John Boys

John Boys (1607 - October 8, 1664), is best known as the Royalist captain who was the Governor of Donnington Castle in Berkshire during the English Civil War.

Boys was born in at Bonnington, in Kent, the eldest son and heir of Edward Boys of Bonnington, by Jane, a daughter of Edward Sanders (of Northborne). He was baptized at Chillendon, on April 5, 1607.

Defence of Donnington Castle

Donnington Castle is located north of the town of Newbury. It was garrisoned in 1643 for King Charles I and commanded the road from Oxford to Southampton, and the road from London to Bath. It was from 1643 under the command of Lieutenant-Colonel John Boys who spent £1,000 on earthworks to strengthen the defences.

A division of the Royalist Regiment of the Earl Rivers consisting of 200 foot, 25 horse and 4 guns under the command of John Boys, 'a professional soldier from Kent', were put into Donnington Castle and held the castle from 1643 until April 1, 1646.

On July 31, 1644 Donnington Castle was attacked by a division of the New Model Army of 3000 horses and dragoons, under the command of Lieutenant-General John Middleton, without any artillery support who attempted to compel a surrender from Boys, but the Parliamentary army was repulsed with the loss of at least 300 men.

About a month later, on September 29, Colonel Jeremy Horton began a 12 day blockade laying siege to Donnington, having raised a battery at the foot of the hill, near Newbury he was able to shatter the southern towers of the castles medieval defenses and reduce a part of the wall to rubble. It has been estimated that at least 1000 missiles were projected against the fortress during this engagement. Even though Colonel Horton had been reinforced, with additional men, Governor John Boys refused to concede and even invited Horton to surrender his forces.

A parliamentarian army soon after returned on the 4th October led by the Earl of Manchester. An attempt to storm the castle failed, but the bombardment continued for several days without avail, frustrated, the whole army dispersed, as Charles I, at the head of the Royal army, moved towards Donnington. For his great services in defense of the castle Governor John Boys was knighted on October 21, 1644. The king also promoted him to Colonel of the regiment which he had before commanded as Lieutenant-Colonel to Earl Rivers.

On October 27, the second battle of Newbury was fought, and Colonel Sir John Boys secured the King's artillery under the walls of Donnington castle. Even that great Parliamentarian soldier Sir William Waller with his army surrounded the castle and again Boys refused to surrender.

After the battle of Newbury, when the King had gone to Oxford, Essex besieged Donnington Castle but abandoned the attempt before Charles returned in the first week of November 1644 to relieve Donnington and retrieve his 'treasure and guns' leaving some of the heavier pieces for use by the garrison.

Some time after November 14, 1645 Oliver Cromwell himself turned his attention to the problem of the Royalist stronghold of Donnington castle. The following spring a furious bombardment with cannon and mortars was ordered, and by March 30 a truce was concluded so that Charles had no option other than to instruct Boys to obtain the best possible conditions for the surrender of his garrison. Finally, it was on April 1, in 1646 that the surrender of Donnington Castle was accomplished. Boys garrison was permitted to march to the Royalist garrison at Wallingford, with their colours flying and drums beating.

Later History

John Boys had returned to his home county of Kent by 1646 when he was appointed a Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports, probably as a reward for his gallant services at Donnington.

During the August of 1648, he made a futile attempt to raise the Siege of Walmer Castle in Deal, one of the Cinque Ports, and customary home of the Lord Warden. Sir Algernon Sydney replaced him as Warden in 1648. In 1659, Boys was held as a prisoner in Dover Castle for 'petitioning for a free Parliament', but was released on the February 23, 1660. He was then, reputedly, granted the office of Receiver of Customs at Dover from Charles II.

A few years later on October 8, 1664, Sir John Boys died at his house at Bonnington and was buried in the parish church of Goodnestone-next-Wingham (near Canterbury) in Kent.

He was married twice, and by his first wife, Lucy, he had five daughters.

His second marriage was to the Lady Elizabeth Finch, widow of Sir Nathaniel Finch, and a daughter of Sir John Fotherby of Barham (Kent).

References

*Stephen, Leslie (ed.) (1885). Dictionary of National Biography.
* [http://www.berkshirehistory.com/bios/jboys.html Royal Berkshire History: Sir John Boys]

External links

* [http://www.earlrivers.org.uk/page.php?8. Earl Rivers Regiment Of Foote, History of Sir John Boys]