John Hampden
was born in London in 1594. His father,
William Hampden, was one of the richest men in England and owned large
estates in Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Essex. Educated at Magdalen
College, Oxford, Hampden inherited
his father's estates when he was a young man.
Hampden
was elected to the House of Commons in
1621. Over the next few years
Hampden emerged as one of the leading opponents of
Charles
I and
was imprisoned in 1634 for refusing to pay the forced loans imposed
by the king.
In 1637
Hampden was prosecuted for refusing to pay the Ship
Tax on his lands in Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire. He appeared
before the Court Exchequer and although he was found guilty, the publicity
surrounding the case made him one of the most popular men in England.
Hampden
also played an important role in having the
king's two senior advisers, William Laud
and Thomas Wentworth arrested and
sent to the Tower of London. Charged
with treason, Wentworth's trial opened on 22nd March, 1641. The case
could not be proved and so his enemies in the House
of Commons, led by Arthur Haselrig,
John Pym and Henry
Vane, resorted to a Bill of Attainder. Charles
I gave his consent
to the Bill of Attainder and Thomas
Wentworth, Earl of Strafford, was executed on 12th May 1641.
Parliament then passed
a law that gave members control over the king's ministers.
Charles I was
furious and decided it was time to retaliate. On 4 January 1642, Charles
sent his soldiers to arrest Hampden, Arthur
Haselrig, John Pym, John
Hampden, Denzil Holles and William
Strode. The five
men managed to escape before the soldiers arrived. Members of Parliament
no longer felt safe from Charles and decided to form their own army.
After failing to arrest the Five Members,
Charles fled from London. Aware that Civil
War
was inevitable, Charles
began to form an army.
On
the outbreak of the war Hampden raised a regiment in Buckinghamshire
and fought with distinction at Edgehill
and Reading. On 17th June, 1643, Hampden was badly wounded during
a skirmish with troops led by Prince Rupert.
John Hampden died from his wounds six days later.
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