John Felton (assassin)
John Felton (c. 1595 – 29 November 1628) was a lieutenant in the English Army who stabbed George Villiers, 1st Duke of Buckingham, to death in the Greyhound Pub in Portsmouth on 23 August 1628.
John Felton | |
|---|---|
Felton in Prison, illustration from 'Cassell's illustrated history of England (1865) | |
| Born | c. 1595 possibly Suffolk, Kingdom of England |
| Died | 29 November 1628 (aged 32–33) Tyburn, London, Kingdom of England |
| Occupation | Soldier |
| Criminal status | Executed by hanging |
| Parents |
|
| Conviction(s) | Assassination of the Duke of Buckingham |
| Criminal charge | Murder |
| Penalty | Death by hanging |
| Military career | |
| Allegiance | England |
| Service/ | English Army |
| Years of service | 1625–1627 |
| Rank | Lieutenant |
| Battles/wars | Anglo-Spanish War
|
King Charles I trusted Buckingham, who made himself rich in the process but proved a failure at foreign and military policy. Charles gave him command of the military expedition against Spain in 1625. It was a total fiasco with many dying from disease and starvation. He led another disastrous military campaign in 1627. Buckingham was hated and the damage to the king's reputation was irreparable. Buckingham's assassination by Felton was widely celebrated by members of the public in England, even after his execution.
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