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97-688: The precise start and end of the interregnum, as well as the social and political events that occurred during the interregnum, varied in the three kingdoms and the English dominions. After the Second English Civil War , the leadership of the New Model Army felt deeply betrayed by the King because they thought that while they had been negotiating in good faith he had duplicitously gone behind their backs in making The Engagement with

194-426: A 'well-ordered' monarchy was divinely mandated, but they disagreed on what 'well-ordered' meant, particularly with regards to the balance of power between king and Parliament, and on the question of where ultimate authority in clerical affairs lay. Royalists generally supported a Church of England governed by bishops , appointed by, and answerable to, the king; Parliamentarians believed he ought to be answerable to

291-567: A clearer purpose than the distracted Parliament. He moved quickly into Kent, and on the evening of 1 June, stormed Maidstone by open force, after which the local levies dispersed to their homes, and the more determined Royalists, after a futile attempt to induce the City of London to declare for them, fled into Essex . Before leaving for Essex, Fairfax delegated command of the Parliamentarian forces to Colonel Nathaniel Rich to deal with

388-667: A court for the trial and sentence of King Charles I. At the end of the trial the 59 Commissioners (judges) found Charles I guilty of high treason , as a "tyrant, traitor, murderer and public enemy". He was beheaded on a scaffold in front of the Banqueting House of the Palace of Whitehall on 30 January 1649. After the Restoration in 1660, the regicides who were still alive and not living in exile were either executed or sentenced to life imprisonment. Pontefract Castle

485-470: A court for the trial and sentence of King Charles I. At the end of the trial the 59 Commissioners (judges) found Charles I guilty of high treason , as a "tyrant, traitor, murderer and public enemy". He was beheaded on a scaffold in front of the Banqueting House of the Palace of Whitehall on 30 January 1649. The execution of Charles I ushered in the period known as the Interregnum. The reactions to

582-472: A decisive role in storming Breda , a Dutch success which was one of the last major actions of the war. After quarrelling with the civil authorities of Dordrecht , he surrendered his commission and returned to England in 1638. During the 1639 and 1640 Bishops' Wars , he was lieutenant colonel in a regiment raised by Mountjoy Blount, 1st Earl of Newport , who was also Master-General of the Ordnance . Monck

679-574: A former colleague in Ireland who seized Dublin Castle in late December. At the same time, he marched his army to the English border, supported by a force raised by former New Model Army commander Sir Thomas Fairfax . Outnumbered and unpaid, Lambert's troops melted away; on 2 February Monck entered London and in April elections were held for a Convention Parliament . While his backing was essential to

776-549: A less demanding set of terms which, crucially, did not require a Presbyterian reformation of the church. On 26 July pro-Presbyterian rioters burst into Parliament, demanding that Charles be invited to London; fearing that the king might be restored without concessions, the New Model Army took control of the city in early August, while the Army Council re-established their authority over the rank and file by suppressing

873-603: A long career in Parliament . They had one son who survived into adulthood, Christopher Monck, 2nd Duke of Albemarle (1653–1688). Monck became a professional soldier, a common career choice for younger sons of impoverished gentry. His first experience was the failed attack on Cádiz in November 1625, when he served as an ensign in a company commanded by his cousin Sir Richard Grenville . He later joined

970-652: A secret truce with Eoghan Ó Néill , the Catholic leader in Ulster, which he did not communicate to Parliament until May. Recalled to London, he was reprimanded by a Parliamentary committee, although they privately recognised the desperate circumstances which made it necessary. Although some mistrusted Monck as a former Royalist, Oliver Cromwell gave him command of a regiment in the 1650 to 1651 Anglo-Scottish War , which fought at Dunbar , then stormed Dundee , an action in which 800 civilians were allegedly killed. Throughout

1067-636: Is named after him. He was also made a shareholder in the Royal African Company , established to challenge Dutch control of the Atlantic slave trade and a major factor in the commercial tensions between the two countries that eventually led to the Second Anglo-Dutch War in 1665. The conflict was backed by Monck and other investors within the government, including George Carteret , Shaftesbury and Arlington . Command of

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1164-539: Is remembered for the death of the young and gallant Lord Francis Villiers , younger brother of George Villiers, 2nd Duke of Buckingham , in a skirmish at Kingston (7 July 1648). The rising collapsed almost as soon as it had gathered force, and its leaders, the Duke of Buckingham and Henry Rich, the Earl of Holland , escaped, after another attempt to induce London to declare for them, to St Albans and St Neots , where Holland

1261-745: The Catholic Confederacy controlled most of Ireland, with the exception of Ulster , Dublin and Cork City . Most of Ormond's officers, including Monck, argued the Irish Army should remain neutral between Parliamentarians and Royalists but Charles was anxious to use these troops to help him win the war in England and in September 1643, Ormonde agreed a truce or "Cessation" with the Confederacy. Factions on both sides objected to

1358-685: The Corkbush Field mutiny . The Eleven Members of Parliament whom the army identified as opposed to its interests were removed forcibly, and on 20 August Oliver Cromwell brought a regiment of cavalry to Hyde Park, rode with an escort to Parliament and pushed through the Null and Void Ordinance , leading to the Presbyterian MPs withdrawing from Parliament. Charles eventually rejected the Heads of Proposals, and instead signed an offer known as

1455-624: The Declaration of Breda issued by Charles on 4 April 1660 was largely based on Monck's recommendations. It promised a general pardon for actions committed during the civil wars and Interregnum , with the exception of the regicides , retention by the current owners of property purchased during the same period, religious toleration and payment of arrears to the army. Based on these terms, Parliament resolved to proclaim Charles king and invited him to return to England; he left Holland on 24 May and entered London five days later. In July 1660, Monck

1552-554: The Duke of Hamilton proved to be poor and his army was so ill provided for that as soon as England was invaded it began to plunder the countryside for sustenance. On 8 July the Scots, with Langdale leading an advance guard, were near Carlisle, and reinforcements from Ulster were expected daily. Lambert's cavalry were at Penrith , Hexham and Newcastle, too weak to fight and having only skillful leading and rapidity of movement to enable them to gain time. Appleby Castle surrendered to

1649-711: The Earl of Ormond . Over the next eighteen months, he campaigned against rebel strongholds in Leinster , during which he was responsible for several alleged massacres in County Kildare and also took part in the March 1643 Battle of New Ross . However, the outbreak of the First English Civil War in August 1642 meant Ormonde could no longer receive reinforcements or money from England, and by mid-1643,

1746-608: The Eighty Years' War against Spain . Many officers who later fought on both sides during the Wars of the Three Kingdoms did the same, among them Sir Thomas Fairfax and Sir Philip Skippon . During the capture of Maastricht in 1632, he served in a regiment commanded by the Earl of Oxford , who was killed in the final assault and replaced by George Goring . By 1637, Monck was lieutenant colonel under Goring and played

1843-579: The Engagement , which had been thrashed out with the Scottish delegation, on 26 December 1647. Charles agreed to confirm the Solemn League and Covenant by Act of Parliament in both kingdoms, and to accept Presbyterianism in England, but only for a trial period of three years, in return for the Scots' assistance in regaining his throne in England. When the delegation returned to Edinburgh with

1940-718: The Newcastle Propositions , it would have required all the king's subjects in Scotland, England and Ireland to sign the Solemn League and Covenant, brought the church in each kingdom into accordance with the Covenant and with Presbyterianism , and ceded much of Charles's secular authority as king of England to the English Parliament. The Scots spent some months trying to persuade Charles to agree to these terms, but he refused to do so. Under pressure from

2037-431: The Restoration , modern historians question whether the policy was initiated by Monck as opposed to following majority opinion, which by now was overwhelmingly in favour of reinstating the monarchy. Although elected MP for Devon, external observers noted he had little interest in politics while the lack of a regional power base in England and the proposed reduction of the army mitigated his future influence. Nevertheless,

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2134-588: The Solemn League and Covenant , in which the English Parliament agreed to reform the English church along similar lines to the Scottish Kirk in return for the Scots' military assistance. After four years of war the Royalists were defeated and Charles surrendered to the Scots on 5 May 1646. The Scots agreed with the English Parliament on a peace settlement which would be put before the king. Known as

2231-734: The St. James's Day Battle in July. In September he was recalled to help maintain order in the chaos created by the Great Fire of London . This was his last active command; the fleet had to be laid up due to lack of money, culminating in the humiliating raid on the Medway in June 1667 which ended the war. One of the few to escape censure by Parliament, Monck was appointed First Lord of the Treasury but he

2328-501: The Wars of the Three Kingdoms . A prominent military figure under the Commonwealth , his support was crucial to the Restoration of Charles II in 1660, who rewarded him with the title Duke of Albemarle and other senior positions. The younger son of an impoverished Devon landowner, Monck began his military career in 1625 and served in the Eighty Years' War until 1638, when he returned to England. Posted to Ireland as part of

2425-625: The Wars of the Three Kingdoms . The 1639 and 1640 Bishops' Wars began when Charles attempted to bring the Church of Scotland , the Kirk , into line with reforms recently enacted within the Church of England . Known as Laudianism , these changes were opposed by English Puritans and the vast majority of Scots, many of whom signed the National Covenant pledging to preserve the Kirk by force of arms. Known as Covenanters , their victory in

2522-521: The execution of Charles I in January 1649 and establishment of the Commonwealth of England , after which the Covenanters crowned his son Charles II King of Scotland, leading to the 1650 to 1652 Anglo-Scottish War . Charles I ruled the three separate kingdoms of Scotland , Ireland and England in a personal union . Thus the conflicts that started in 1639 and lasted until 1653 are known as

2619-510: The 1650 to 1652 Anglo-Scottish War , and served as General at sea during the 1652 to 1654 First Anglo-Dutch War . From 1655 to 1660, he was army commander in Scotland, and his support for moderates in Parliament who wanted to restore the monarchy proved decisive in Charles II regaining his throne in May 1660. Due to a combination of illness and lack of interest in politics, Monck faded into

2716-476: The 16th, thirty Flemish ships arrived with about 1500 mercenaries and – though the ships soon left when the Royalists ran out of money to pay them – this incited sufficient Kentish fear of foreign invasion to allow Michael Livesey to raise a large enough force to come to Colonel Rich's aid. On 28 July, the Royalist warships returned and, after three weeks of failed attempts to land a relief force at Deal, on

2813-461: The Bishops' Wars confirmed their control of Scotland and provided momentum for the king's opponents in England. The Covenanters passed laws that required all civil office-holders, MPs and clerics to sign the Covenant, and gave Parliament the right to approve all Royal councillors in Scotland. Tensions about religion and the governance of the nation were also rising in England. All parties agreed

2910-484: The Downs. He took almost a month to retake Walmer (15 June to 12 July), before moving on to Deal and Sandown castles. Even then, due to the small size of Rich's force, he was unable to surround both Sandown and Deal at once and the two garrisons were able to send help to each other. At Deal he was also under bombardment from the Royalist warships, which had arrived on 15 July but been prevented from landing reinforcements. On

3007-525: The Engagement, the Scots were bitterly divided on whether to ratify its terms. Its supporters, who became known as the Engagers, argued that it offered the best chance the Scots would get of acceptance of the Covenant across the three kingdoms, and that rejecting it risked pushing Charles to accept the Heads of Proposals. It was opposed by those who believed that to send an army into England on behalf of

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3104-484: The English to withdraw their forces now the war was over, the Scots handed Charles over to the English Parliamentary forces in exchange for a financial settlement and left England on 3 February 1647. In England, Parliament was struggling with the economic cost of the war, a poor 1646 harvest, and a recurrence of the plague. The moderate Presbyterian faction led by Denzil Holles dominated Parliament and

3201-651: The English uprisings were close to collapse, Royalist hopes centred on the Engager Scottish army. It was not the same veteran army of the Earl of Leven , which had long been disbanded. For the most part it consisted of raw levies. The Kirk party had refused to sanction the Engagement (an agreement between Charles I and the Scots Parliament for the Scots to intervene in England on behalf of Charles), causing David Leslie and thousands of experienced officers and men to decline to serve. The leadership of

3298-870: The Gabbard and Scheveningen . In April 1653, Cromwell dissolved the Rump Parliament and in June Monck was nominated MP for Devon in Barebone's Parliament . Although the Dutch war did not formally end until the February 1654 Treaty of Westminster , Monck was recalled and sent to Scotland to suppress the Royalist Glencairn's rising . Appointed military commander, he employed the ruthless tactics demonstrated in his previous assignments and by

3395-412: The King as well. Fairfax, after his success at Maidstone and the pacification of Kent, turned northward to reduce Essex, where, under their ardent, experienced, and popular leader Charles Lucas , the Royalists were in arms in great numbers. Fairfax soon drove Lucas into Colchester , but the first attack on the town was repulsed and he had to settle down to a long and wearisome siege . A Surrey rising

3492-515: The Northern Department and his brother-in-law Thomas Commissary General of Musters. Although appointed Lord Deputy of Ireland , Monck fell seriously ill once again in August 1661 and was replaced by Ormond, being "compensated" with the additional office of Lord Lieutenant of Middlesex . Thereafter he avoided front-line politics and focused on maximising his personal wealth; his wife was notorious for selling offices, although this

3589-470: The Parliamentarian moderates. In July, Horton was sent to replace Laugharne, and secure these positions. The revolt began in Pembrokeshire , an area controlled by Parliament since early 1643. Like their New Model colleagues, the soldiers had not been paid for months, and feared being disbanded without their wages. In early March, Poyer, Governor of Pembroke Castle , refused to relinquish command; he

3686-815: The Presbyterian majority in Parliament failed to disband the New Model Army in late 1647, many joined with the Scottish Engagers in an agreement to restore Charles to the English throne. The subsequent Scottish invasion was supported by Royalist risings in South Wales, Kent, Essex and Lancashire, along with sections of the Royal Navy . However, these were poorly co-ordinated and by the end of August 1648, they had been defeated by forces under Oliver Cromwell and Thomas Fairfax . This led to

3783-569: The Protectorate , Monck remained loyal to Cromwell, who appointed him military commander in Scotland until February 1652. At that time, Monck became seriously ill and retired to Bath in order to recover. Due to his expertise in utilising artillery, when the First Anglo-Dutch War began in November, Monck was made a General at Sea , along with Robert Blake and Richard Deane . He fought in the 1653 naval battles of Portland ,

3880-783: The Scots and encouraging a new civil war . In April 1648, the Grandees of the Army met for a three-day meeting in Windsor Castle . At the end of the meeting, the Grandees accepted that it was their duty "to call Charles Stuart, that man of blood, to an account for that blood he had shed, and mischief he had done". The Army and the Independents conducted " Pride's Purge " of the House of Commons removing their ill-wishers, and created

3977-771: The Scots from Ulster and the Carlisle Royalists (organized as a separate command owing to friction between Monro and the generals of the main army) at Hornby . On 13 August, while Cromwell was marching to join Lambert at Otley, the Scottish leaders were still disputing whether they should make for Pontefract or continue through Lancashire so as to join Lord Byron and the Cheshire Royalists. On 14 August 1648 Cromwell and Lambert were at Skipton, on 15 August at Gisburn , and on 16 August they marched down

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4074-408: The Scots on 31 July, whereat Lambert, who was still hanging on to the flank of the Scottish advance, fell back from Barnard Castle to Richmond so as to close Wensleydale against any attempt of the invaders to march on Pontefract . All the restless energy of Langdale's cavalry were unable to dislodge Lambert from the passes or to find out what was behind that impenetrable cavalry screen. The crisis

4171-458: The army sent to suppress the Irish Rebellion of 1641 , he quickly gained a reputation for efficiency and ruthlessness. After Charles I agreed to a truce with the Catholic Confederacy in September 1643, he was captured fighting for the Royalists at Nantwich in January 1644 and remained a prisoner for the next two years. Released in 1647, he was named Parliamentarian commander in Eastern Ulster , fought in Scotland under Oliver Cromwell in

4268-528: The background after 1660, but he returned to sea during the Second Anglo-Dutch War and played an important leadership role during the 1665 Great Plague of London , as well as the Great Fire of London in 1666. He lived in retirement for the last three years of his life and died in January 1670. Monck was born 6 December 1608 on the family estate of Potheridge in Devon , second son of Sir Thomas Monck (1570–1627) and Elizabeth Smith, daughter of Sir George Smith , three times Mayor of Exeter and reputed to be

4365-412: The country. The interregnum has been referred to as "the Cromwellian ascendancy and military occupation of Scotland" in the Oxford Companion to Scottish History under the heading 'Restoration'. Under the Tender of Union Scotland was declared part of a Commonwealth with England and Ireland in 1652, but despite repeated attempts, an act was not passed in Westminster to ratify the union until 1657. Under

4462-421: The death-blow. On 28 August, starving and hopeless of relief, the Colchester Royalists surrendered to Lord Fairfax. The victors in the Second Civil War were not merciful to those who had brought war into the land again. On the evening of the surrender of Colchester, Charles Lucas and George Lisle were shot. Laugharne, Poyer and Powel were sentenced to death, but Poyer alone was executed on 25 April 1649, being

4559-426: The end of 1655 the country had been pacified. He retained this position for the next five years, demonstrating his loyalty by removing any officers who expressed opposition to government policy and arresting religious dissidents. When Oliver Cromwell died in September 1658, Monck transferred his support to his son Richard , who was appointed Lord Protector . The Third Protectorate Parliament elected in January 1659

4656-451: The enemy about Carlisle and slowly fell back to Bowes and Barnard Castle . Lambert fought small rearguard actions to annoy the enemy and gain time. Langdale did not follow him into the mountains. Instead, he occupied himself in gathering recruits, supplies of material, and food for the advancing Scots. Lambert, reinforced from the Midlands, reappeared early in June and drove Langdale back to Carlisle with his work half finished. About

4753-429: The equally disastrous expedition against St Martin-de-Ré in July 1627; it is suggested one reason for doing so was his arrest for attempted murder in late 1626, when he and his brother Thomas assaulted Nicholas Battyn, the undersheriff responsible for jailing their father. He spent most of the next decade serving in the Dutch States Army , then considered the best place to learn the 'art of war' due to its success in

4850-408: The first shock of Cromwell's attack on Preston Moor. Hamilton, like Charles at Edgehill, passively shared in, without directing, the Battle of Preston , and, though Langdale's men fought fiercely, they were driven to the Ribble after four hours' struggle. Baillie attempted to cover the Ribble and Darwen bridges on the Wigan road, but Cromwell had forced his way across both before nightfall. Pursuit

4947-434: The fleet was given to James, Duke of York , with Sandwich as his deputy and Monck took over his administrative duties at the Admiralty. He also gained a great deal of popularity for remaining in London throughout the 1665 Great Plague when most of the government fled to Oxford . Monck and Prince Rupert shared command during the 1666 campaign; the Four Days' Battle in June was a Dutch victory, offset by English success at

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5044-490: The king and was sent by Ormonde as a prisoner to Bristol , where he eventually agreed to support the Royalists before being captured at Nantwich in January 1644. Although prisoners were commonly exchanged, his experience and ability were so highly regarded that he remained in custody for the next two years, during which he wrote a military manual entitled Observations on Military and Political Affairs . Following Charles' surrender in May 1646, he accepted an appointment in one of

5141-442: The king would be to break the Solemn League and Covenant, and that it offered no guarantee of a lasting Presbyterian church in England; the Kirk went so far as to issue a declaration on 5 May 1648 condemning the Engagement as a breach of God's law. After a protracted political struggle, the Engagers gained a majority in the Scottish Parliament, and it was accepted. Wales was a sensitive area, since most of it had been Royalist during

5238-420: The leaders of the church, who should be appointed by their congregations. The relationship between Charles and his English Parliament eventually broke down entirely, resulting in the outbreak of the First English Civil War in 1642. In England, Charles's supporters, the Royalists , were opposed by the combined forces of the Parliamentarians and the Scots. In 1643 the latter pair formed an alliance bound by

5335-454: The local levies as he went, he made for Doncaster , where he arrived on 8 August, having gained six days in advance of the time he had allowed himself for the march. He then called up artillery from Hull , exchanged his local levies for the regulars who were besieging Pontefract, and set off to meet Lambert. On 12 August he was at Wetherby , Lambert at Otley , Langdale at Skipton and Gargrave , Hamilton at Lancaster , and George Monro with

5432-481: The night of 13 August managed to land 800 soldiers and sailors under cover of darkness. This force might have been able to surprise the besieging Parliamentarian force from the rear had it not been for a Royalist deserter who alerted the besiegers in time to defeat the Royalists, with less than a hundred of them managing to get back to the ships (though 300 managed to flee to Sandown Castle). Another attempt at landing soon afterwards also failed and, when on 23 August news

5529-424: The north. On 11 July, Pembroke fell and Colchester followed on 28 August. Elsewhere the rebellion, which had been put down by rapidity of action rather than sheer weight of numbers, smouldered, and Charles, the Prince of Wales , with the fleet cruised along the Essex coast. Cromwell and Lambert, however, understood each other perfectly, while the Scottish commanders quarrelled with each other and with Langdale. As

5626-409: The regicide and to subsequent events varied considerably between the three Kingdoms and the English Dominions. After the execution of Charles I on 30 January 1649, the Scots declared his son king as Charles II. The English responded with an invasion led by Oliver Cromwell , resulting in defeats for the Scots at Dunbar in 1650 and then at Worcester 1651, opening the way for the English conquest of

5723-434: The regiments sent to Ireland by Parliament as reinforcements; in September 1647, he was appointed Parliamentarian commander in Eastern Ulster. Monck proved his loyalty to Parliament by refusing to take part in the Second English Civil War and requiring all his officers to sign a declaration of support. However, his position in Ulster became extremely precarious following the execution of Charles I in January 1649, since it

5820-432: The remains of the castle demolished the same year. Following Charles's execution, the Commonwealth of England was established. In Scotland, Charles II became the new king, the resulting tensions leading to the Anglo-Scottish War of 1650 to 1652 . George Monck George Monck, 1st Duke of Albemarle KG PC JP (6 December 1608 – 3 January 1670) was an English soldier, who fought on both sides during

5917-399: The remnants of the Kentish revolt in the east of the county, where the naval vessels in the Downs had gone over to the Royalists and Royalist forces had taken control of the three previously Parliamentarian "castles of the Downs" ( Walmer , Deal , and Sandown ) and were trying to take control of Dover Castle . Rich arrived at Dover on 5 June 1648 and prevented the attempt, before moving to

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6014-470: The report, for on 17 August Monro was half a day's march to the north, Langdale east of Preston, and the main army strung out on the Wigan road, Major-General William Baillie with a body of foot, the rear of the column, being still in Preston. Hamilton, yielding to the importunity of his lieutenant-general, James Livingston, 1st Earl of Callendar , sent Baillie across the Ribble to follow the main body just as Langdale, with 3,000 infantry and 500 cavalry, met

6111-469: The revival of the union flag and unite coin. After the death of the Lord Protector Oliver Cromwell and the fall of his son Richard's regime, General George Monck , the military governor of Scotland, marched the English army in Scotland south and facilitated a Restoration of the monarchy in June 1660. Second English Civil War The Second English Civil War took place between February and August 1648 in England and Wales . It forms part of

6208-449: The revolt collapsed as easily as that in Kent. Only in South Wales , Essex , and the north of England was there serious fighting. In the first of these districts, South Wales, Cromwell rapidly reduced all the fortresses except Pembroke. Here Laugharne, Poyer, and Powel held out with the desperate courage of deserters. In the north, Pontefract Castle was surprised by the Royalists, and shortly afterwards Scarborough Castle declared for

6305-448: The revolt collapsed before he had time to commit himself. In October, the Wallingford House group dismissed the Rump before being forced to reinstate it in early December. By the end of 1659, England appeared to be drifting into anarchy, with widespread demands for new elections and an end to military rule. Monck declared his support for the Rump against the Republican faction led by Lambert, while co-ordinating with Sir Theophilus Jones ,

6402-427: The richest man in Exeter . His siblings included an elder brother Thomas (died 1647) and a younger, Nicholas Monck (1609–1661), later Bishop of Hereford and Provost of Eton College . One of the oldest families in Devon, the Moncks were relatively poor while Smith allegedly failed to pay the dowry promised for his daughter, leading to a series of expensive legal disputes with his son-in-law. In 1625, Sir Thomas

6499-405: The road from Lancaster, through Preston, towards Wigan , Langdale's corps having thus become the left flank guard instead of the advanced guard. Langdale called in his advanced parties, perhaps with a view to resuming the duties of advanced guard, on the night of 13 August, and collected them near Longridge . It is not clear whether he reported Cromwell's advance, but, if he did, Hamilton ignored

6596-441: The same time, the local cavalry of Durham and Northumberland were put into the field for the Parliamentarians by Arthur Hesilrige , governor of Newcastle . On 30 June, under the direct command of Colonel Robert Lilburne , these mounted forces won a considerable success at the River Coquet . This reverse, coupled with the existence of Langdale's Royalist force on the Cumberland side, practically compelled Hamilton to choose

6693-651: The series of conflicts known collectively as the 1639–1653 Wars of the Three Kingdoms , which include the 1641–1653 Irish Confederate Wars , the 1639–1640 Bishops' Wars , and the 1649–1653 Cromwellian conquest of Ireland . Following his defeat in the First English Civil War , in May 1646 Charles I surrendered to the Scots Covenanters , rather than Parliament . By doing so, he hoped to exploit divisions between English and Scots Presbyterians , and English Independents . At this stage, all parties expected Charles to continue as king, which combined with their internal divisions, allowed him to refuse significant concessions. When

6790-402: The shops shut. This crowd – under the slogan "For God, King Charles, and Kent" – then descended into violence and riot, with a soldier being assaulted, the mayor's house attacked, and the city under the rioters' control for several weeks until forced to surrender in early January. On 21 May 1648, Kent rose in revolt in the King's name, and a few days later a most serious blow to the Independents

6887-429: The terms of the union the Scots gained 30 members of parliament in the Protectorate (the Commonwealth of England, Scotland and Ireland), but many posts were not filled, or fell to English agents of the government, and had very little say at Westminster. Initially the government was run by eight commissioners and adopted a policy of undermining the political power of the nobility in favour of the "meaner sort". From 1655 it

6984-422: The terms, which included negotiations on freedom of worship for Catholics and constitutional reforms. Protestants saw this as a threat, while many Confederates felt they were on the verge of victory and gained nothing from the truce; they were also well aware any concessions Charles made to Catholics in Ireland undermined his position in England and Scotland. Monck was among those who refused to swear allegiance to

7081-459: The valley of the Ribble towards Preston with full knowledge of the enemy's dispositions and full determination to attack him. They had with them troops from both the Army and the militias of Yorkshire , Durham, Northumberland and Lancashire, and were heavily outnumbered, having only 8,600 men against perhaps 20,000 of Hamilton's command. But the latter were scattered for convenience of supply along

7178-590: The victim selected by lot. Of five prominent Royalist peers who had fallen into the hands of Parliament, three, the Duke of Hamilton, the Earl of Holland, and Lord Capel , one of the Colchester prisoners, were beheaded at Westminster on 9 March. Above all, after long hesitations, even after renewal of negotiations, the Army and the Independents conducted " Pride's Purge " of the House removing their ill-wishers, and created

7275-486: The war, while Harlech Castle was the last of their strongpoints to surrender in March 1647. The interception of secret messages between Charles and the Irish Confederacy made it important to secure ports like Cardiff and Milford Haven , since they controlled shipping routes with Ireland. The Army Council viewed the local commanders, John Poyer and Rowland Laugharne , with suspicion, since they supported

7372-873: The west coast route for his advance. His Scottish Engager army began slowly to move down the long couloir between the mountains and the sea. The Campaign of Preston which followed is one of the most brilliant in English history. On 8 July 1648, when the Scottish Engager army crossed the border in support of the English Royalists, the military situation was well defined. For the Parliamentarians, Cromwell besieged Pembroke in West Wales, Fairfax besieged Colchester in Essex, and Colonel Rossiter besieged Pontefract and Scarborough in

7469-638: Was a common practice and probably reflected resentment at her humble origins. In his diary, Samuel Pepys attacks her as a "homely, plain dowd" and "filthy woman"; however, his views were coloured by the rivalry between Monck and his cousin Edward Montagu, 1st Earl of Sandwich , for control of the Admiralty . In 1663, Monck was allocated lands in the Province of Carolina , now the modern US states of South and North Carolina , whose Albemarle Sound

7566-508: Was a major Royalist rising in the Highlands in 1653–1655 led by William Cunningham, Earl of Glencairn and John Middleton . After initial success, it suffered from internal divisions and petered out after defeat at the Battle of Dalnaspidal in 1654. The regime extended toleration to Protestants, including sectaries, but the only significant groups were a small number of Quakers . The Kirk

7663-454: Was at once undertaken, and not relaxed until Hamilton had been driven through Wigan and Winwick to Uttoxeter and Ashbourne . There, pressed furiously in rear by Cromwell's cavalry and held up in front by the militia of the midlands, the remnant of the Scottish army laid down its arms on 25 August. Various attempts were made to raise the Royalist standard in Wales and elsewhere, but Preston was

7760-486: Was divided by the issue of co-operation with the crown into Resolutioners and more hard line Protesters . The regime tended to favour the Protestors giving them control over the universities. The country was relatively highly taxed, but gained access to English markets. The era was remembered as one of prosperity, but not everywhere benefitted from economic expansion. There was an attempt to create national symbols with

7857-464: Was dominated by Scots Presbyterian settlers , supported by a Covenanter army under Robert Monro . The Scots did not only object to the English killing their king without consultation. As Calvinists , they viewed monarchy as divinely ordained, making the execution sacrilegious . As a result, they defected to the Royalist–Confederate alliance led by Ormond and in desperation, Monck agreed to

7954-627: Was dominated by moderate Presbyterians like Monck and Royalist sympathisers, whose main objective was to reduce the power and expense of the military. In April, army radicals led by John Lambert and Charles Fleetwood dissolved Parliament and forced the resignation of Richard Cromwell. Sometimes known as the Wallingford House party , the new regime abolished the Protectorate, reseated the Rump Parliament dismissed by Cromwell in 1653 and began removing officers and officials of suspect loyalty, including many of those serving in Scotland. Monck

8051-471: Was fired into Deal Castle on an arrow of Cromwell's victory at Preston , most Royalist hope was lost and two days later Deal's garrison surrendered, followed by Sandown on 5 September. This finally ended the Kentish rebellion. Rich was made Captain of Deal Castle, a position he held until 1653 and in which he spent around £500 on repairs. In Cornwall , Northamptonshire , North Wales , and Lincolnshire

8148-474: Was imprisoned for debt and died in jail two years later. In January 1653, Monck married Anne Clarges (1619–1670), daughter of a London farrier and widow of Thomas Radford; his death was not legally confirmed until a year after their marriage, a fact which was later used against her. Her brother Thomas (1618–1695) was a committed Royalist who was knighted after the Stuart Restoration and had

8245-557: Was left in place largely because rumours of another Royalist rising made it preferable to retain him. Both his cousin John Grenville and brother Nicholas were connected with the Royalist underground and in July 1659, Nicholas brought him a personal appeal from Charles II , asking for his help and offering up to £100,000 per year for his assistance. When Booth's Uprising broke out in August 1659, Monck considered joining it but

8342-611: Was made Duke of Albemarle and appointed to the Privy Council ; he also received the former Palace of Beaulieu , lands in Ireland and England worth £7,000 per year, an annual pension of £700 and various offices, including Lord Lieutenant of Devon . He also obtained significant positions for his dependents and connections; John Grenville became Earl of Bath , while Nicholas Monck was appointed Bishop of Hereford, his cousin William Morice Secretary of State for

8439-487: Was marching on Cardiff , but was defeated at St Fagans on 8 May. This ended the revolt as a serious threat, although Pembroke Castle did not surrender until 11 July, with a minor rising in North Wales suppressed at Y Dalar Hir in June and Anglesey retaken from the rebels in early October. The Welsh rising is generally not considered part of a planned, Royalist plot, but largely accidental; however, its retention

8536-412: Was noted by Oliver Cromwell as "[...] one of the strongest inland garrisons in the kingdom". Even in ruins, the castle held out in the north for the Royalists. Upon the execution of Charles I, the garrison recognised Charles II as king and refused to surrender. On 24 March 1649, almost two months after Charles was beheaded, the garrison of the last Royalist stronghold finally capitulated. Parliament had

8633-466: Was now at hand. Cromwell had received the surrender of Pembroke Castle on 11 July, and had marched off, with his men unpaid, ragged and shoeless, at full speed through the Midlands. Rains and storms delayed his march, but he knew that the Duke of Hamilton in the broken ground of Westmorland was still worse off. Shoes from Northampton and stockings from Coventry met him at Nottingham , and gathering up

8730-612: Was one of the few to emerge with any credit from the Battle of Newburn in 1640, when he saved the English artillery from capture. Lack of money meant the army was dissolved. Monck spent the next year unemployed. Following the Irish Rebellion of 1641 , Parliament approved the recruitment of a Royal Army to suppress it. Monck was made colonel of a regiment raised by his distant relative Robert Sidney, 2nd Earl of Leicester , which landed in Dublin in January 1642 and served under

8827-541: Was ordered that it be disbanded, but its leaders refused to do so. Charles now engaged in separate negotiations with different factions. Presbyterian English Parliamentarians and the Scots wanted him to accept a modified version of the Newcastle Propositions, but in June 1647, Cornet George Joyce of the New Model Army seized Charles, and the army council pressed him to accept the Heads of Proposals ,

8924-415: Was replaced by a new Council of Scotland, headed by Irish peer Lord Broghill , and began to attempt to win over the traditional landholders. The regime built a series of major citadels and minor forts at immense cost. The Scottish legal system was suspended, but some courts and institutions were gradually restored. Generally the regime was successful in enforcing law and order and suppressing banditry. There

9021-470: Was soon joined by Rice Powell , who commanded Tenby Castle , then by Laugharne. What began as a dispute over pay turned political when the Welsh rebels made contact with Charles. Most Royalists had sworn not to bear arms against Parliament and did not participate, one exception being Nicholas Kemeys , who held Chepstow Castle for the king. By the end of April, Laugharne had assembled around 8,000 troops, and

9118-514: Was struck by the defection of the Navy, from command of which they had removed Vice-Admiral William Batten , as being a Presbyterian. Though a former Lord High Admiral, the Earl of Warwick , also a Presbyterian, was brought back to the service, it was not long before the Navy made a purely Royalist declaration and placed itself under the command of the Prince of Wales . But Fairfax had a clearer view and

9215-600: Was supported by the London Trained Bands , the Army of the Western Association, leaders like Rowland Laugharne in Wales, and elements of the English navy . By March 1647, the New Model Army was owed more than £3 million in unpaid wages; Parliament ordered it to Ireland, stating only those who agreed to go would be paid. When their representatives demanded full payment for all in advance, it

9312-417: Was taken prisoner. Buckingham escaped overseas. Major-General John Lambert , a brilliant young Parliamentarian commander of twenty-nine, was more than equal to the situation. He left the sieges of Pontefract Castle and Scarborough Castle to Colonel Edward Rossiter , and hurried into Cumberland to deal with the English Royalists under Marmaduke Langdale . With his cavalry , Lambert got into touch with

9409-407: Was vital for future operations in Ireland. A precursor to Kent 's Second Civil War had come on Wednesday, 22 December 1647, when Canterbury 's town crier had proclaimed the county committee's order for the suppression of Christmas Day and its treatment as any other working day. However, a large crowd gathered on Christmas to demand a church service, decorate doorways with holly bushes, and keep

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