Colonel Philip Jones of Fonmon
Encyclopedia
Colonel Philip Jones was a Welsh
military leader and politician who sat in the House of Commons
between 1650 and 1656. He rose to the rank of Colonel in the service of the Parliamentary Army
under Fairfax
during the English Civil War
. As Governor of Swansea
he successfully held the town against the Royalist
forces.
Jones was born at the Great House Swansea, the son of David Johns of Swansea and Penywaun Llangyfelach. He became Parliamentarian governor of Swansea on 17 November 1645 and was governor of Cardiff by 1649. In 1646 he was a colonel in the Parliamentary army.
In 1650, Jones was elected Member of Parliament
for Breconshire
in the Rump Parliament
and sat until 1653. In 1653 he was nominated as representative for Monmouthshire
in the Barebones Parliament
. In 1654, he was elected MP for Monmouthshire and Glamorgan and chose to sit for Glamorgan. In 1656 he was elected MP for Glamorgan and Breconshire, and chose to sit for Glamorgan.
In 1654, he bought Fonmon Castle
from the St. John family, who had become obliged to sell, as well as numerous other estates. He became comptroller of Oliver Cromwell
's household, In addition, he was appointed a Privy Councillor and sat in Cromwell's Upper House as Philip Lord Jones on 10 December 1657. He superintended the funeral of Olive Cromwell on 23 November 1658. He was governor of Charterhouse in 1658. In 1659 he commanded the militia in Cardiff Castle 1659.
On the Restoration, he was confirmed as Custos Rotulorum and was High Sheriff of Glamorgan
in 1671.
Jones died at Fonmon aged 56 and was buried in Penmark Church.
Jones married a daughter of William Price of Gellihir in 1642. He had a son Oliver, and a grandson Robert, who was also an MP.
Pembrokeshire
aside, most of South Wales
had been staunchly Royalist prior to the civil war, and in the resulting power vacuum, Jones was able to rise from comparatively humble beginnings to a position of considerable wealth through purchases and awards of land. From pre-war yeoman
's earnings, he ended his life with a four figure income - fabulous riches for those days. Even before the Restoration of the Monarchy
, there were calls for Jones's trial from the Royalists who had forfeited their lands to him. With Charles II
in place, Jones was finally brought to trial in 1661 for having carried away the organ of St. Mary's Swansea, a charge he survived to die in his bed.
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...
military leader and politician who sat in the House of Commons
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...
between 1650 and 1656. He rose to the rank of Colonel in the service of the Parliamentary Army
Roundhead
"Roundhead" was the nickname given to the supporters of the Parliament during the English Civil War. Also known as Parliamentarians, they fought against King Charles I and his supporters, the Cavaliers , who claimed absolute power and the divine right of kings...
under Fairfax
Thomas Fairfax, 3rd Lord Fairfax of Cameron
Thomas Fairfax, 3rd Lord Fairfax of Cameron was a general and parliamentary commander-in-chief during the English Civil War...
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...
. As Governor of Swansea
Swansea
Swansea is a coastal city and county in Wales. Swansea is in the historic county boundaries of Glamorgan. Situated on the sandy South West Wales coast, the county area includes the Gower Peninsula and the Lliw uplands...
he successfully held the town against the Royalist
Cavalier
Cavalier was the name used by Parliamentarians for a Royalist supporter of King Charles I and son Charles II during the English Civil War, the Interregnum, and the Restoration...
forces.
Jones was born at the Great House Swansea, the son of David Johns of Swansea and Penywaun Llangyfelach. He became Parliamentarian governor of Swansea on 17 November 1645 and was governor of Cardiff by 1649. In 1646 he was a colonel in the Parliamentary army.
In 1650, Jones 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 Breconshire
Breconshire (UK Parliament constituency)
Breconshire or Brecknockshire was a constituency in Wales which returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the English Parliament, and later to the Parliament of Great Britain and of the United Kingdom, between 1542 and 1918...
in 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....
and sat until 1653. In 1653 he was nominated as representative for Monmouthshire
Monmouthshire (UK Parliament constituency)
Monmouthshire was a county constituency of the House of Commons of Parliament of England from 1536 until 1707, of the Parliament of Great Britain from 1707 to 1801, and of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1801 to 1885...
in the Barebones Parliament
Barebones Parliament
Barebone's Parliament, also known as the Little Parliament, the Nominated Assembly and the Parliament of Saints, came into being on 4 July 1653, and was the last attempt of the English Commonwealth to find a stable political form before the installation of Oliver Cromwell as Lord Protector...
. In 1654, he was elected MP for Monmouthshire and Glamorgan and chose to sit for Glamorgan. In 1656 he was elected MP for Glamorgan and Breconshire, and chose to sit for Glamorgan.
In 1654, he bought Fonmon Castle
Fonmon Castle
Fonmon Castle is a fortified medieval house near the village of Fonmon in the Vale of Glamorgan. It dates from the 13th century, and is still in use as a private residence. The walled gardens are surrounded by woodlands....
from the St. John family, who had become obliged to sell, as well as numerous other estates. He became comptroller of Oliver Cromwell
Oliver Cromwell
Oliver Cromwell was an English military and political leader who overthrew the English monarchy and temporarily turned England into a republican Commonwealth, and served as Lord Protector of England, Scotland, and Ireland....
's household, In addition, he was appointed a Privy Councillor and sat in Cromwell's Upper House as Philip Lord Jones on 10 December 1657. He superintended the funeral of Olive Cromwell on 23 November 1658. He was governor of Charterhouse in 1658. In 1659 he commanded the militia in Cardiff Castle 1659.
On the Restoration, he was confirmed as Custos Rotulorum and was High Sheriff of Glamorgan
High Sheriff of Glamorgan
This page is a list of High Sheriffs of Glamorgan. Sheriffs of Glamorgan served under and were answerable to the independent Lords of Glamorgan until that lordship was merged into the crown. This is in contrast to sheriffs of the English shires who were from the earliest times officers of the crown...
in 1671.
Jones died at Fonmon aged 56 and was buried in Penmark Church.
Jones married a daughter of William Price of Gellihir in 1642. He had a son Oliver, and a grandson Robert, who was also an MP.
Pembrokeshire
Pembrokeshire
Pembrokeshire is a county in the south west of Wales. It borders Carmarthenshire to the east and Ceredigion to the north east. The county town is Haverfordwest where Pembrokeshire County Council is headquartered....
aside, most of South Wales
South Wales
South Wales is an area of Wales bordered by England and the Bristol Channel to the east and south, and Mid Wales and West Wales to the north and west. The most densely populated region in the south-west of the United Kingdom, it is home to around 2.1 million people and includes the capital city of...
had been staunchly Royalist prior to the civil war, and in the resulting power vacuum, Jones was able to rise from comparatively humble beginnings to a position of considerable wealth through purchases and awards of land. From pre-war yeoman
Yeoman
Yeoman refers chiefly to a free man owning his own farm, especially from the Elizabethan era to the 17th century. Work requiring a great deal of effort or labor, such as would be done by a yeoman farmer, came to be described as "yeoman's work"...
's earnings, he ended his life with a four figure income - fabulous riches for those days. Even before the Restoration of the Monarchy
English 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...
, there were calls for Jones's trial from the Royalists who had forfeited their lands to him. With 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...
in place, Jones was finally brought to trial in 1661 for having carried away the organ of St. Mary's Swansea, a charge he survived to die in his bed.