Henry Lingen

Sir Henry Lingen. Royalist commander during the English Civil War.

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He was born in Herefordshire into the ancient Lingen family (he was an ancestor of Lord Lingen). He became High Sheriff of Herefordshire in 1635 and made much money from collecting taxes and rents. During the Civil War he commanded Goodrich Castle protecting it against the Parliamentarians until July 1645 when Colonel John Birch finally broke the defences using the famous canon Roaring Meg. His main house of Freen's Court was sieged until Prince Rupert was called to the rescue. He was knighted by the King on his visit to Hereford in 1645.

Related Topics:
Lord Lingen - Goodrich Castle - John Birch - Roaring Meg - Prince Rupert - King

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After the civil war he was fined heavily by parliament for supporting the former King and had to sell one of his estates to the Foley family (later Earls of Dudley). He retired to Stoke Edith near Hereford. With the restoration he became a Member of Parliament for Herefordshire but died of Smallpox in Gloucester on his way back from a sitting in London in 1662.

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The Herefordshire folk song Sir Harry's Fancy was based upon his Civil War days and sung by his troops after his surrender of Goodrich Castle.

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