# Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Goodwin, Arthur

​GOODWIN, ARTHUR (1593?–1643), friend of John Hampden, born in 1593 or 1594, was the only surviving son of Sir Francis Goodwin, knt. (1564–1634), of Upper Winchendon, Buckinghamshire, by his wife, Elizabeth (d. 1630), daughter of Lord Grey de Wilton (Pedigree in Langley, Hundred of Desborough, p. 442; will of Sir F. Goodwin, P. C. C. 72, Seager). With Hampden he studied at Magdalen College, Oxford, and with his friend contributed Latin verses to the college collection on the death of Henry prince of Wales, entitled ‘Luctus Posthumus,’ 4to, Oxford, 1612, p. 52. On 10 Feb. 1613–1614 he was admitted B.A. (Reg. of Univ. of Oxf. Oxf. Hist. Soc. vol. ii. pt. iii. p. 325). He became with Hampden a member of the Inner Temple in November 1613 (Members admitted to Inner Temple, 1547–1660, p. 204). He sat for Chipping Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, in the parliaments of 1620–1 and 1623–1624, for Aylesbury in the same county in that of 1625–6, and on 14 Oct. 1640 was returned for Buckinghamshire with Hampden as his colleague (Lists of Members of Parliament, Official Return, pt. i.) During the civil war Goodwin, like Hampden, held command under the Earl of Essex, and raised a regiment of cavalry in Buckinghamshire, of which he was appointed colonel. While he was quartered at Coventry, Warwickshire, with Hampden and Lord Brooke, they defeated, 29 Aug. 1642, the Earl of Northampton in an attempt to force his way into Daventry, Northamptonshire. Northampton himself was seized by Goodwin's troops in the rear (A True Relation of the Manner of Taking of the Earl of Northampton, &c. 1642). On 6 Dec. of the same year the Earl of Essex gave instructions to Colonels Goodwin and Hurry, then in camp near Newbury, Berkshire, to march with all speed to the relief of Marlborough, Wiltshire. When they reached Marlborough the royalists had retired with their plunder, leaving a party which was forced to abandon the place. Goodwin and Hurry afterwards compelled three regiments under Lord Digby to abandon Wantage with some loss of men and ammunition. Goodwin visited Andover, Hampshire, where Lord Grandison was reported to be with three thousand horse and dragoons (cf. his very interesting letter of 12 Dec. 1642, printed in Money, Battles of Newbury, 2nd edit. pp. 30–1). Essex appointed him commander-in-chief of the forces of Buckinghamshire 3 Jan. 1643 (Carte MS. ciii. f. 106), when he made Aylesbury his headquarters. At daybreak on 27 Jan. he attempted to storm Brill, Buckinghamshire, but after two hours' hard fighting he was forced to fall back on Aylesbury (The Latest Intelligence of Prince Rupert's Proceeding in Northamptonshire, &c. 2 Feb. 1642–3; Mercurius Aulicus, 27 and 29 Jan. 1643). In April he took part in the siege of Reading. ‘Your regiment,’ writes Hampden, ‘is of very great reputation amongst us.’ When Hampden received his fatal wound; Goodwin took him to Thame and soothed his last moments. (His letter to his daughter Jane, lady Wharton, upon Hampden's death is among his correspondence in vol. ciii. of the Carte MSS. in the Bodleian Library, and has been printed at p. 109 of Money's Battles of Newbury, 2nd edit.) Goodwin died in the same year, 1643, and was buried at Wooburn, Buckinghamshire (Langley, p. 466). His will, dated 6 Feb. 1638, with a codicil dated 30 Aug. 1642, was proved at London on 11 Nov. 1644 (registered in P. C. C. 1, Rivers). He had bequeathed to Hampden ‘twentie poundes as a smale token of my love to my faithfull freind.’ By his marriage with Jane, third daughter of Sir Richard Wenman, knt., of Thame Park, Oxfordshire, he had an only child, Jane (1618–1658), who on 7 Sept. 1637 became the second wife of Philip, fourth lord Wharton (1613–1695). ​He left particular directions for the foundation of six almshouses at Waddesdon, Buckinghamshire, which the troubles had prevented him from erecting in his lifetime. His portrait, by Vandyck, has been engraved by Gunst..
[Notes and Queries, 6th ser. i. 255, 383, 466; Evans's Cat. of Engraved Portraits, i. 142; Lodge's Peerage of Ireland (Archdall), iv. 282; Nugent's Memorials of Hampden.]
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