Page:Dictionary of National Biography volume 39.djvu/447

 the city of London in parliament in 1624-5, 1625, and 1626, and was a colonel of the city militia. In 1630, in conjunction with [q. v.], Myddelton caused to be published the first popular edition of the Bible in Welsh, small 4to; it was produced at great expense (, Memoirs of the Civil War in Wales, p. 60). A pamphlet called 'A Discourse of Trade from England unto the East Indies' is also attributed to Myddelton. Towards the close of his life Myddelton resided at Stansted Mountfichet, where he died on 12 Aug. 1631, and was buried in the church on 8 Sept. following, aged 81, 'or thereabouts.' His monument was on the south side of the chancel, of sumptuous workmanship, with a life-sized effigy under a decorated arch. It bore two Latin inscriptions in prose and verse, followed by a short rhyming inscription in English (, Essex, iii. 29).

Myddelton was four times married: first, about 1586, to Hester, daughter of Sir Richard Saltonstall of South Ockendon, Essex, lord mayor of London in 1597-8; secondly, about 1590, to Elizabeth, widow of John Olmested of Ingatestone, Essex; thirdly, to Elizabeth, widow of Miles Hobart, clothworker of London; and fourthly, to Anne, widow of Jacob Wittewronge, brewer, of London, who survived him. On the occasion of this last marriage, according to Pennant, she being a young wife and he an old man, the famous song of 'Room for Cuckolds, here comes my Lord Mayor,' was composed. Myddelton had issue by his first two wives only; by the first wife two sons: Richard, who died young, and Sir [q. v.], his heir, of Chirk Castle, the parliamentarian general; by his second wife he had two sons and two daughters: Henry, who died young; Timothy, who succeeded to the estate of Stansted Mountfichet; Hester, married to Henry Salisbury of Llewenny, Denbighshire, afterwards created a baronet; and Mary, married to Sir John Maynard, K.B. By Middleton's will, dated 20 Nov. 1630, and proved in the P. C. C. on 15 Aug. 1631 (94, St. John), he left property of the annual value of 71. to the Grocers' Company for the benefit of their poor members. The company also received valuable bequests under the will of his widow, who died on 7 Jan. 1646.

 MYDDELTON, THOMAS (1586–1666), parliamentarian, born in 1586, was the eldest son of Sir  [q. v.] and nephew of [q. v.] and of Sir [q. v.] Thomas matriculated from Queen's College, Oxford, on 22 Feb. 1604-5, and became a student of Gray's Inn in 1607; he was knighted on 10 Feb. 1617, and was M.P. for Weymouth and Melcombe Regis, 1624-5, and for the county of Denbigh in 1625 and 1640-8. He showed from the first a strong puritan temperament. In the summer of 1642 he was sent to his constituency to exercise his influence on behalf of the parliament, and accordingly, in December 1642, he addressed to his countrymen a 'menacing' letter to submit to and assist parliament. Thereupon, by the king's order, Colonel Ellis of Gwesnewydd, near Wrexham, seized Myddelton's residence, Chirk Castle, in his absence in January 1642-3. A garrison was placed there under Sir John Watts.

By a parliamentary ordinance, dated 11 June 1643, Myddelton, who had by that time returned to London, was appointed sergeant-major-general for North Wales. On 10 Aug. he reached Nantwich in Cheshire, where he was joined by Sir (1604-1661) [q. v.] They proceeded on 4 Sept. to Drayton, and on 11 Sept. to Wem, which they seized, garrisoned, and made their Shropshire headquarters. While they were still engaged in fortifying Wem, Lord Capel, with reinforcements from Staffordshire, marched on Nantwich, but was signally defeated outside Wem in two separate conflicts, on 17 and 18 Oct. (ib. i. 176-8, ii. 86-8). After this victory 'Brereton the general, and Myddelton, his sub-general,' as they were styled by the royalists (see, Life of Ormonde, v. 514), left Nantwich on 7 Nov., were joined at Stretton by Sir George Booth with troops from Lancashire, and crossing the Dee at Holt, entered North Wales, where Wrexham, Hawarden, Flint, Mostyn Mold, and Holywell were taken in quick succession. But all were abandoned precipitately after the landing at Mostyn on 18 Nov. of some 2,500 royalist soldiers from Ireland (, ii. 101-2). This hasty retreat was condemned by writers of their own party: 'they made such haste as not to relieve Hawarden Castle,' and 'so many good friends who had come to them were left to the mercy of the enemy' (, Providence Improved, quoted by, i. 186). Myddelton's troops were raw militiamen, while his opponents were trained soldiers.

In February 1643-4 Myddelton's command in North Wales was confirmed by a fresh 