Aged just four, Sir John Pakington (2nd Baronet, 1681-1680) inherited the Westwood Park estate, near Droitwich, in the year King Charles I took the throne.

The Pakingtons took the Royalist side during the English Civil Wars (1642-1646, 1648, and 1650-1651) and Sir John fought in the Battle of Edgehill, where he was captured and imprisoned in the Tower of London (not for the last time) and forced to surrender his estate.

In 1646, after Charles was imprisoned, Sir John’s estate was returned to him on condition he never again took up arms against parliament. Charles was executed in 1649, but then in 1651 his son, already crowned Charles II in Scotland, moved his army southwards, heading for Worcester.

In view of Sir John’s track record the parliamentary commissioners kept a tight rein on him. As the Royalist army entered the city, Charles commanded Sir John to join him. But he had ”resolved not to engage for I have already burnt my fingers. I will not thrust them again into the fire”. 

Unfortunately for him, the roster of the defeated Royalist forces at the Battle of Worcester still contained his name and he was charged with High Treason. He was faced with losing not only his estate but also this time his life. However, no one would testify against him and he was acquitted.

So did a chastened Sir John retire to a quiet life in rural Droitwich? Not exactly. In 1654, a cartload of hampers marked ”wine” delivered to Westwood were revealed to contain muskets and pistols. Sir John was arrested and taken to the familiar surroundings of The Tower of London.

Nine months later, ever the great survivor, he was released. In 1661, he was elected MP for Worcestershire in the Cavalier Parliament and sat until 1679. He was married to Lady Dorothy, who had her own story to tell (see separate entry).