1649, and the king's head rolls across the platform outside Whitehall.
Er … so we've killed the king; now what do we do?
Oooh, I wonder what's in this one …
Anthony Ashcam (or Ascham if you believe the interweb … I prefer to believe his title page in my little booky above) had been giving this very subject some serious thought the previous year. He became embroiled in a pamphlet war with royalists who argued that they could not be obedient to Parliament simply because it was de facto in power. His thoughts were taken up by Thomas Hobbes after the Restoration and form part of the basis for our current constitutional monarchy.
A jolly important constitutional document: "how farre a man may lawfully conforme to the power and Commands of those who hold a Kingdome divided by Civill Warre."
Ashcam/Ascham argued successfully that to keep society from chaos, people's self-interest inevitably led to their giving allegiance to any de facto power that was capable of protecting their lives and livelihoods, regardless of the legality of the upcoming proposal to put the king to trial for his life.
Cromwell and the army agreed and made an attempt at rule by Parliament alone. Rule of the people by the people for the people. Yeah, that's gonna work …
On May 30th in Norwich, Alderman Andrews proclaimed the Act for Abolishing Kingly Government.
The Colonies were beginning to have an impact on Norwich life; that summer, "Several young men and boys, clothed at the charge of the city, were carried to London, bound apprentices, and sent to Virginia and New England." I wonder where their descendants are now?
On June 26th an insurrection plot was discovered in Norwich in support of the future Charles the Second. Cromwell sent judges to Norwich, where in December, "in great pomp, with the sword and mace &c. on Saturday they condemned six, who were executed the Monday morning following, on a gallows erected between the cross and the well in the market place (about where Joe's Pet Food stall now stands), on Tuesday they condemned six more, on Wednesday, being Christmas Day, they passed sentence on Mr. Cooper, a minister at Holt, who was hanged there, on Thursday 26th, five more were condemned, on Friday, Col. Saul and a shoemaker were condemned, and after hanged at Lyn, on Monday Dec 30th, Major Francis Roberts, and Lieutenant John Barber, and two others were condemned, the two former were hanged on the gallows in the market, and the other two at two several market towns; one Mr. Will Hobart, who gave witness against Mr. Cooper, was the next day himself condemned, and hanged at Dearham."
Rather incongruously the very next sentence in Blomefield reads, "Mackerel, good and fresh, were sold in the market for 17 a penny, hops were 12l. a hundred, and wheat, 20s. a comb." The fish market was only yards from the gallows where so many were left hanging. At least they'd stopped burning folk (except witches).
In 1652, the Long Parliament, or at least the Rump of it, having sat for twenty years was dissolved by Cromwell. He had found it necessary to institute a mini-parliament to set rules; parliament when left to itself got nothing done but bicker. There were no parties back then, just a load of landowners, Puritans and army members yelling about their own self-interest.
On December 16th, 1653, Oliver assumed the title of Lord Protector and on the 22nd was proclaimed such at Norwich.
This is way too huge a subject to be covered here, but the books in my sources (below) will provide many happy hours of rabbit-hole-spelunking for those who wish to fill in some historical gaps.
Next time we'll take a quick look at the Protectorate and the good things that came from Oliver's rule before scurrying on to the Restoration, which promises to be a whole lot funnier.
Sources:
Acts and Monuments: Foxe: Old Dive's 1621 edition.
The History of the Reformation of the Church of England: Gilbert Burnett: Old Dive's 1730 edition.
Clark's Lives - The Marrow of Ecclesiastical History: Samuel Clark: Old Dive's 1675 edition.
A Discourse - Wherein is Examined What is Particularly Lawfull During the Confusions and Revolutions of Government: Anthony Ashcam: 1648 (Old Dive's copy which discusses what the hell to do if you're about to execute the king) in three parts (which influenced the policies of the Protectorate)
Francis
Blomefield: An Essay Towards a Topographical History of the County of
Norfolk: Volume 3: The History of the City and County of Norwich:
published 1753 to 1775
Norfolk Museums Service and the Norfolk Archæological Society
East Anglian Archæology Vol. 132: Norwich Castle: Excavations and Historical Survey: 1978-1988: Part II: c.1345 to Modern: Elizabeth Shepherd-Popescu: 2009
Cromwell, Our Chief of Men: Antonia Fraser: 1973
Diary and Correspondence of John Evelyn with Life: H. B. Wheatley: 1906: 4 Vols
Samuel Pepys' Diaries: H. B. Wheatley: 1911: 8 Vols (expurgated) bound in a rather lovely cornflower blue
The Diary of Samuel Pepys: Latham and Matthews: Folio Soc. Limited Edition: 11 Vols (unexpurgted)
Narcissus Luttrell's Diaries (ongoing transcription project by Old Dive)
The Interregnum, 1648 - 1660, Studies of the Commonwealth, Legislative, Social and Legal: F. A. Inderwick; 1891 (an exceedingly good read, despite the dull title; I lucked onto an inscribed and signed first edition for next to nothing … yay!)
Notable Historical Trials: Vol 2 of 4: Chapter III: The Trial of Charles I: Justin Lovell (ed) 1999
The History of England Vol 3: Civil War: Peter Ackroyd: 2014
The Printed Plans of Norwich 1558-1840, A Carto-Bibliography: Raymond Frostick: 2002
Norwich Cathedral - Church, City and Diocese: 1096 - 1996: Various Eds. 1996
Norwich Cathedral Close: Roberta Gilchrist: 2005
Norwich Since 1550: ed: Carole Rawcliffe & Richard Wilson: 2004
Norwich - The Growth of a City: Barbara Green & Rachel M R Young: Norfolk Museums Service: 1981
Norwich Houses Before 1700: Vernacular Architecture, Vol 14: 1983
2 comments:
Wow. The results of that insurrection plot give a whole new meaning to the holiday season.
Yes, the Christmas decorations at Norwich Market were a tad gruesome that year but at least you could get good, fresh mackerel at 17 to the penny!
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