King Charles 1

This portrait was painted the year before Charles sold the Manor including Ledbury to the Corporation of London in order to fund his personal rule without a parliament. 

The European wars had seriously depleted royal coffers but having dissolved parliament early in 1629 he could not impose additional taxes on his subjects without parliament’s consent so he had to find other ways to raise money. 

In order to recover the cost of purchase the Corporation of London then sold parts of the Manor to local gentry.