After King Charles I’s surrender in
the Second English Civil War, he was issued a list of demands discussed
in what is now known as the Treaty of
Newport, as this was the name of the area in which he was being held at the
time. This treaty was intended to bring an end to hostilities of the Civil War,
but was found to be divisive in the Long Parliament, as radicals amongst the
group believed that the King acted deliberately to incite the war, and felt he
should be held accountable through trial. The more moderate group still felt
that negotiations could be made, and that they would ultimately be favorable
for the country as a whole, such as reinstituting the King but limit his
authorities. Negotiations started in September, and were extended to last
through November as points were disputed, such as state religion and the
accountability of his followers in the war. It should be noted, at the same
time these negotiations were being made, that he was secretly writing to allies
in neighboring countries to excuse and ignore any treaties made whilst in
captivity. The prolonged negotiations infuriated radicals, such as General
Fairfax of the New Model Army and statesmen Henry Ireton, leading them to write
and enact the Army Remonstrance, a
manifesto which meant to justify the abandonment of treaty negotiations, and
expedite a trial for Charles. When word of the parliament’s imminent agreement
reached military leaders, they responded by deploying Colonel Thomas Pride to
stand outside the House of Commons, accompanied by the New Model Army,
arresting up to 45 members and outright excluding 186 in total, all of which
were thought to be against the efforts to punish the King. This exclusion
lasted from December 6 through the 12th , and this purged house
became known as the “Rump Parliament”, signifying the end of its negotiations
and debate. The king’s trial led to regicide as he was found guilty of high
treason, and subsequently beheaded on January 30th, 1649.
Sources:
Plant, David. “Pride's Purge, 1648.” BCW Project,
BCW Project, bcw-project.org/church-and-state/second-civil-war/prides-purge.
Pride’s Purge, 'the Rump'
and Regicide.” UK Parliament, UK Parliament, www.parliament.uk/about/living-heritage/evolutionofparliament/parliamentaryauthority/civilwar/overview/prides-purge/
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