Charles Price (Royalist)
Encyclopedia
Charles Price was a Welsh soldier and politician who sat in the House of Commons
variously between 1621 and 1642. He fought on the Royalist side in the English Civil War
and is believed to have been killed in a duel.
Price was probably the son of James Price of Pilleth
who had been a soldier in the wars of Queen Elizabeth and an MP for Radnorshire. Price became a soldier, and in 1619 was party to a duel, when he was a second to Sir Robert Vaughan of Llwydiarth who had challenged Lord Herbert of Cherbury
. The duel was stopped by James I.
In 1621, Price was elected Member of Parliament
for Radnor
and was a strong supporter of the Protestant ascendancy and parliamentary privilege, and an opponent of monopolies. He was re-elected MP for Radnor in 1624 . He went to Ireland as captain of the Radnorshire and Brecknockshire Militia in 1625. In 1625 he was re-elected MP for Radnor and was returned again in 1626 and 1628 when he remained critical of the court and took an interest in the army and in Welsh measures. He was cited before the council on 22 October 1626. On 18 July 1627 he took recruits to Flanders for Sir Charles Morgan's Staden
campaign. He was at Portsmouth with the army when George Villiers, 1st Duke of Buckingham
was assassinated on 28 August 1628 and was first to bring the news to Charles I. In parliament in 1629, he was in favour of moderation following the Petition of Right.
In 1637 Price became deputy steward for Rhayader
to Philip Herbert, 4th Earl of Pembroke
and in 1638 he was serving again in Ireland. He petitioned the council regarding his claims on the Monachdy estate, on which he had redeemed mortgages to keep it in the family. Later he lent King Charles £1000 on the basis of promises regarding the Monachdy estate. He does not appear to have taken part in the Bishops’ Wars from 1639 to 1640.
In April 1640, Price was elected MP for Radnorshire
in the Short Parliament
. He was re-elected MP for Radnorshire for the Long Parliament
in November 1640. He served on the committee for privileges and was teller for the ayeswhen the house divided on the Root and Branch
Bill to abolish the episcopacy. He helped prepare charges against Sir Francis Windebank
, but was opposed to the action against Strafford . He took an active part in the measures taken to suppress the Irish rebellion of November 1641 and was nominated for a commission in the army sent for that purpose.
On the outbreak of Civil War Price helped to put the royal commission of array into force in Radnorshire, and was the first Welsh MP to be disabled from sitting in parliament on 4 October 1642. He was captured and imprisoned at Gloucester in November 1642 and at Coventry in January 1643, but was released and attended the King's Parliament at Oxford on 22 January 1644.
Price was killed in a duel before May 1645 according to Lord George Digby's Cabinet of 23 March 1646. His family never enjoyed the Monachdy estate and his widow compounded for the Pilleth estate in 1653.
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...
variously between 1621 and 1642. He fought on the Royalist side 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...
and is believed to have been killed in a duel.
Price was probably the son of James Price of Pilleth
Pilleth
Pilleth is a small village south of Knighton in Powys, Wales. It is the site of the ancient church and holy well of St. Mary’s which stands on Bryn Glas Hill overlooking the River Lugg, as it makes it way to Presteigne.-Name:...
who had been a soldier in the wars of Queen Elizabeth and an MP for Radnorshire. Price became a soldier, and in 1619 was party to a duel, when he was a second to Sir Robert Vaughan of Llwydiarth who had challenged Lord 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:...
. The duel was stopped by James I.
In 1621, Price 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 Radnor
Radnor (UK Parliament constituency)
Radnor or New Radnor was a constituency in Wales between 1542 and 1885; it elected one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliaments of England , Great Britain and the United Kingdom , by the first past the post electoral...
and was a strong supporter of the Protestant ascendancy and parliamentary privilege, and an opponent of monopolies. He was re-elected MP for Radnor in 1624 . He went to Ireland as captain of the Radnorshire and Brecknockshire Militia in 1625. In 1625 he was re-elected MP for Radnor and was returned again in 1626 and 1628 when he remained critical of the court and took an interest in the army and in Welsh measures. He was cited before the council on 22 October 1626. On 18 July 1627 he took recruits to Flanders for Sir Charles Morgan's Staden
Staden
Staden is a municipality located in the Belgian province of West Flanders. The municipality comprises the towns of Oostnieuwkerke, Staden proper and Westrozebeke. On January 1, 2006 Staden had a total population of 10,969. The total area is 46.24 km² which gives a population density of 237...
campaign. He was at Portsmouth with the army when George Villiers, 1st Duke of Buckingham
George Villiers, 1st Duke of Buckingham
George Villiers, 1st Duke of Buckingham KG was the favourite, claimed by some to be the lover, of King James I of England. Despite a very patchy political and military record, he remained at the height of royal favour for the first two years of the reign of Charles I, until he was assassinated...
was assassinated on 28 August 1628 and was first to bring the news to Charles I. In parliament in 1629, he was in favour of moderation following the Petition of Right.
In 1637 Price became deputy steward for Rhayader
Rhayader
Rhayader is a market town and community in Powys, Mid Wales. It has a population of 2,075, and is the first town on the banks of the River Wye, from its source on the Plynlimon range of the Cambrian Mountains....
to Philip Herbert, 4th Earl of Pembroke
Philip Herbert, 4th Earl of Pembroke
Philip Herbert, 4th Earl of Pembroke and 1st Earl of Montgomery KG was an English courtier and politician active during the reigns of James I and Charles I...
and in 1638 he was serving again in Ireland. He petitioned the council regarding his claims on the Monachdy estate, on which he had redeemed mortgages to keep it in the family. Later he lent King Charles £1000 on the basis of promises regarding the Monachdy estate. He does not appear to have taken part in the Bishops’ Wars from 1639 to 1640.
In April 1640, Price was elected MP for Radnorshire
Radnorshire (UK Parliament constituency)
Radnorshire was created in 1542 as a constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of England then of the Parliament of Great Britain from 1707 to 1800 and of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1801 to 1918...
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 Radnorshire 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 served on the committee for privileges and was teller for the ayeswhen the house divided on the Root and Branch
Root and Branch
The Root and Branch Petition was a petition presented to the Long Parliament on December 11, 1640. The petition had been signed by 15,000 Londoners and was presented to the English Parliament by a crowd of 1,500...
Bill to abolish the episcopacy. He helped prepare charges against Sir Francis Windebank
Francis Windebank
Sir Francis Windebank was an English politician who was Secretary of State under Charles I.The only son of Sir Thomas Windebank of Hougham, Lincolnshire, who owed his advancement to the Cecil family, Francis entered St John's College, Oxford, in 1599, coming there under the influence of the...
, but was opposed to the action against Strafford . He took an active part in the measures taken to suppress the Irish rebellion of November 1641 and was nominated for a commission in the army sent for that purpose.
On the outbreak of Civil War Price helped to put the royal commission of array into force in Radnorshire, and was the first Welsh MP to be disabled from sitting in parliament on 4 October 1642. He was captured and imprisoned at Gloucester in November 1642 and at Coventry in January 1643, but was released and attended the King's Parliament at Oxford on 22 January 1644.
Price was killed in a duel before May 1645 according to Lord George Digby's Cabinet of 23 March 1646. His family never enjoyed the Monachdy estate and his widow compounded for the Pilleth estate in 1653.