Charles Price (Royalist) facts for kids

Charles Price (who died in 1645) was a Welsh soldier and a politician. He was a member of the House of Commons, which is like a part of the government, at different times between 1621 and 1642. He fought for the King's side, known as the Royalists, during the English Civil War. It is thought that he died in a duel, which was a formal fight between two people.

Early Life and Military Beginnings

Charles Price was likely the son of James Price from Pilleth. His father was also a soldier and a Member of Parliament for Radnorshire. Charles followed in his father's footsteps and became a soldier. In 1619, he was involved in a duel, acting as a second for another knight. However, King James I stopped the duel before it could fully happen.

Becoming a Politician

In 1621, Charles Price was chosen to be a Member of Parliament for Radnor. He strongly supported the Protestant religion and believed in the rights of Parliament. He also spoke out against monopolies, which were special rights given to certain people or companies to control a product or service.

He was re-elected as MP for Radnor in 1624. The next year, in 1625, he went to Ireland as a captain leading soldiers from Radnorshire and Brecknockshire. He was re-elected as MP for Radnor again in 1625, 1626, and 1628. During these times, he often disagreed with the King's court and was interested in army matters and laws for Wales.

In 1627, he took new soldiers to Flanders for a military campaign. He was with the army in Portsmouth when the Duke of Buckingham was killed in 1628. Charles Price was the first person to tell King Charles I this important news. In Parliament in 1629, he supported a calmer approach after the Petition of Right, which was a document that limited the King's power.

Later Career and the Civil War

In 1637, Price became a deputy steward for Rhayader, a role that involved managing land for a powerful Earl. In 1638, he was serving in Ireland again. He also asked the King's council for help with his claims to an estate called Monachdy. He had lent King Charles £1000, hoping to get promises about this estate in return. He doesn't seem to have fought in the Bishops’ Wars, which were conflicts between England and Scotland from 1639 to 1640.

In April 1640, Price was elected MP for Radnorshire in what was called the Short Parliament. He was elected again for Radnorshire in November 1640 for the Long Parliament. He worked on a committee that dealt with parliamentary rights. He also voted to support a bill that aimed to get rid of bishops in the church. He helped prepare accusations against a government official but was against taking strong action against another important figure named Strafford.

When the Irish rebellion started in November 1641, Charles Price was very active in trying to stop it. He was even considered for a leadership role in the army sent to Ireland.

When the English Civil War began, Charles Price helped the King's side in Radnorshire. Because he supported the King, he was stopped from being a Member of Parliament on October 4, 1642. He was captured and put in prison in Gloucester in November 1642, and then in Coventry in January 1643. However, he was released and attended the King's Parliament in Oxford in January 1644.

His Death

Charles Price was killed in a duel sometime before May 1645. After his death, his family never gained control of the Monachdy estate. His widow, his wife, had to make a deal to keep their Pilleth estate in 1653.