Sir Thomas Lunsford (c. 1610 – c. 1653) was a

Royalist A royalist supports a particular monarch as head of state for a particular kingdom, or of a particular dynastic claim. In the abstract, this position is royalism. It is distinct from monarchism, which advocates a monarchical system of governm ...

colonel in the

English Civil War The English Civil War (1642–1651) was a series of civil wars and political machinations between Parliamentarians (" Roundheads") and Royalists led by Charles I ("Cavaliers"), mainly over the manner of England's governance and issues of re ...

Family

Lunsford was son of Thomas Lunsford of Wilegh, Sussex. His mother, Katherine, was daughter of Thomas Fludd, treasurer of war to Queen Elizabeth, and sister of

Robert Fludd Robert Fludd, also known as Robertus de Fluctibus (17 January 1574 – 8 September 1637), was a prominent English Paracelsian physician with both scientific and occult interests. He is remembered as an astrologer, mathematician, cosmologis ...

the

Rosicrucian Rosicrucianism is a spiritual and cultural movement that arose in Europe in the early 17th century after the publication of several texts purported to announce the existence of a hitherto unknown esoteric order to the world and made seeking it ...

. Lunsford was the third son and heir, with a twin, Herbert. His brothers Herbert and Henry were also Royalist officers. Henry was killed in July 1643 during the assault on Bristol. Lunsford married three times. He and his first wife, Anne Hudson (d. 1638), had one son who died in infancy. In 1640, he married Katherine (d. 1649), daughter of Sir Henry Neville; with whom he had three daughters. His third wife was Elizabeth, the daughter of Henry Wormeley of

Riccall Riccall is a village and civil parish situated in the Selby District of North Yorkshire, England, lying to the north of Selby and south of York. It was historically part of the East Riding of Yorkshire until 1974. According to the 2011 cens ...

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, and the widow of Richard Kempe, secretary of

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...

; with whom he had one daughter.

Early life

Lunsford had a wild temperament from an early age. On 27 June 1632, he was charged with killing deer on the grounds of his relative, Sir Thomas Pelham. In August 1633, Lunsford tried to murder Pelham by firing upon him from the doorway of a church. He was indicted, and sent on 16 August to Newgate Prison. He escaped in October 1634, although "so lame that he can only go in a coach", and fled to the continent. He served in the French army and was made colonel of a foot regiment. He was tried ''

in absentia is Latin for absence. , a legal term, is Latin for "in the absence" or "while absent". may also refer to: * Award in absentia * Declared death in absentia, or simply, death in absentia, legally declared death without a body * Election in ab ...

'' in the Star Chamber in June 1637, fined £8,000, and outlawed for failing to appear before the court.

English Civil War

In 1639, Lunsford returned to England, received a pardon from King Charles I, and joined the king's army against the Scots. During the Scottish expedition the following year, he commanded a regiment of train-bands raised in

Somerset ( en, All The People of Somerset) , locator_map = , coordinates = , region = South West England , established_date = Ancient , established_by = , preceded_by = , origin = , lord_lieutenant_office =Lord Lieutenant of Somerset , lord_ ...

. His regiment was routed at the Battle of Newburn on 28 August 1640. On 22 December 1641, the king appointed Lunsford as

Lieutenant of the Tower of London The Lieutenant of the Tower of London serves directly under the Constable of the Tower. The office has been appointed at least since the 13th century. There were formerly many privileges, immunities and perquisites attached to the office. Like the ...

. The next day, the common council of

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

presented a petition to the

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against his appointment. Bowing to pressure, the king removed him from the post on 26 December. The following day, Lunsford was called before the Commons for examination. On leaving the house, he was engaged in a free-for-all in

Westminster Hall The Palace of Westminster serves as the meeting place for both the House of Commons and the House of Lords, the two houses of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Informally known as the Houses of Parliament, the Palace lies on the north bank ...

Roundhead Roundheads were the supporters of the Parliament of England during the English Civil War (1642–1651). Also known as Parliamentarians, they fought against King Charles I of England and his supporters, known as the Cavaliers or Royalists, who ...

propagandists painted Lunsford with a reputation for sadism, brutality, and cannibalism. This episode was seen as contributing to the king's growing unpopularity and ultimate

demise Demise is an Anglo-Norman legal term (from French ''démettre'', from Latin ''dimittere'', to send away) for the transfer of an estate, especially by lease. It has an operative effect in a lease, implying a covenant "for quiet enjoyment." The ...

. The king knighted Lunsford on 28 December and appointed him commander of an unofficial royal guard at the Palace of Whitehall. On 4 January 1642, Sir Thomas accompanied the king on his ill-fated attempt to arrest

Five Members The Five Members were Members of Parliament whom King Charles I attempted to arrest on 4 January 1642. King Charles I entered the English House of Commons, accompanied by armed soldiers, during a sitting of the Long Parliament, although the Fi ...

of the House of Commons. On 13 January, he was arrested as a traitor for allegedly joining

Lord Digby Baron Digby is a title that has been created twice, once in the Peerage of Ireland and once in the Peerage of Great Britain, for members of the same family. Robert Digby, Governor of King's County, was created Baron Digby, of Geashill in t ...

in a plot to capture the magazine at

Kingston upon Thames Kingston upon Thames (hyphenated until 1965, colloquially known as Kingston) is a town in the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames, southwest London, England. It is situated on the River Thames and southwest of Charing Cross. It is notable ...

. However, contemporary accounts contradict one another, leaving in doubt whether the plot was real or imagined.Lysons, Daniel
"Kingston upon Thames,"
in ''The Environs of London: Volume 1, County of Surrey'', (London: T Cadell and W Davies, 1792), 212-256
British History Online
Retrieved 22 May 2020. Regardless, Sir Thomas was released in June, and participated in several military engagements over the next few months. Captured at the

Battle of Edgehill The Battle of Edgehill (or Edge Hill) was a pitched battle of the First English Civil War. It was fought near Edge Hill and Kineton in southern Warwickshire on Sunday, 23 October 1642. All attempts at constitutional compromise between ...

in October 1642, he was charged with treason and imprisoned in

Warwick Castle Warwick Castle is a medieval castle developed from a wooden fort, originally built by William the Conqueror during 1068. Warwick is the county town of Warwickshire, England, situated on a meander of the River Avon. The original wooden motte-an ...

, from which he was released in May 1644.

Denouement

Sir Thomas was captured again at the Siege of Hereford in December 1645. He remained a prisoner until 1648. On 7 August 1649, he was granted permission to emigrate to

with his wife and family, where he became a lieutenant-general of the Virginia militia. Accounts place his death either c. 1653 or c. 1656.

References

Attribution

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lunsford, Thomas 1610s births 1650s deaths Cavaliers Lieutenants of the Tower of London Recipients of English royal pardons