John Henderson, 5th of Fordell

Fordell assisted Sir John Digby, the High Sheriff of Nottinghamshire, to seize Newark on behalf of Charles I in late 1642 The Earl of Newcastle then made him Governor of Newark. During his time in Newark, Fordell lived and worked in The Governor's House In February 1643, Fordell led a sortie from the town that successfully repulsed Major-General Thomas Ballard's force of 6,000 Parliamentarians. This led to suspicions that Ballard had colluded with the Royalists. In March 1643, a large force of Royalists from Newark commanded by Sir Charles Cavendish and Fordell marched into Lincolnshire and captured the town of Grantham in a surprise attack. as Charles became increasingly desperate in his attempt to obtain aid. After "his health and means had been exhausted by his long imprisonment" he was allowed to retire to Denmark. A few months later, he returned to England as an envoy of the King of Denmark; due to a concern that he was using his diplomatic status as a cloak for espionage, he was ordered to return to Denmark. Sources agree that he died on 11 March 1650, but differ over the place (either Denmark or Fife). ==Family==

His parents were Sir John Henderson, 4th of Fordell and Agnes Balfour. He married Margaret Monteith, daughter of Alexander Monteith of Randiford, on 7 February 1625. Together they raised ten children: • Jean Henderson (married Thomas Bruce of Blairhall, son of Robert Bruce and Catherine Preston, on 27 April 1748) on 5 March 1662, then went on to marry Alexander Hamilton, 2nd of Dalzell, son of James Hamilton, 1st of Dalzell and Beatrice Fleming). • Anna Henderson (married Hon. Archibald Stuart, son of James Stuart, 4th Earl of Moray and Lady Margaret Home, in 1669, then went on to marry Walter Denholme, son of Walter Denholme of Westshield). • William Henderson b. c 1628, d. 21 Jul 1676 • James Henderson b. c 1630, d. 2 May 1675 (a supporter of King Charles II, married Margaret Scott) ==References==