William Ashburnham

William Ashburnham (c. 1604–1679) was an English army officer, landowner and MP. Biography William Ashburnham was the younger brother of John Ashburnham, who was also an MP. He was returned as MP for Ludgershall in both the parliaments held in 1640 but was expelled from the Long Parliament on 9 December 1641 for his part in the Army Plots of that year. He fought as an officer for the Royalist cause in the Civil War and in 1644 was governor of Weymouth, a place he kept four months for King Charles. Ten years later, on 3 June 1654, he was arrested and examined on the charge of complicity in the plot to murder the Protector Oliver Cromwell for which Gerard and Vowel afterwards suffered. He does not, however, appear to have been sent before the high court of justice.