crewe railway line...
, which they seized, garrisoned, and made their Shropshire
Shropshire
Shropshire is a county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. It borders Wales to the west...
headquarters. While they were still engaged in fortifying Wem, Arthur Capell, 1st Baron Capell of Hadham, with reinforcements from Staffordshire
Staffordshire
Staffordshire is a landlocked county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. Part of the National Forest lies within its borders...
, marched on Nantwich, but was defeated outside Wem in two separate conflicts, on 17 and 18 October. After this victory Brereton and Myddelton left Nantwich on 7 November, were joined at Stretton
Stretton
-England:Stretton means "settlement on a Roman Road" . Of the seventeen places in England, all but two are situated on a Roman Road, the exceptions being Stretton Westwood and Stretton en le Field.-Cheshire:...
by Sir George Booth with troops from Lancashire
Lancashire
Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
, and crossing the River Dee
River Dee, Wales
The River Dee is a long river in the United Kingdom. It travels through Wales and England and also forms part of the border between the two countries....
at Holt
Holt, Wales
Holt is a medieval market town and local government community in the county borough of Wrexham, Wales. It is situated on the border with England. Holt Castle was begun by Edward I shortly after the English invasion of Wales in 1277.-Area:...
, entered north Wales, where Wrexham
Wrexham
Wrexham is a town in Wales. It is the administrative centre of the wider Wrexham County Borough, and the largest town in North Wales, located in the east of the region. It is situated between the Welsh mountains and the lower Dee Valley close to the border with Cheshire, England...
, Hawarden
Hawarden
Hawarden is a village in Flintshire, North Wales. Hawarden forms part of the Deeside conurbation on the Welsh/English border. At the 2001 Census, the population of Hawarden Ward was 1,858...
, Flint
Flint
Flint is a hard, sedimentary cryptocrystalline form of the mineral quartz, categorized as a variety of chert. It occurs chiefly as nodules and masses in sedimentary rocks, such as chalks and limestones. Inside the nodule, flint is usually dark grey, black, green, white, or brown in colour, and...
, Mostyn Mold, and Holywell
Holywell
Holywell is the fifth largest town in Flintshire, North Wales, lying to the west of the estuary of the River Dee.-History:The market town of Holywell takes its name from the St Winefride's Well, a holy well surrounded by a chapel...
were taken. But all these place were given up quickly after the landing at Mostyn on 18 November of some 2,500 royalist soldiers from Ireland, and the leaders were criticised. Myddelton's troops were militiamen, while his opponents were trained soldiers.
In February 1644 Myddelton's command in North Wales was confirmed by a fresh commission. He left London about the end of May 1644, and marched to Nantwich, and thence to Knutsford
Knutsford
Knutsford is a town and civil parish in the unitary authority area of Cheshire East and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, in North West England...
, where a muster of all the Cheshire forces was intended, against Prince Rupert and Lancashire. But the royalists, to the number of about four thousand, laid siege to Oswestry
Oswestry
Oswestry is a town and civil parish in Shropshire, England, close to the Welsh border. It is at the junction of the A5, A483, and A495 roads....
. Myddelton hurried there before the arrival of his colleagues, and raised the siege on 2 July. Returning to Nantwich, Myddelton for some time watched Prince Rupert's movements, making occasional raids into Montgomeryshire
Montgomeryshire
Montgomeryshire, also known as Maldwyn is one of thirteen historic counties and a former administrative county of Wales. Montgomeryshire is still used as a vice-county for wildlife recording...
. On 4 September he captured the garrison at Newtown, and the same day advanced to Montgomery
Montgomery, Powys
The historic county town of Montgomery in Powys, Wales lies just three miles from the English border in the Welsh Marches. It is best known for its castle, Montgomery Castle, begun in 1223, and its parish church, begun in 1227. However its origins go back much further, as seen by the Celtic Iron...
, and without any resistance the castle there was surrendered to him by its owner, Edward Herbert, 1st Baron Herbert of Cherbury
Edward Herbert, 1st Baron Herbert of Cherbury
Edward Herbert, 1st Baron Herbert of Chirbury was an Anglo-Welsh soldier, diplomat, historian, poet and religious philosopher of the Kingdom of England.-Early life:...
. Sir Michael Ernely, who was in command of the royalist forces at Shrewsbury
Shrewsbury
Shrewsbury is the county town of Shropshire, in the West Midlands region of England. Lying on the River Severn, it is a civil parish home to some 70,000 inhabitants, and is the primary settlement and headquarters of Shropshire Council...
, marched upon Montgomery to recover it. Myddelton sallied out to collect provisions but Ernely intercepted his return, and defeated him outside the town. Myddelton's foot-soldiers, under Colonel Thomas Mytton
Thomas Mytton
-Life:Born about 1597, son of Richard Mytton of Halston, Shropshire, by Margaret, daughter of Thomas Owen of Condover, he matriculated at Balliol College, Oxford, on 11 May 1615, aged 18. He became a student of Lincoln's Inn in 1616...
, succeeded in re-entering the castle, which Ernely at once besieged; but Myddelton retired to Oswestry, and after obtaining reinforcements from Lancashire returned, accompanied by Brereton and Sir William Fairfax. They arrived on 17 September in sight of Montgomery, where the whole strength of both parties in North Wales and the borders was now assembled. After a desperate conflict, in which Fairfax was mortally wounded, the parliamentarians completely routed their opponents.
Myddelton was left for a time in command at Montgomery, but after the capture of Powis Castle
Powis Castle
Powis Castle is a medieval castle, fortress and grand country mansion located near the town of Welshpool, in Powys, Mid Wales.The residence of the Earl of Powis, the castle is known for its extensive, attractive formal gardens, terraces, parkland, deerpark and landscaped estate...
on 3 October the county generally declared for parliament, and Myddelton was therefore able to turn to Shrewsbury, where he captured most of the outposts, and blocked the passages to the town. Myddelton appeared on 21 December 1644 before his own castle of Chirk, still held by Sir John Watts, who after a three days' siege was able to write on Christmas Day to Prince Rupert that he had beaten Myddelton off.
Interregnum period
By the self-denying ordinanceSelf-denying Ordinance
The first Self-denying Ordinance was a bill moved on 9 December 1644 to deprive members of the Parliament of England from holding command in the army or the navy during the English Civil War. It failed to pass the House of Lords. A second Self-denying Ordinance was agreed to on 3 April 1645,...
Myddelton was superseded and the command was transferred to his brother-in-law, Colonel Thomas Mytton. When, however, there was a general reaction in the county in favour of the king in 1648, Myddelton was one of the persons to whom the principal inhabitants of Flintshire and Denbighshire, in their fidelity to parliament, entrusted the management of their county affairs. However, he disapproved of the king's trial, and was excluded from Parliament in 1649. On 14 May 1651 Myddelton was ordered by the council of state to enter into a bond of £10,000 for his general good behaviour, and having received the security it was further ordered on 16 May that the garrison should be withdrawn from his house.
In 1659 he joined the Cheshire Rising led by George Booth
George Booth, 1st Baron Delamer
George Booth, 1st Baron Delamer , known as Sir George Booth, 2nd Baronet, from 1652 to 1661, was an English peer.-Civil War:...
, and proclaimed Charles II
Charles II of England
Charles II was monarch of the three kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland.Charles II's father, King Charles I, was executed at Whitehall on 30 January 1649, at the climax of the English Civil War...
as king in Wrexham market place. As a result General John Lambert
John Lambert (general)
John Lambert was an English Parliamentary general and politician. He fought during the English Civil War and then in Oliver Cromwell's Scottish campaign , becoming thereafter active in civilian politics until his dismissal by Cromwell in 1657...
besieged Chirk Castle, after defeating Booth. He compelled Myddelton to surrender on 24 August 1659. Myddelton and his brothers were given notice to quit the country.
After the Restoration
At the RestorationEnglish 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...
Sir Thomas is said to have received £60,000 to compensation and his son was ennobled as Sir Thomas Myddelton, 1st Baronet of Chirk Castle.
Family
He married, first, Margaret, daughter and heiress of George Savile of Wakefield in Yorkshire, by whom he had no issue; and secondly, Mary, daughter of Sir Robert Napier, bart., of Luton HooLuton Hoo
Luton Hoo straddles the Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire borders between the towns of Harpenden and Luton. The unusual name "Hoo" is a Saxon word meaning the spur of a hill, and is more commonly associated with East Anglia.- Early History :...
, Bedfordshire
Bedfordshire
Bedfordshire is a ceremonial county of historic origin in England that forms part of the East of England region.It borders Cambridgeshire to the north-east, Northamptonshire to the north, Buckinghamshire to the west and Hertfordshire to the south-east....
, and sister of Richard Napier
Richard Napier
Note that Dr. Richard Napier may be confused with his nephew, Dr. Richard Napier who was also a physician and astrologer.Richard Napier was a prominent English astrologer and medical practitioner.-Biography:...
the astrologer
Astrologer
An astrologer practices one or more forms of astrology. Typically an astrologer draws a horoscope for the time of an event, such as a person's birth, and interprets celestial points and their placements at the time of the event to better understand someone, determine the auspiciousness of an...
, by whom he had seven sons and six daughters. The eldest, Thomas Myddelton (d. 1663), who was created a baronet in 1660, and was besieged by Lambert in Chirk Castle in August 1659, left two sons, Thomas (d. 1684), M.P. for Denbigh, and Richard Myddelton (d. 1716), M.P. for Denbigh 1685-1716, both of whom succeeded in turn to the baronetcy. Sir Richard's son, William Myddelton, fourth baronet, died unmarried in 1718, when the baronetcy became extinct and the estates reverted to Robert Myddelton of Llysvassi, a son of the parliamentary general's third son Richard, from whom Robert Myddelton-Biddulph, later owner of Chirk Castle, traced descent. A daughter of Myddelton, Ann, married Edward Herbert, 3rd Baron Herbert of Chirbury, grandson of the first lord.