Sir John Gell, c.1650 (oil on copper)

Sir John Gell (1593-1671) was High Sheriff of Derbyshire when he was commissioned as colonel to raise a Parliamentarian regiment during the English Civil War (1642-1651). His regiment took part in several engagements including the sieges of Chester and Lichfield and the Battle of Hopton Heath. In 1645, Sir John failed to intercept the Kind’s troops in their flight from Naseby to Leicester. This gave rise to suspicions about his allegiances and he was accused of taking part in plots against the Commonwealth and was committed to the Tower of London in 1650. Gell was tried by the High Court and condemned to forfeit his estates. However, he was released in 1652 and obtained a full pardon the following year.