1. Naomi Pullin naomi.wood@warwick.ac.uk The British Problem: Empire, Conflict and National Identities, 1558-1714 Rebellion, Revolution and Regicide: the 1640s

2. World turned upside down War Begins at Edgehill 23 October 1649 Ends with execution of Charles I 30 January 1649 John Taylor, The World Turn’d Upside Down (1646)

3. Focus of this lecture The English Civil Wars, 1642-1649 1. Wars in Scotland, 1643-45 2. Conflict in Ireland, 1642-46 3. First civil war in England, 1642-47 4. Second civil war in England and execution of Charles I, 1648-1649

4. Nicholas Kishlansky: ‘The war created radicalism. Radicalism did not create the war’. Current revisionist stress on unintended consequences.

5. Scotland 1643-45 August 1643 – English Parliament accepts Solemn League and Covenant – shared commitment to Presbyterian religious reform. Parliament allies with Covenanting Committee of Estates in Edinburgh – leading. Presbyterian aristocrats (Argyll, Lothian, Rothes and Lindsay) BUT criticised for imposing too much on King and becoming tyrants

6. James Graham, Marquis of Montrose (1612-1650) Splits from Covenanters Pledges loyalty to Charles I Seeks support to Royalist cause from Gaelic Highlanders – Edinburgh a bigger threat to independence than Charles I Appeals to local clan feuds

7. Scotland Clan Territories Territories held by Clan MacDonald / MacDonnell Clan Campbell

8. War in Scotland 1644 1.Religious conflict – Radical Calvinists (Presbyterian) Covenanters in Edinburgh vs. moderate Protestants in Highlands 2. Political conflict – Centralisation of Covenanting administration in Edinburgh vs. desire for independence by Scottish clans 3. Local rivalries – clan clashes Campbells vs. MacDonalds, Camerons and Macleans

9. Ireland 1642-1646 1641 – Irish rebels claim loyalty to Crown BUT War brings out older political, cultural, ethnic and religious conflicts. Irish nationalist historians – decade of independence from English dominance Others – a decade of anarchy

10. Ireland 1642-1646 Catholics > holding reigns of power Confederate leaders take control of rebel army and reshape religious and political allegiances - commitment to royalist cause. Confederation of Kilkenney: > Catholic Remonstrance to Charles I (March 1642) - pledges allegiance to Crown, in return for religious freedom for Catholics and end to plantations

11. Ireland 1642-1646 1642 Presbyterian army from Scotland enters Northern Ireland (led by Monro) Catholic victory because Protestantism fragments along political lines (some forces loyal to Crown, others to Parliament) 1646 Confederacy of Kilkenny control half of Ireland > army of 60,000 men BUT fail to make use of power > religious and ideological splits

12. 1646-48 – Conflict splits the Catholic Confederacy 1.Political Those willing to accept English crown vs. those wanting to overthrown English conquests of C16th 2. Religious Question of whether Catholics are fighting primarily for Charles I or for the international Counter- Reformation. 3. Ethnic Royalist ‘Old English’ vs radicalised Ulster Gaels.

13. ‘First Civil War’- key dates August 1642 – Charles I raises royal standard at Nottingham. October 1642 – Battle of Edgehill - a stalemate. June 1644 – Parliamentary victory at battle of Marston Moor: largest engagement of the war.

14. Oliver Cromwell (1599-1658) Sir Thomas Fairfax (1612-1671)

15. ‘First Civil War’- key dates August 1642 – Charles I raises royal standard at Nottingham. October 1642 – Battle of Edgehill - a stalemate. June 1644 – Parliamentary victory at battle of Marston Moor: largest engagement of the war. January 1645 - New Model Army formed June 1645 – Battle of Naseby – major parliamentary victory. September 1645 – Montrose and Scottish royalists crushed at battle of Philiphaugh. April 1646 – Charles forced to flee after siege of Oxford. May 1646 – Charles I surrenders to the Scots and enters their custody. 30 January 1647 – Charles I surrendered by the Scots to the English Parliamentary commissioners.

16. A deal for Crown and Parliament? Newcastle Propositions (1647) - manifesto to Charles I: Establishment of Presbyterian Church, abolition of Bishops Limitations to power of Crown Armed forces to be controlled by Parliament for 20yrs State officials and judges nominated by Parliament

17. The New Model Army and the Levellers New Model Army - deeply religious Independents = radical Protestants: - no national church; - want decentralised Christian worship Adherents incl. Cromwell and Fairfax John Lilburne (1614-1657) Rise of the Levellers led by radicalised soldiers > demand gov. answerable to the people

18. Oliver Cromwell ‘I had rather have a plain russet-coated captain that knows what he fights for and loves what he knows, than that which you call a gentleman and is nothing else’.

19. Soldiers present treaty – wanted guarantees that they wouldn’t be subject to recriminations for wrongs during war Solemn Engagement 1647 – New Model Army refuses to disband until settlement secured that acknowledged their terms Conflict between army and parliament in 1647

20. Army Representation, June 1647 ‘We were not a mere mercenary army, hired to serve any arbitrary power of a state, but called forth and conjured by the several declarations of Parliament to the defence of our own and the People's just Rights and Liberties...’ Army not just military but political force, should have a say in the new settlement.

21. Heads of Proposals, August 1647 Created by army leaders in consultation with parliamentary forces Conservative proposals for religious and political reform. King keeps control of parliament and key military appointmens Condition – parliament to be elected every two years.

22. Cromwell saw ‘the very signal appearance of God Himself, which I hope we never forget!’ Charles I proves himself untrustworthy: ‘You cannot do without me, you will fall to ruin if I do not sustain you’. 1648: ‘that most memorable year, that ever this nation saw’ Charles escapes to Isle of Wight and signs Engagement with Scottish Presbyterians (former opponents) > 1648 Scottish troops invade England

23. The ‘Second Civil War’, 1648 26 December 1647 - Charles signs Engagement with Scots. April – Royalist riots in London and Norwich. 8 May– defeat of Welsh royalist army at St Fagans. 21 May – royalist uprising against Parliament in Kent: defeated at Maidstone, June 21 st. 4 June – royalist rising breaks out in Essex. 8 June – Scottish army crosses the border. 17 August – defeat of the Scots by Cromwell at Preston. 27 August – surrender of the Colchester garrison to Thomas Fairfax.

24. God-given victories Sees God’s providence pointing for new settlement Notes the ‘Wonderful works of God... breaking the rod of the Oppressor’ 1648: ‘our fleshly reasonings ensnare us... let us look into providences, surely they mean somewhat, they hang so together, have been so constant, so clear and unclouded’.

25. Pride’s purge, Dec. 1648 Ireton: “Charles Stuart, that man of blood” Colonel Thomas Pride: marches into London and arrests or expels 185 MPs and peers from Parliament > vacuum for Cromwell to take the lead in bringing Charles to justice

26. Execution of Charles I 30 January 1649 ‘I go from a corruptible to an incorruptible Crown’.

27. Conclusions Who should take power from divinely-appointed king? How can this be justified, when only minority want execution? Ordinary people engaged in politics and religion > radicalism and emergence of new groups Can peace be restored to the three kingdoms?