Charles Fleetwood
Charles Fleetwood (born around 1618 in Northampton , † October 4, 1692 in London ) was an English soldier and politician. From 1652 to 1655 he was Lord Deputy of Ireland , where he implemented Oliver Cromwell's settlement policy.
Life
He was the third son of Sir Miles Fleetwood of Aldwinkle in Northamptonshire and of Anne, daughter of Nicholos Luke of Woodend in Bedfordshire . Charles Fleetwood was born in Northampton around 1618.
The English Civil War
In 1652 he married Bridget, daughter of Oliver Cromwell and widow of Henry Ireton , and became commander in chief of the parliamentary armed forces in Ireland . In the first year of his rule, he eliminated the last Irish guerrilla resistance to the conquest of Ireland by Cromwell. Fleetwood negotiated with the remaining guerrilla gangs known as the "Tories" and offered to either give up or leave the country to do military service in a country not at war with the Commonwealth of England . The last organized Irish forces gave up in 1653.
The main concern of his civil administration, which lasted from September 1652 to September 1655, was the implementation of the Act of Settlement of 1652, which allowed soldiers of the New Model Army to settle on the confiscated estates of the Catholic landowners, which in turn were forcibly relocated on a kind of reservation . Fleetwood ruthlessly enforced this policy. He also showed all the harshness in persecuting the Roman Catholic priests and favoring Anabaptists and extreme Puritan sects to the detriment of the moderate Presbyterians , which aroused great and general dissatisfaction and a letter of appeal was finally sent to have him recalled.
Career during the Protectorate
Fleetwood was a stern and unwavering adherent of Cromwell's policy. He supported Cromwell in his efforts to become Lord Protector and the dissolution of the parliaments. In December 1654 he became a member of the Council of State and, on his return to England in 1655, was made a major general in administration. He was scrutinized by Petition and Advice but refused to grant Cromwell the title of king , joined the new House of Lords and passionately supported Cromwell's foreign policy in Europe , which was religiously based and defended persecuted Protestants everywhere. After the death of Oliver Cromwell, he was seen as his successor. It is recorded that Cromwell actually nominated him. He supported Richard Cromwell's efforts to come to power, but did not intervene when the army demanded independence, forcing Richard to dissolve the third parliament in the Protectorate.
His plan to restore Richard's position in close coordination with the army failed, and he was forced to convene the rump parliament on May 6, 1659 again. He was immediately appointed as a member of the Security Committee and the Council of State and as one of seven commissioners for the army, to whose commander in chief he was nominated on June 9, 1659. His power was undermined and attacked by parliament, but his office was declared valid in October. The next day he supported the dissolution of the rump parliament by John Lambert and was reappointed commander in chief of the army.
Collapse of the protectorate and restoration of the monarchy
Various parliamentary generals, led by George Monck , decided that the only way to stabilize the country was to restore the monarchy. With this in mind, Monk led troops stationed in Scotland on their march to London. Despite the approach of George Monk from the north, Fleetwood stayed in London and retained the command of command. Unsure which party to ally with and in negotiation with King Charles II, Monk's army restored the rump parliament on December 24th, removing Fleetwood's command of the army and ordering his presence in parliament to answer questions about his Answer leadership.
Members of the Long Parliament , in reverse of the former conditions, took their places in the rump parliament and were now the Convention Parliament . Without their influencing it, the Restoration spread and gained power everywhere. Charles Fleetwood was among the twenty people responsible for paying damages in the Act of Indemnity and was expelled from office. His political career was over. He lived until October 4, 1692 and was buried at Bunhill Fields .
See also
literature
- Literature by and with Charles Fleetwood in the Karlsruhe Virtual Catalog
- Lee, Sidney: "Dictionary of National Biography" , 2001, Adamant Media Corporation, ISBN 140217067X , p. 42.
Web links
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Fleetwood, Charles |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | English politician and soldier |
| DATE OF BIRTH | around 1618 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Northampton |
| DATE OF DEATH | October 4, 1692 |
| Place of death | London |