John Hampden (ca. 1595 – 1643) was an English politician who was one of the leading parliamentarians involved in challenging the authority of
Charles I of England in the run-up to the
English Civil War. He became a national figure when he stood trial in 1637 for his refusal to be taxed for
ship money, and was one of the
Five Members whose attempted unconstitutional arrest by King Charles I in the
House of Commons of England in 1642 sparked the Civil War.