C1 TRIAL/EXECUTION:
The General Council of the Army decided that C1 had to be removed and to be put on public trial. The army
wanted to do this legally. BUT some MPs still thought it was possible to reach an agreement w/C1.
5th December 1648, Commons voted 129:83 that the P reps who had been sent to Newport (Isle of Wight,
where C1 was) should CONTINUE their talks w/him. This was too much for the army leaders and led to Pride’s
Purge the next day.
6th December 1648, PRIDE’S PURGE: Colonel Pride (acting on behalf of the Army Council) stood at the door of
the Commons and turned away members by force (mainly Presbyterians) who had voted in favour of the
negotiations. Those MPs who were allowed in the Commons after the purge became known as the Rump P.
January 1649, Commons asserted that they now had ‘supreme power of this nation’ rather than C1/House of
Lords. At the trial, the High Court (specially created by the Rump to prosecute C1) claimed to represent the
‘will of the people’. His trial was used for show as everyone knew he was guilty from the beginning. C1
conducted himself well but he refused to recognise the court or to plead. C1 asked his accusers by what legal
authority was he brought before them, and they had no legitimate answer. Despite this, he was declared
guilty and was beheaded on 30th January 1649.
Royalists portrayed Cromwell as a black-hearted man who forced his army colleagues and parliamentarians to
accept the trial and execution when they favoured to be lenient. However, Cromwell wasn’t the chief
instigator of the proceedings against C1 and he didn’t speak publicly on the issue until late December 1648
(before execution). In the end, he concluded that the king’s execution was both legal and just. Some people
say that Ireton drove it on. ‘Presbyterians and the body of the City were much against it’, and the King’s party
thought it was all ‘a pageantry to strike a terror, and to force the king to concessions’.
Most British people were shocked. The strength of this was shown by C1’s opponents who no matter how they
were against him, didn’t get involved in his execution. The regicides (those who signed his death warrant) saw
it as a duty they had to fulfil. C1 wasn’t executed to bring about constitutional change.
The next thing that the Rump did was abolish both the monarchy/Lords and create a Commonwealth. This was
formally done in Match 1649.
The General Council of the Army decided that C1 had to be removed and to be put on public trial. The army
wanted to do this legally. BUT some MPs still thought it was possible to reach an agreement w/C1.
5th December 1648, Commons voted 129:83 that the P reps who had been sent to Newport (Isle of Wight,
where C1 was) should CONTINUE their talks w/him. This was too much for the army leaders and led to Pride’s
Purge the next day.
6th December 1648, PRIDE’S PURGE: Colonel Pride (acting on behalf of the Army Council) stood at the door of
the Commons and turned away members by force (mainly Presbyterians) who had voted in favour of the
negotiations. Those MPs who were allowed in the Commons after the purge became known as the Rump P.
January 1649, Commons asserted that they now had ‘supreme power of this nation’ rather than C1/House of
Lords. At the trial, the High Court (specially created by the Rump to prosecute C1) claimed to represent the
‘will of the people’. His trial was used for show as everyone knew he was guilty from the beginning. C1
conducted himself well but he refused to recognise the court or to plead. C1 asked his accusers by what legal
authority was he brought before them, and they had no legitimate answer. Despite this, he was declared
guilty and was beheaded on 30th January 1649.
Royalists portrayed Cromwell as a black-hearted man who forced his army colleagues and parliamentarians to
accept the trial and execution when they favoured to be lenient. However, Cromwell wasn’t the chief
instigator of the proceedings against C1 and he didn’t speak publicly on the issue until late December 1648
(before execution). In the end, he concluded that the king’s execution was both legal and just. Some people
say that Ireton drove it on. ‘Presbyterians and the body of the City were much against it’, and the King’s party
thought it was all ‘a pageantry to strike a terror, and to force the king to concessions’.
Most British people were shocked. The strength of this was shown by C1’s opponents who no matter how they
were against him, didn’t get involved in his execution. The regicides (those who signed his death warrant) saw
it as a duty they had to fulfil. C1 wasn’t executed to bring about constitutional change.
The next thing that the Rump did was abolish both the monarchy/Lords and create a Commonwealth. This was
formally done in Match 1649.
