STAWELL, Sir John (1600-62), of Cothelstone, Som.

Stawell’s ancestors had been seated at Cothelstone since the 12th century, and first represented the county in 1420. Stawell inherited property in Somerset and Devon valued at £6,000 p.a. An adherent of the Poulett faction before the Civil War, he was the most conspicuous opponent of Parliament in the county. ‘Taken notice of to be a lofty, proud man’, he was denied the benefit of the Exeter articles. His estate was sold, and he was imprisoned in the Tower till 1653. On his release he was ordered not to leave London and granted a pension of £6 a week. Waste on his property was terminated by order of the Convention, though the proviso offered on his behalf to the indemnity bill was rejected. He was again returned as knight of the shire in 1661. Lord Wharton marked him as a friend to be managed by Sir Richard Onslow, but he left no trace on the records of the Cavalier Parliament. He died on 21 Feb. 1662, and was buried with great pomp at Cothelstone.Collinson, Som. iii. 249-53; Stawell, 82-102; Barnes, 36; Keeler, Long Parl. 349-50; D. Underdown, Som. in the Civil War, 128, 159-60; CSP Dom. 1652-3, p. 351; Cal. Comm. Comp. 1428; CJ, viii. 14, 84; Bowman diary, ff. 60v.-61.