Newdigate Poyntz
Newdigate was born 16 Nov 1608, he married 3 times, and lived most of his life at Benefield, Northants18 miles from Peterborough. He was a captain in Charles 1 army, and was killed at Gainsborough 4 Aug 1643, whilst fighting Cromwells Paliamentarians. At the time of his death he was living at the Grange in Dogsthorpe, he was buried at Benefield.
Newdigate’s name rose to the public’s attention in the early 1980s when the gossip columnists checked into the blood connection between Prince Charles and his bride-to-be, Diana Spencer. Diana was descended from Newdigate Poyntz (by his third wife Mary Parkyns), and Charles from Newdigate’s great-great grandfather Nicholas Poyntz (1528-1585).
From Stuart Orme about the civil war in Peterborough:
"A substantial amount of local worthies were away from Peterborough serving the Royalist cause. In 1643 as part of the Parliamentary ordinance denouncing known ‘delinquents’ (or known Royalists away from their homes) the following Peterborians were named:
Captain Styles, Walton
Newdigate Pointz of Dogsthorpe
Dr. Cosin, Dean of Peterborough
William Hake, Peterborough
Matthew Robinson, Longthorpe
John Towers, Bishop of Peterborough
Thomas Dove, Upton
James Carrier, Helpston
John Bourne, Ufford
Mr Styldolph, Wittering
Robert Dixon, Peterborough
Millicent Pratt, Dogsthorpe
As with most places, communities and even families were divided by the sword. Newdigate Pointz’s cousin Sydenham rose to become a Parliamentary general in the North, and there is evidence to suggest Sir Humphrey Orme’s son was also a parliamentary sympathiser."