John Birch (Roundhead)

Colonel John Birch MP, JP
John Birch's monument, St Peter & St Paul's, Weobley [a]
MP for Weobley
In office 1679–1691
MP for Penryn
In office 1661–1679
High Steward of Leominster
In office 1648–1660
MP for Leominster
In office 1646–1660
Personal details
Born	7 September 1615 Ardwick Manor, near Manchester
Died	10 May 1691(1691-05-10) (aged 75) Garnstone Manor, Weobly
Resting place	St Peter and St Paul's, Weobley
Nationality	English
Spouse(s)	Alice Deane (died 1671) Winifred Norris (died 1717)
Relations	Thomas Birch (1608-1678)
Children	Two sons, three daughters
Parent(s)	Samuel and Mary Birch
Occupation	Wine merchant, soldier, politician
Military service
Allegiance	England 1642–1646
Years of service	1642 to 1646
Rank	Colonel
Commands	Governor of Hereford 1645-1646
Battles/wars	First English Civil War Bristol 1643 Basing House Alton Arundel Cheriton Cropredy Bridge Plymouth Bridgwater Bristol 1645 Siege of Hereford Stow-on-the-Wold Siege of Goodrich Castle

Colonel John Birch (7 September 1615 – 10 May 1691) was an English soldier and politician from Manchester, who fought for the Parliamentarian cause in the First English Civil War, and sat in the House of Commons at various times between 1646 and 1691.

Excluded from Parliament in Pride's Purge of December 1648, he was also prevented from taking his seat for Leominster under the Protectorate. After the Stuart Restoration in 1660, he sat on over 122 Parliamentary Committees, particularly those connected with finance.

Although Presbyterian by upbringing, he voted in favour of the 1673 and 1678 Test Acts, requiring holders of public office to be members of the Church of England. He himself conformed, supported the exclusion of the Catholic James II in 1679, and backed the 1689 Glorious Revolution.

Considered a "great Parliamentarian", his contemporary Gilbert Burnet summarised him as follows; "He was the roughest and boldest speaker in the House, and talked in the language and phrases of a carrier, but with a beauty and eloquence that was always acceptable. He spoke always with much life and heat, but judgment was not his talent."^[1]

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