Page:The Complete Peerage Ed 2 Vol 4.djvu/612

 594 APPENDIX G BIOGRAPHIES BARKSTEAD [55] John Bark.stead,(^) Regicide, 2nd s. of Michael B.jC") of St. Clement's Danes, citizen and goldsmith of London (will pr. 18 May 161 8), by his 1st wife, Anne, da. of John Downing, citizen and skinner. He was a minor in 161 8. He served in the London Trained-bands; was Capt. in Col. Venn's regt. of Foot; Major 1645; Col. of a regt., called "The Tower Guards," at siege of Colchester, June 1648. He was Gov. of Reading, 12 Aug. 1645, and of Yarmouth, 1649; Lieut, of the Tower of London ('^) 12 Aug. 1652; " Major-General of the Militia " for Westminster and Midx. before 29 Nov. 1655; Commissioner of Assessment for Surrey 9 June 1657. He was appointed one of the Regicide Judges,('') 6 Jan. 1 648/9, attended every sitting but one during the trial, and signed the death- warrant. Elected an Assistant of the Goldsmiths' Company, 20 Oct. 1652; Warden 5 May 1653. M.P. for Colchester 1654; and for Midx. 1656-57. Sergeant-at-arms 4 Sep. 1654; Steward of the Lord Protector's Household 1656; Alderman of Cripplegate Ward, 22 Feb. 1657/8 to 31 Jan. 1659/60. He was sum. to the " Other House," 10 Dec. 1657, and took his seat, as "John Lord Barkstead," 20 Jan. 1657/8; he also sat in Richard Crom- (') He bore for arms: Ermine a chief Sable with three crowns of Gold. [Visita- tion of London^ 1634). (*>) "John Barkstead, the son of Michael Barkstead, Goldsmith, who was also himself in his minority a petty Goldsmith in the Strand, a very empty shallow-pated person, therefore the most fit to be cajold and wrought on, being of a malleable temper. He forsooke his Shop, shuffled himself into the Camp, where more by fortune than valor he climbd up to be a Coll. and after Lieutenant of the Tower, adopted to be an Alderman, Major General of Middlesex, a severe persecutor of the Kings party, who also was one of his Judges. A thorough paced Agent for all Governments, and a most active Impe of Oliver the Usurper." [The Mystery of the Good old Cause, p. 23). C) " His salary, two thousand pounds per annum." He appears to have organized an " Intelligence Department," and gave the Government early informa- tion of Royalist movements: "There was never any design on foot but we could hear of it out of the Tower; he who commanded there would give us account, that within a fortnight . . . there would be some stirrings, for a great concourse of people were coming to them and they had very great elevations of spirit." (Oliver Crom- well, speech, 17 Sep. 1656). (■*) Of the 135 Commissioners appointed to the "High Court of Justice for the Trying and Judging of Charles Stuart, King of England," 6 Jan. 1648/9, eighteen were afterwards sum. to the "Other House" — viz. Barkstead, Disbrowe, G. Fleetwood, GofFe, Hesilrige, Hewson, Honywood, Ingoldsby, J. Jones, Viscount Lisle, J. Lisle, Pickering, Pride, Roberts, Skippon, Tichborne, Tomlinson, and Whalley. Nine of these signed the death-warrant, and one other (J. Lisle), though not a signatory, is included in the list of Regicides, having taken an active part in the trial and being present when the sentence was pronounced. The remaining eight, whose names are in italics, declined to act.