General George Monck, first duke of Albemarle, as born on Dec 6, 1608.
Scholars argue about this, but George Monck is seen as a child delinquent. Which doesn’t seem so debatable to me, because at the age of 16, in the year 1625, he attacked the under-sheriff who arrested his father, Sir Thomas Monck, who was being scrutinized for bribery and various other financial dealings. The sheriff would later die from those injuries.
So to avoid the legal liability of what he had done, George Monck volunteered for the expedition to Cadiz, which was an English and Dutch assault on an isle in Spain. The expedition is a disaster, in one instance, 1,000 English soldiers are found drunk by the Spanish and are killed.
Needless to say, Monck making it back alive was a bit of a miracle. Four years later, he would entire the service of the Dutch and earn a reputation as a good soldier and a disciplinarian.
By 1640, he had risen to the rank of leiutenant colonel.
And in 1642, at the outbreak of the Irish rebellion, he began to make a name for himself after receiving command of a regiment from his relative, the Earl of Leicester, Lord-Leiutenant of Ireland.
He scored victories at Kilrush, Rathroffy, and Clongoweswood.
Saved Ballinakill, from besiegement by General Preston.
And in 1643, the earl of Leicester made him governor of Dublin, before being overruled by the King.
After Ireland, he returned to England only to be imprisoned for refusing to betray his oath to King Charles. He remained there until the end of the First English Civil War, 1646. But his time there was not a total loss, because he met his wife Anne Clarges there, and wrote his book, [Text Wrapping Break]“Observations upon Political and Military Affairs.” However, it would not publish until after his death in 1671.
Monck was released from prison in 1646 after he swore an oath to Parliament and was placed back in command of Parliamentary forces in Ireland where he served during the Second English Civil War, where Royalists gathered after the execution of Charles I.
He would later command forces in Cromwell’s army during the invasion of Scotland, and eventually be elevated to commander-in-chief of the Commonwealth forces in Scotland after Cromwell left the country in pursuit of the Scots-Royalist army.
From there he commanded at blockade of Dutch commerce during the First-Angelo Dutch war, where he played a key role in creation of line-battle-fleet manuvers.
In 1654, Monck returned to Scotland to put down after Royalist uprising, Glencairn's Uprising. And for the next five years, he would be the military governor of the country. But during this time, rumors of his involvement in Royalist conspiracies began to surface.
And though he was approached in the summer of 1659 by Royalist seeking to restore the monarchy, he refused to commit.
Instead, he redeclared his loyalty to Parliament and ensured loyal from his officers by rounding up over 100 men who were perceived to be disloyal. By the end of the year, he was commander of all land forces in Scotland and England. And at Parliament’s invitation, they marched into London in February of 1660.
But in March of 1660 be began to plan with representatives of Charles Stuart about the Restoration of the English Monarchy.
With the Rump Parliament incredibly unpopular, Monck and his army supported calls for the reinstatement of MPs who were exiled during Pride’s Purge. With their re-admittance, the final session of the Long Parliament began and ended, with a call for an election for the basis of restoring the monarchy.
In April the Convention Parliament gathered and acknowledged Charles II as rightful heir to a restored Monarchy.
In May, Charles II made land fall and was personally greeted by General Monck.
Later, the Bill of Indemnity and Oblivion was passed, which pardoned all crimes done during the English Civil Wars.
After this Monck was given was named Earl of Torrington and Duke of Albemarle.
But he stepped away from politics. Only returning to serve as governor of London during the Great Fire and the Great Plague.
And died ten years later, on Jan 3, 1670. With his wife collapsing from grief and dying just weeks later.
No comments:
Post a Comment