Henry Lingen

Sir Henry Lingen of Sutton, Lingen and Stoke Edith was a Royalist military commander in Herefordshire during the English Civil War.

Lineage
He was born in Herefordshire into the family of Lingen (he shared an ancestor of Ralph Lingen, 1st Baron Lingen)d 1905.

Early Career
He became High Sheriff of Herefordshire in 1635 and made much money from collecting taxes and rent.

The English Civil War
During the Civil War he commanded Goodrich Castle, defending it against the Parliamentarians until July 1645 when Colonel John Birch finally broke the defences using the famous cannon Roaring Meg.

His house of Freen's Court at Sutton was besieged until Prince Rupert of the Rhine was called to the rescue. Lingen was knighted by Charles I on his visit to Hereford in 1645. He himself in turn besieged Brampton Bryan Castle, home of his distant kinsman Robert Harley (1579-1656) (quite a common occurrance during the Civil War), the Harley family were later holders of the title Earl of Oxford. This seige was defended by Lady Brilliana Harley but to no avail.

Aftermath of War
After the Civil War, Sir Henry retired to Stoke Edith "The Fairer House of the Lingens" near Hereford but was fined heavily by parliament for supporting the former King and later his heirs had to sell Stoke Edith, his principal estate to the Foley family (later holders of the title Earl of Dudley).

Marriage
Sir Henry married Alice Pye of the Mynnd. (Both were later interred in the Church at Stoke Edith but during remodeling of the Church their monuments were lost). 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.

His male heirs died with no issue, other cadet lines exist including heirs of his daughters.

Folk Song
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.