Barnabas Scudamore

Sir Barnabas Scudamore (1609–1651) was an English military commander and active Royalist during the English Civil War. The son of James Scudamore and younger brother of Viscount Scudamore, he was from a prominent Herefordshire landowning family.[1] His family's seat was at Holme Lacy.

He led the attack that captured and wrecked Wilton Castle, the home of Sir John Brydges who then abandoned his former neutrality and joined the Parliamentary cause.[2] After Hereford, the county town of the predominantly Royalist area, was briefly seized by William Waller in 1643 he was appointed Governor and began to rebuild its defences to make it a stronghold for the King.[3] He replaced the previous governor there, Fitzwilliam Coningsby, whose family had a long-standing rivalry with the Scudamores.[4] Scudamore's heavy-handed policies brought criticism of him.[5]

  1. ^ Rogers p.26-27
  2. ^ Rogers p.26
  3. ^ Rogers p.27
  4. ^ Rogers p.204
  5. ^ Bennett p.117