Henry Lingen

Sir Henry Lingen (23 October 1612 – 22 January 1662), Lord of Sutton, Lingen and Stoke Edith, was a Royalist military commander in Herefordshire during the English Civil War, and later a member of parliament. He was the son of Edward Lingen and Blanche Bodenham. He fathered 2 sons, Henry and William and 7 daughters, Elizabeth, Joan, Blanch, Mary (Dobbyns), Cecilia, Frances (Unett), and Alice (Herring). Both sons died without issue but the daughters left considerable posterity.

Ancestry The Lingen family had long been settled in that county and are recorded in early documents including Domesday Book. The manor of Lingen was settled on Turstan de Lingen and his wife Agnes, heiress and daughter of Alfred of Marlborough, Baron of Ewyas with his extensive Domesday landholding. Turstan's and Agnes's descendants included Isolde de Lingen who married Brian Harley, ancestor or the Harley Earls of Oxford and Dukes of Portland and Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother. Another descendant and sister of Isolde was Isabella de Lingen, Lady Pembruggue of Tong Castle, founderess of the Chantry Church and buried at Tong, ancestor of the Ludlows of Stokesay Castle, Vernons of Haddon Hall and the Manners, Dukes of Rutland. Another descendant was Sir John Lingen of Lingen d 1506, who fought at the Battle of Mortimer's Cross which elevated Edward IV as king and the family's arms were amended with the three white roses of York. Sir John married Elisabeth de Burgh (d. 1522) who was a co-heiress of Sir John de Burgh and thus descended from the native Welsh Princes of Powys and Llewellyn the Great, Prince of Wales. Elisabeth also shared common descent with the Royal House of Tudor with a grandmother being a sister of Margaret ferch Thomas who married Fychan Tudor and was grandmother of Henry VII, and another of these sisters Ellen ferch Thomas being the mother of Owain Glyndŵr "Prince of Wales". Both Elisabeth and Sir John are buried in Aymestrey church near Lingen with in the chancel. Their descendants included Sir Henry Lingen, Sir Ralph Robert Wheeler Lingen the 1st Baron Lingen of Lingen, the Lingen's of Stoke Edith, Andrew Lingen-Stallard, a former Council member of Royal College of Midwives and the present senior line of the Burton-Lingen's of Longner Hall near Shrewsbury, in which any co rights of the former Principality of Powys now rest.

Early career He was High Sheriff of Herefordshire in 1638, and made much money from collecting taxes and rent.

The English Civil War During the Civil War he was again appointed High Sheriff of the county in 1643

Marriage Sir Henry married Alice Pye of the Mynnd. (Both were later interred in the Church at Stoke Edith but during remodelling of the Church their monuments were lost). With the Restoration he became a member of parliament for Herefordshire in 1661 but died of smallpox in Gloucester on his way back from a sitting in London in 1662 aged 49.

Posterity His male heirs died with no issue. Other family lines exist, including heirs of his daughters. Other Lingen lines exist which descend from Sir John Lingen and Elisabeth de Burgh are represented by the Burton-Lingens of Longner Hall in Shropshire who are now the senior branch of the family, Ralph Lingen, 1st Baron Lingen (a title now extinct), Permanent Secretary to the Treasury died 1905 and buried in Brompton Cemetery in London. Also, Andrew Lingen-Stallard (born 1962) MSc, RM, RN FRSA, Consultant Midwife for The London Ambulance Service, elected member of council of the Royal College of Midwives (2003–2007) and former midwifery advisor, Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC 2006–2008).

Legacy The Herefordshire folk song Sir Harry's Fancy was based upon his Civil War days and sung by his troops after his surrender of Goodrich Castle.