Thomas Mytton

For the earlier MP, seeThomas Mytton (died 1563?).

Thomas Mytton
Thomas Mytton, 1796 engraving of original portrait
Member of Parliament forShropshire
In office September 1654 – January 1655
Vice-admiral, North Wales
In office 1647–1649
High Sheriff of Shropshire
In office 1644–1645
Personal details
Born	1597 Halston,Shropshire
Died	29 November 1656(1656-11-29)(aged 59) London
Resting place	OldSt Chad's Church, Shrewsbury
Political party	Parliamentarian
Spouse(s)	(1) Magdalen Napier (1629-1648) (2) Barbara Leonard (1649-his death)
Children	Margaret (1626-1647), Richard (1637-1670), Mary (?) and Sarah (1638-1698)
Alma mater	Balliol College, Oxford
Occupation	Lawyer, soldier and administrator
Military service
Allegiance	England
Years of service	1642 to 1648
Rank	Major General
Battles/wars	Wars of the Three Kingdoms Oswestry;Montgomery Castle;Denbigh Green;North Walescampaign 1646; Battle of Red Hill 1648

Major GeneralThomas Mytton,also speltMitton,(1597-November 1656), was a lawyer fromOswestrywho served in theParliamentarianarmy during theWars of the Three Kingdomsand asMPforShropshirein theFirst Protectorate Parliament.

Part of a long-established local family, Mytton was one of the few members of the mostlyRoyalistShropshiregentry to supportParliament.Despite his lack of military experience, he proved a determined and competent officer, eventually rising to command operations inNorth Wales.In December 1647 he was also appointedVice-admiral, North Wales.

After helping to suppress a rising in North Wales during the 1648Second English Civil War,he resigned his military posts and was appointed MP in 1654. He died inLondonand was buried in the churchyard ofSt Chad's Church, Shrewsburyon 29 November.

Personal details

Thomas Mytton was born in 1597, only surviving son of Richard Mytton ofHalstoninShropshire,and Margaret Owen, daughter ofThomas Owen(ca 1542–1598), a judge who ownedCondover Hall.His uncleRoger(1573-1617), wasMPforShrewsburyfrom 1601 to 1614 andHigh Sheriff of Shropshirein 1604.His sister Sarah (1598-1677) marriedSir Edward Acton(1610-1659), who was MP forBridgnorth.

In 1629, Mytton married Magdalen Napier (1610-1648), daughter ofSir Robert Napier(1560–1637), andsister-in-lawofSir Thomas Myddelton.They had at least seven children who survived into adulthood, including Margaret (1626-1647), Mary (1626-?), Edward (1633-1660), Magdalen (1636-?), Richard (1637-1670), Sarah (1638-1698) and Christian (1638-?). In 1649 he married again, this time to Barbara Lennard, daughter of the currentBaron Dacre;they had no children.

Early career and First Civil War

After attendingShrewsbury School,Mytton graduated fromBalliol College, Oxfordin 1615, then joinedLincoln's Innin 1616 where he completed his legal training. There are few details available on his pre-war career but he supportedParliamentduring theWars of the Three Kingdoms,despite most of the Shropshire gentry beingRoyalist,including his sister's husband. Both his mother and wife's families werePuritansympathisers who opposed the policies ofCharles I,although Mytton himself seemed less committed to 'Godly reforms ".

Oswestry

Wem

Shrewsbury

Conwy

Denbigh

Montgomery

Halston

Beaumaris

Harlech

Chester

Ruthin

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Shropshire and North Wales, key locations, 1642 to 1648

When theFirst English Civil Warbegan in August 1642, the regional centre of Shrewsbury was used to assemble recruits and supplies from Royalist areas in Wales and theNorth West,making the area important to both sides in June 1643, Parliament appointed theEarl of Denbighmilitary commander of Shropshire,Warwickshire,WorcestershireandStaffordshire,Sir Thomas Myddelton filling the same role inNorth Wales.

Mytton raised an infantry regiment inCheshireand joined Myddelton to takeWemin September 1643, becoming Governor of the firstParliamentariangarrison in Shropshire (see Map).For the next twelve months, he used the town as a base for operations in support ofSir William Brereton's campaign againstChesterand other Royalist positions in the region. Tensions developed with local Parliamentarians whom he accused of refusing to follow orders, a dispute that influenced subsequent events.

In June 1644, he and Denbigh tookOswestry,isolating Shrewsbury from Chester and providing a route for Parliamentarian offensives into Wales.A joint offensive with Myddleton led to the capture ofMontgomery Castlein early September, while a Royalist attempt to retake it was repulsed on 18th in the biggest battle of the war in Wales and a major victory forParliament.The new Parliamentarian governor wasSir John Pryce,a Royalist defector who switched sides again in May 1645.

His capture of Shrewsbury on 22 February 1645 forced the evacuation of remaining Royalist garrisons in central Shropshire, but local opposition to the appointment meant he did not become Governor.The war had become increasingly bitter on both sides, illustrated when Mytton hung twelve IrishCatholicprisoners taken at Shrewsbury, in accordance with the October 1644 Parliamentarian "Ordinance of no quarter to the Irish".Prince Rupert of the Rhinepromptly responded by hanging the same number of English Protestants, which did little to improve his reputation for brutality but effectively ended the practice.

When Myddelton and Denbigh resigned their military offices in April 1645 under theself-denying ordinance,Mytton was promoted toMajor General,made commander in North Wales and appointedHigh Sheriff of Shropshire.By late 1645, the Royalists were close to collapse and atDenbigh Greenon 1 November, he defeated an attempt to relieve Chester, whichcapitulatedin February 1646. Next he was ordered to reduce Royalist strongpoints in North Wales, which provided a potential bridgehead for supporters inIreland;on 10 June, Charles instructed his remaining garrisons in England and Wales to yield, although most ignored this.By the end of August, Mytton had takenRuthin,CaernarfonandBeaumarisonAnglesey.Denbigh Castlesurrendered in October only after Charles sent its commander a personal note,Conwyheld out until November, withHarlechthe last to fall in March 1647.

Second Civil War and Interregnum

Beaumaris Castle;captured by Mytton in June 1646 and October 1648

Arguments over the settlement with Charles led to conflict between moderate MPs, who held a majority in Parliament, and a radical minority, who were supported by theNew Model Army.The economic cost of the war, a poor 1646 harvest, and recurrence of the plague meant by March 1647 the troops in Wales had not been paid for eighteen months, while the New Model was owed over £3 million, an enormous sum at the time. Parliament ordered it to Ireland, stating only those who agreed would be paid; when theirrepresentativesdemanded full payment for all in advance, the army was disbanded on 8 April 1647.

Since his troops were not part of the New Model, Mytton retained his position. In December, he was appointedVice-admiral of North Walesin place ofThomas Glynnand granted £5,000 of confiscated Royalist estates.TheSecond English Civil Warbegan in April 1648 when unpaid Parliamentarian garrisons inSouth Walesdefected but Mytton remained loyal. The revolt in the south was quickly suppressed, that in the north collapsed after he and Myddelton defeated a Royalist force at Red Hill on 1 October and recapturedBeaumaris Castle.

This ended his military career and he played a relatively minor role under theInterregnum.He was part of thecourt-martialwhich sentenced theEarl of Derbyto death for his part in the 1651Third English Civil Warand representedShropshirein theFirst Protectorate Parliament.He died inLondonin November 1656 and was buried on 29 November in the originalSt Chad's Church, Shrewsbury.

Sources

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• Helms, MW (1983).ACTON, Sir Walter, 2nd Bt. (c.1621-65), of Aldenham Hall, Salop in The History of Parliament: the House of Commons 1660-1690.Boydell & Brewer.Retrieved25 March2021.
• Hutton, Ronald (2003).The Royalist War Effort 1642–1646.Routledge.ISBN978-0-415-30540-2.
• Ibbetsen, David (2004). "Owen, Thomas (died 1598)".Oxford Dictionary of National Biography(online ed.). Oxford University Press.doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/21032.(Subscription orUK public library membershiprequired.)
• Plant."Battle of Montgomery".BCW Project.Retrieved25 March2021.
• Rees, John (2016).The Leveller Revolution.Verso.ISBN978-1-78478-390-7.
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• Royle, Trevor (2004).Civil War: The Wars of the Three Kingdoms 1638–1660(2006 ed.). Abacus.ISBN978-0-349-11564-1.
• St Chads."History of St Chad's with St Mary's, Shrewsbury".St Chads Church.Retrieved25 March2021.
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