Civil War - Regicide: Difference between revisions
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Early in the morning of [[date::12/06/1648|6 December 1648]], Colonel Pride's regiment of foot and Colonel Rich's cavalry regiment occupied Palace Yard, Westminster Hall. When the Trained Band units that usually guarded Parliament arrived to take up their stations, they were ordered to return home by New Model officers. Colonel Pride was stationed on the steps leading to the entrance of the House of Commons with the list of MPs regarded as enemies of the Army. One hundred of the MPs on Pride's list stayed away from Parliament or fled from London, including the leading Presbyterians such as [[person::Denzil Holles]]. Pride kept the proscribed members from entering Parliament and arrested about forty-five, including [[person::William Prynne]]. The Purge was carried out on the orders of Henry Ireton. Fairfax apparently had no knowledge of it, . He was said to be furious when he heard what had happened but did nothing to interfere. Cromwell arrived back in London the day after the Purge and announced his approval of the proceedings. By removing the MPs who still favoured a negotiated settlement, the Purge effectively cleared the way for the King's trial the following month. | Early in the morning of [[date::12/06/1648|6 December 1648]], Colonel Pride's regiment of foot and Colonel Rich's cavalry regiment occupied Palace Yard, Westminster Hall. When the Trained Band units that usually guarded Parliament arrived to take up their stations, they were ordered to return home by New Model officers. Colonel Pride was stationed on the steps leading to the entrance of the House of Commons with the list of MPs regarded as enemies of the Army. One hundred of the MPs on Pride's list stayed away from Parliament or fled from London, including the leading Presbyterians such as [[person::Denzil Holles]]. Pride kept the proscribed members from entering Parliament and arrested about forty-five, including [[person::William Prynne]]. The Purge was carried out on the orders of Henry Ireton. Fairfax apparently had no knowledge of it, . He was said to be furious when he heard what had happened but did nothing to interfere. Cromwell arrived back in London the day after the Purge and announced his approval of the proceedings. By removing the MPs who still favoured a negotiated settlement, the Purge effectively cleared the way for the King's trial the following month. | ||
==The Rump Parliament== | |||
The purged Parliament proceeded to reject the Treaty of Newport and began to prepare the way for the trial of the king. By 22 December the king had been moved from Hurst Castle to Windsor. On 4 January the House of Commons declared itself to be the sole legitimate authority within the kingdom, denying any role to the House of Lords, and on the 6th passed an act, which was a corollary of its vote on the 4th, establishing a High Court of Justice to try the king. | |||
==The Trial of the King== | |||
On 19 January 1649 King Charles was brought from Windsor to St James’s Palace. The president of the High Court of Justice, [[person::John Bradshaw]], took his seat in Westminster Hall and the court commenced. Instead of entering a plea, Charles asked by what lawful authority he was tried. If the court could answer that question to his satisfaction he would then enter a plea. When it was said he was being tried in the name of the people, Charles disputed this. The case was adjourned. On the Monday the case commenced and the king reiterated that the court could not try him legitimately. The second day of the trial ended in a stalemate, as did the third. On Wednesday the 24th, the court heard witnesses against the king in private and the following day resolved that there was enough evidence to sentence the king to death. The court reassembled on Saturday the 27th, but when Bradshaw tried to open the proceedings he was heckled by a masked lady in one of the public galleries; it was thought at the time that this lady might be Lady Fairfax. Proceedings were further interrupted by one of the judges, John Downes, who declared himself dissatisfied with the proceedings. | |||
==The Charge Against the King== | |||
''That the said Charles Stuart, being admitted King of England, and therein entrusted with a limited power to govern by and according to the laws of the land, and not otherwise; and by his trust, oath and office, being obliged to use the power committed to him for the good and benefit of the people, and for the preservation of their rights and liberties; yet, nevertheless, out of a wicked design to erect and uphold in himself an unlimited and tyrannical power to rule according to his will, and to overthrow the rights and liberties of the people, yea, to take away and make void the foundations thereof, and of all redress and remedy of misgovernment, which by the fundamental constitutions of this kingdom were reserved on the people’s behalf in the right and power of frequent and successive Parliaments, or national meetings in Council; he, the said Charles Stuart, for accomplishment of such his designs, and for the protecting of himself and his adherents in his and their wicked practices, to the same ends hath traitorously and maliciously levied war against the present Parliament, and the people therein represented ... By all which it appeareth that the said Charles Stuart hath been, and is, the occasioner, author and continuer of the said unnatural, cruel and bloody wars; and therein guilty of all the treasons, murders, rapines, burnings, spoils, desolations, damages and mischiefs to this nation, acted and committed in the said wars, or occasioned thereby''. | |||
The Charge against the King, presented before the High Court of Justice at Westminster, 20 January 1649 | |||
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Revision as of 13:26, 22 March 2014
Pride's Purge
On 1 December 1648 the Army moved King Charles from Carisbrooke Castle on the Isle of Wight to Hurst Castle. Charles 1 was convinced that he had been taken there to be murdered. The House of Commons reprimanded Thomas Fairfax for moving the king without their authorisation and on 5 December proceeded to declare that the king’s latest response to the negotiations at Newport were sufficient to proceed to a final treaty. This vote provoked the Army into action, and on the morning of 6 December the MPs arriving at the Parliament house found the doors blocked by a detachment of soldiers led by Colonel Thomas Pride. Pride was accompanied by a few Independent MPs and had lists of names in his hand who were deemed acceptable. The rest were to be arrested or imprisoned. Only 100 MP's survived. This was a de facto coup d'etat. This slimmed down House of Commons was called the Rump.
The purging of Parliament was first proposed after the ending of the First Civil War in the manifesto known as the Representation of the Army at a time when Presbyterian MPs were attempting to disband the New Model Army. Henry Ireton, supported by Colonel Harrison and other radicals, wanted to dissolve Parliament rather than to purge it, after which a few radical MPs would be invited to act as an interim government until new elections could be held. John Lilburne insisted that a dissolution would be illegal and that the Leveller manifesto An Agreement of the People should be enacted first in order to legitimise the constitution.
Early in the morning of 6 December 1648, Colonel Pride's regiment of foot and Colonel Rich's cavalry regiment occupied Palace Yard, Westminster Hall. When the Trained Band units that usually guarded Parliament arrived to take up their stations, they were ordered to return home by New Model officers. Colonel Pride was stationed on the steps leading to the entrance of the House of Commons with the list of MPs regarded as enemies of the Army. One hundred of the MPs on Pride's list stayed away from Parliament or fled from London, including the leading Presbyterians such as Denzil Holles. Pride kept the proscribed members from entering Parliament and arrested about forty-five, including William Prynne. The Purge was carried out on the orders of Henry Ireton. Fairfax apparently had no knowledge of it, . He was said to be furious when he heard what had happened but did nothing to interfere. Cromwell arrived back in London the day after the Purge and announced his approval of the proceedings. By removing the MPs who still favoured a negotiated settlement, the Purge effectively cleared the way for the King's trial the following month.
The Rump Parliament
The purged Parliament proceeded to reject the Treaty of Newport and began to prepare the way for the trial of the king. By 22 December the king had been moved from Hurst Castle to Windsor. On 4 January the House of Commons declared itself to be the sole legitimate authority within the kingdom, denying any role to the House of Lords, and on the 6th passed an act, which was a corollary of its vote on the 4th, establishing a High Court of Justice to try the king.
The Trial of the King
On 19 January 1649 King Charles was brought from Windsor to St James’s Palace. The president of the High Court of Justice, John Bradshaw, took his seat in Westminster Hall and the court commenced. Instead of entering a plea, Charles asked by what lawful authority he was tried. If the court could answer that question to his satisfaction he would then enter a plea. When it was said he was being tried in the name of the people, Charles disputed this. The case was adjourned. On the Monday the case commenced and the king reiterated that the court could not try him legitimately. The second day of the trial ended in a stalemate, as did the third. On Wednesday the 24th, the court heard witnesses against the king in private and the following day resolved that there was enough evidence to sentence the king to death. The court reassembled on Saturday the 27th, but when Bradshaw tried to open the proceedings he was heckled by a masked lady in one of the public galleries; it was thought at the time that this lady might be Lady Fairfax. Proceedings were further interrupted by one of the judges, John Downes, who declared himself dissatisfied with the proceedings.
The Charge Against the King
That the said Charles Stuart, being admitted King of England, and therein entrusted with a limited power to govern by and according to the laws of the land, and not otherwise; and by his trust, oath and office, being obliged to use the power committed to him for the good and benefit of the people, and for the preservation of their rights and liberties; yet, nevertheless, out of a wicked design to erect and uphold in himself an unlimited and tyrannical power to rule according to his will, and to overthrow the rights and liberties of the people, yea, to take away and make void the foundations thereof, and of all redress and remedy of misgovernment, which by the fundamental constitutions of this kingdom were reserved on the people’s behalf in the right and power of frequent and successive Parliaments, or national meetings in Council; he, the said Charles Stuart, for accomplishment of such his designs, and for the protecting of himself and his adherents in his and their wicked practices, to the same ends hath traitorously and maliciously levied war against the present Parliament, and the people therein represented ... By all which it appeareth that the said Charles Stuart hath been, and is, the occasioner, author and continuer of the said unnatural, cruel and bloody wars; and therein guilty of all the treasons, murders, rapines, burnings, spoils, desolations, damages and mischiefs to this nation, acted and committed in the said wars, or occasioned thereby.
The Charge against the King, presented before the High Court of Justice at Westminster, 20 January 1649
| Date"Date" is a type and predefined property provided by Semantic MediaWiki to represent date values. | |
|---|---|
| Act Abolishing the Office of King | 17 March 1649 |
| Army Remonstrance | 18 November 1648 |
| Civil War - Regicide | 6 December 1648 30 January 1649 |
| Civil War - Restoration | 4 April 1660 |
| Commissions of Array | 1 June 1642 |
| Execution of Archbishop William Laud | 10 January 1645 |
| Execution of Charles I | 30 January 1649 |
| Execution of Thomas Wentworth | 12 May 1641 |
| Four Bills | 24 December 1647 |
| Grand Remonstrance | 22 November 1641 |
| Heads of Proposals | 22 September 1647 |
| Instrument of Government | 16 December 1653 |
| Militia Ordinance | 7 December 1641 |
| Naseby | 14 June 1645 |
| National Covenant | 27 February 1638 |
| Newcastle Proposals | 1 July 1646 |
| Nineteen Propositions | 1 June 1642 |
| Petition of Right | 7 June 1628 |
| Petition of the Leveller Women | 11 September 1649 |
| Putney Debates | 1 October 1647 |
| Representation of the Army | 5 June 1647 |
| Root and Branch Petition | 11 December 1640 |
| Saffron Walden | 1 May 1647 |
| Scottish Prayer Book | 23 July 1637 |
| Short Parliament | 13 April 1640 |
| The Bishop's War | 1 January 1639 |
| The Five Members | 4 January 1642 |
| The Second Civil War | 22 February 1648 |
| The Self Denying Ordinance | 19 December 1644 |
| Treaty of Uxbridge | 29 January 1645 |
