Oliver Oliver CromwellCromwell

NCEA Year 13 Tudors and Stuarts

Part Three

• Cromwell had to bully fifty nine men into signing the death warrant.

• On the 30th January 1649 Charles died with dignity and bravery and many regarded him as a martyr.

• Cromwell was now the most powerful and influential man in England

• A Council of State was set up with 40 members – mostly moderates

• In February 1649 the House of Lords was abolished

• The Irish rebellion of 1641 had been allowed to continue because neither the King nor Cromwell trusted the other with an army.

• On Charles’ death the Irish refused to recognise the Commonwealth

• Cromwell was worried that Charles ll might use Ireland as a base for invasion.

• In March 1649 Cromwell was made Commander-in-Chief to restore order in Ireland.

• He headed for Drogheda on the Boyne River.• Cromwell slaughtered 2000 soldiers and as many

civilians

• At Wexford Cromwell butchered 3000 soldiers, priests and civilians with no mercy

• This was done to prevent any further uprisings.• By November many troops and Cromwell were

suffering from malaria and dysentery

• In May 1650 Cromwell was recalled to London. • He left Henry Ireton (his son-in-law) in charge• Cromwell had been obeying the orders of the Parliament• Irish and English had hated each other for a long time• Cromwell considered Catholics to be sinners• He believed if the Irish depended on England their lot would

improve

• England was again under threat from Scotland• The Scots had been horrified by the execution• In June 1650 Cromwell and Fairfax were to take troops

to Scotland• Fairfax refused to invade a good neighbour• War was declared on the 4th July 1650

• Cromwell had his doubts.• Scotland was Protestant, they had been allies and the were a

cut above the Irish• On the 3rd September the armies met at Dunbar• The English were outnumbered• The Scots lost 30,000, Cromwell lost 30• The Scots refused to surrender and crowned Charles ll at

Scone

• July 1651 Charles ll led an army from Stirling to England

• Cromwell surrounded him at Worcester• Cromwell was triumphant• It was the last big battle of the Civil War• Peace terms were agreed• In February 1652 there were negotiations for a

union

• Cromwell had republican views yet England needed a figurehead

• The Rump government had become unpopular• It had made few reforms and they were more

concerned for their own wealth and position

• The army wanted reforms in law, religion and for the poor

• Cromwell was pressured to remove the Rump• Sir Henry Vane was worried that the army

would take over• The Rump suggested that they pass a law

enabling them to keep their seats without an election.

• When Vane could not be dissuaded from initiating discussion on the Bill, Cromwell entered the House and dominated the discussions.

• Cromwell abused the MPs and called the troops in to clear the House.

• So ended the Rump• Cromwell gained in popularity• The new Parliament was selected by Cromwell• He chose 140 people from a list supplied by

Presbyterian churches all over the country

• This new parliament was known as the Assembly of Saints or the Barebones’ Parliament (after a member called Praise-be-to-God Barebon, a lay preacher and member for London)

• Cromwell made sure they were all godly men

• 129 came from England, 5 from Scotland and 6 from Ireland

• It was the first Parliament of the United Kingdom

Praise-be-to-God Barbon

The Saints passed a lot of legislation:• Relief for the poor• Registration of births deaths and marriages• More humane punishments• Between July and December 1653 26 Acts were passed• However, Cromwell was peeved that he was not

always consulted and the Saints were themselves divided

• In December 1653 the Assembly of Saints ended. The moderates held an early meeting and dissolved themselves

• They went to Cromwell and gave all their power into his hands

• Cromwell now saw himself as England’s Constable

• John Lambert suggested an Instrument of Government. It was the outline of a constitution and it proposed a compromise between the Army and Parliament.

• It suggested the position of Lord Protector

• It was given to Cromwell for life.

• Cromwell was installed as Protector in Westminster Abbey on the 23rd December 1653

• The three kingdoms were united and initially things went well

• In September 1654 the first Parliament of the Protector was summoned.

• It was elected fairly except Catholics and royalists were excluded

BibliographyCromwell, by Amanda Purves, Wayland,London, 1977