John Pym
(1584-1643), Politician and one of the 'Five Members' whose arrest by Charles I sparked the Civil WarSitter associated with 16 portraits
One of the most influential Parliamentarians, in 1628 Pym led the demand for a Petition of Right as a curb to Royal power. His own power and influence grew rapidly and he played a leading part in the impeachment and trial of Strafford in 1641. In the following year, the King offered him the position of Chancellor of the Exchequer in an unsuccessful attempt to secure his support. Later in the same year, however, Pym was one of the 'Five Members' who the King famously tried - and failed - to arrest in Parliament for treason. Pym oversaw the administration of the Parliamentarian war effort, being appointed Lieutenant -General of Ordnance in 1643, but died shortly afterwards of natural causes.
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