John Ashburnham (Royalist)

John Ashburnham (1603 – 15 June 1671) was an English courtier, diplomat and politician who sat in the House of Commons at various times between 1640 and 1667.

[1] Ashburnham was a faithful adherent and attendant to Charles I in the First English Civil War, and became the treasurer and paymaster of the king's army.

Hudson was released, and Ashburnham was positively commanded by the king to flee before confirmation of the order to send him up to London as a delinquent could be received.

At Ashburnham's suggestion he made proposals to the Scottish commissioners for his sudden journey to London and personal treaty with the parliament.

Charles was then impatient to be gone, commanded Ashburnham and his other confidants, Sir John Berkeley and William Legge, to propose some place for him to go to.

Ashburnham mentioned Sir John Oglander's house in the Isle of Wight as a place where the king might be concealed.

[1][2] Subsequently, the Commonwealth authorities detained Ashburnham in the Tower of London and three times banished him to the Channel Islands.

[2] Ashburnham was parted from his master Charles by order of the parliament, 1 January 1648, was imprisoned in Windsor Castle (May), and when the Second English Civil War broke out was exchanged for Sir William Masham.

His large memorial tomb by Thomas Burman stands in St Peter's Church in Ashburnham, East Sussex.