Oliver Oliver CromwellCromwell

NCEA Year 13 Tudors and Stuarts

Part One

BackgroundBackground• Born25th April 1599 at Huntingdon• Parents Robert and Elizabeth• Robert was an MP and a JP• When Oliver was 5 he was sent to the

Free School of Huntingdon where he was exposed to Puritanism

• In 1616 he went to Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge.

• Sidney Sussex was known as “a hotbed of Puritanism”

Sidney Sussex College

Huntingdon School

Map of Huntingdon

• 1617 when his father died Cromwell had to return home

• He had a mother and seven sisters to look after

• He then went to study law in London.

• He met and married Elizabeth Bouchier

Robert Cromwell(father)

Elizabeth Cromwell(mother)

ElizabethBouchier

• In 1640 the Earl of Warwick wrote:• “His stature was of good size...his

countenance swollen and reddish, his voice sharp and irritable..” others wrote: he had “an exceedingly fiery temper”

• He had bouts of black depression which gave rise to a rash of boils. He was a hypochondriac and often took medicine. He enjoyed smoking, tobacco, singing, dancing, hunting and fishing.

• “The first years of [Oliver’s] manhood [were] spent in a dissolute course of life, in good fellowship and gaming.”

• The Cromwells had eight children: Robert, Oliver, Bridget, Richard, Henry, Elizabeth, Mary and Frances.

• 1628 Cromwell inherited property and became MP for Huntingdon in Charles’ third Parliament

• It was dissolved in 1629 and Charles ruled alone for the next eleven years –Personal Rule or Eleven Years’ Tyranny

• 1630 Cromwell was made a JP. His job was to make sure Parliamentary laws were carried out.

• Cromwell came into conflict with Charles when a new charter allowed Charles to choose the new mayor.

• Shortly after, the Cromwell’s moved to St Ives but saw a fall in their fortunes.

• Cromwell inherited more land in Ely and became a respected member of society.

• Between 1620s-1630s Cromwell underwent a deep religious re-awakening.

• Cromwell became known as ‘Lord of the Fens’ when he stood up for the people who were to have their fens drained.

• Cromwell supported John Hampden over the Ship Money.

• He also supported the Scots in their rejection of the Prayer Book

Bishops’ War

• 1640 Charles summoned Parliament to fight against Scotland.

• Cromwell was elected as MP for Cambridge.

• He was a member of the Short Parliament (April-May 1640)

1640• There were riots all over England• People refused to pay their tithes

and rents• The feeling was: “the gentry have

been our masters for a long time and now we may chance to master them.”

• This feeling was reflected in Parliament

• Charles summoned Parliament in November 1640

• It was critical of the King and his policies

• It hated the Scots and the King’s ‘evil counsellors’ especially Laud and Wentworth

• Cromwell was typical of the MPs in this Parliament

• He was related to eighteen other MPs including John Hampden and Oliver St John (he defended Hampden over the Ship Money).

• These two men brought Cromwell into John Pym’s circle.

John Hampden

Oliver St John

John Pym

• Parliament were determined that the Personal Rule could never happen again.

• They passed the Triennial Act: Parliament was to meet at least every three years AND that they could only dissolve with their own consent. They abolished Ship Money and forced Charles to sign the death warrant of the Earl of Strafford

• Laud was imprisoned and executed in 1645

• Cromwell attacked the church especially the Bishops.

• He wanted the Prayer book simplified and preaching to be spread.

• He was part of Pym’s group who opposed the King

• By October 1641 moderate MPs were wary of the reformers.

• Charles briefly became popular again.• But then word came that Protestants

had been massacred by Catholics in Ireland.

• Rumour blamed Charles.• Ireland must be subdued.

• The King was traditionally Commander-in-Chief of the forces.

• Pym did not trust an army headed by Charles.

• In November Charles was presented with the Grand Remonstrance – 204 clauses of complaints against the King, and praising Parliament

• (full text of remonstrance http://www.constitution.org/ )

• It wanted Parliament to appoint the King’s ministers.

• It only passed by 11 votes.

• The Remonstrance was followed by a Militia Bill giving control of the army to Parliament.

• Charles was furious and attempted to arrest the five most important men in Parliament:

John Pym, Denzil Holles, William Strode, John Hampden and Arthur Haslerigg.

• He brought four hundred Cavaliers and entered the House without invitation.

• But the ‘birds had flown’

• Relations between the King and Parliament were very tense.

• Both parties drew up plans for defence.• The Queen hoped that France would

fight.• In February 1642 she sailed to Holland

to pawn the Crown Jewels to pay for an army.

• By the end of 1642 Charles attempted to enter Hull but the Governor closed the gates in the name of Parliament.

• This was the first act of the war.

• In May 1642 Charles issued a proclamation which forbade troops to muster without his consent. This contravened the Militia Bill.

• Parliament issued its Nineteen Propositions to try and find a peaceful solution.

• Charles felt it would have made him a puppet king• In August 1642 Charles declared war.

• England divided into regional areas.

• Parliament had the support of the wealthier areas, London and the Protestants.

• Northern and South Western counties supported the King as did the Catholics.

• Gentlemen and old wealthy families supported the King while poorer or new rich supported Parliament

• Very few recruits were actually trained soldiers.

• Parliament’s war was conducted through the Committee of Lords and Commons for the Safety of the Kingdom. Their troops were led by the Earl of Essex

• Royalists operated through a Council of War and the King was their leader.

• The sides were called Cavaliers and Roundheads.• Each MP was responsible to secure their county.• Cromwell raised troops in Cambridgeshire

October 1642 Edgehill

• Both sides met at Edgehill in Northhamptonshire.

• There was no clear victory• If Charles had pursued the

Roundheads he might have won but he wintered at Oxford

• In December 1642 the Eastern Association under Edward Montagu the Earl of Manchester organised troops.

• Cromwell was made a Colonel and his Huntingdon troop was made into a regiment which was the core of the ‘Ironsides’

• In July 1643 there was the siege of Gainsborough

• Cromwell liked to have ‘godly’ soldiers.• He picked officers for their ability and skill not their

social standing.• They were paid 2/6d per day.• He had harsh discipline even to the use of a swear

box• His good work earned him the title Governor of Ely

• November 1643 Parliament signed a treaty with the Scots

• This was known as the Solemn League and Covenant. For ₤10,000 the Scots would send an army to help Parliament.

• It also stated that when the war was won England would adopt the Presbyterian religion. Many English were not keen on this Covenant.

• This caused a split amongst the Puritans into the Presbyterians and the Independents

• Cromwell was an Independent• Although dubious the Covenant was signed.• The final document clouded the compulsory

wording and put ‘best reformed churches’

• Many Presbyterians thought it indecent to fight the King.

• The Independents wanted the monarchy overthrown and a republic declared.

• Cromwell was the leader of the republican group.• The Earl of Manchester was reluctant to keep

fighting the King.

BibliographyCromwell, by Amanda Purves, Wayland,London, 1977