REGARDING Ida Goodricke's inquiry (Letters, November 17): Lord Wharton certainly had a far wider influence than the limits of his fame would suggest.

A Buckinghamshire man, he fought for Parliament during the Civil War and was nicknamed "Sawpit Wharton" after finding himself obliged to hide in one after the battle of Edge Hill.

He had family connections in Yorkshire and Cumbria and, after the war, he appealed to the Fairfax family to support non-conformist ministers in parishes within their gift.

He endowed his Bible Charity in 1693, but the restoration of the monarchy in 1660 meant that this was at least partially administered by the established Church.

I believe this charity is still operating, and have often come across "Lord Wharton" Bibles and Prayer Books etc (usually Victorian or later) in antiquarian book shops.

The young Wharton - wearing distinctly unpuritanical garb - was painted by Van Dyke in 1632.

I find no reference to him spending time in the Tower, but this would not have been unusual for an eminent non-conformist after the Restoration. He died in 1696 and is buried at Wooburn Parish Church, in southern England.

Apparently, a biography entitled Good Lord Wharton was published by Bryan Dale in 1906.

J E Muldowney,

Second Avenue,

Heworth,York.

Updated: 10:52 Monday, November 21, 2005