NCEA Year 13
Tudors and Stuarts
Part Three
Oliver Cromwell
• 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-inChief 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
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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
Bibliography
Cromwell, by Amanda Purves, Wayland,
London, 1977