John Bodvel

Who was John Bodvel?

John Bodvel was a Welsh politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1640 to 1644. He was a colonel in the Royalist army in the English Civil War.

Bodvel was the son of Sir John Bodvel and his wife Elizabeth Wynn, daughter of Sir John Wynn of Gwydir. He was admitted to Middle Temple in 1633.

Bodvel's grandfather had acquired by marriage the estate of Caerfryn on Anglesey and in April 1640, Bodvel was elected Member of Parliament for Anglesey in the Short Parliament. He was re-elected MP for Anglesey for the Long Parliament in November 1640. He stood with the militant Protestants who opposed the court, and was nominated as Deputy Lieutenant of Caernarvonshire in March 1642. On 2 August 1642 he was given leave of absence by the House of Commons and provided with a stock of arms with which to defend his home in Wales.’

However by May 1643 Bodvel had become a commissioner of array for Caernarvonshire and a Custos Rotulorum of Anglesey. He attended King Charles' Oxford Parliament in January 1644 and was awarded the degree of D.C.L. from Oxford University.