In 1646 he retained the castle in a heroic manner during a five-month-long siege by Fairfax, during which his forces were reduced by hunger to eating their horses, and finally achieved an honourable surrender He served twice as MP for the prestigious county seat of Cornwall (1601 and 1621), and for his family's pocket boroughs[2] of Tregony (1628) and Mitchell (1597) and also for St Mawes (1624).
[9] John VII's younger brother was Thomas Arundell of Duloe, Cornwall, MP for West Looe, a soldier who served in the Netherlands.
[10] His grandfather was Sir John Arundell (1495–1561), of Trerice, later known as "Jack of Tilbury", an Esquire of the Body to King Henry VIII whom he served as Vice-Admiral of the West.
And having taken less than two minutes resolution, I resolve that I will here bury myself before I deliver up this castle to such as fight against His Majesty, and that nothing you can threaten is formidable to me in respect of the loss of loyalty and conscience.He maintained a five-month-long siege in heroic circumstances, during which his garrison was reduced by hunger to eating their horses.
Richard, who had been active in the Sealed Knot conspiracy, was raised to the peerage by King Charles II as Baron Arundell of Trerice, partly in recognition of his father's service to the Crown.