John Bright (parliamentarian)

Sir John Bright, 1st Baronet (14 October 1619 – 13 October 1688) was an English parliamentarian, of Carbrook and Badsworth, Yorkshire.

John Bright was born in 1619, the third, but only surviving, son of Stephen Bright and Joan Westby.

Bright took up arms for the parliament at the outbreak of the civil war. He raised several companies in the neighbourhood of Sheffield, and received a captain's commission from Lord Fairfax, still aged only twenty-one. Bright was named one of the sequestration commissioners for the West Riding (1 April 1643). About the same date he became a colonel of foot. According to the diarist, memorialist, and fellow officer, John Hodgson : 'He was but young when he first had the command, but he grew very valiant and prudent, and had his officers and soldiers under good conduct'. In May 1643, Bright was involved in a daring night time raid on Wakefield. Details were published in the pamphlet 'A Miraculous Victory' held in Wakefield Libraries Local Studies collection.

He accompanied Sir Thomas Fairfax in his expedition into Cheshire, commanded a brigade at the battle of Selby. He ordered the delivery of new cannon from Doncaster forcing the surrender of Sheffield castle. Briefly, he was appointed governor of that place (August 1644), and a little later promoted as military governor of York. He probably served in the line during the Battle of Marston Moor.

In the second civil war he served under Cromwell in Scotland, and also took part in the siege of Pontefract. On Cromwell's second expedition into Scotland, Bright threw up his commission when the army arrived at Newcastle, in consequence of the refusal of a fortnight's leave. Cromwell suggested to the soldiery offering the regimental command to Colonel Monck. However Bright was a friend of Lilburne, and his men dismissed the Scots officer as a secret royalist. Bright was reinstated to general acclaim of his men. He was part of the New Model Army command that defeated Sir Marmaduke Langdale's command at Newcastle. And he assisted Cromwell's crushing rout of the Scots army at Battle of Preston, where the enemy army was outflanked.

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