Penruddock uprising
Encyclopedia
The Penruddock uprising was one of a series of coordinated uprisings planned by the Sealed Knot
for a Royalist insurrection to start in March 1655 during the Protectorate
of the Lord Protector
Oliver Cromwell
.
There were plans to seize Salisbury
, Newcastle
, York
and Winchester
and instigate smaller uprisings in Nottinghamshire
and Cheshire
. The New Model Army
garrison in Winchester was reinforced shortly before the uprising so plans to attack it were abandoned. No men answered the call in Cheshire, but risings did take place in the other places. However, at all of the locations except Salisbury, the Royalists disbanded without a fight due to lack of support.
The rendezvous point for the York uprising was on Marston Moor and is notable for the presence of Earl of Rochester
who had arrived from the exiled court of Charles II
to take part, it was put down by Colonel Robert Lilburne
Governor of York and on its failure Rochester fled the country.
Colonel
John Penruddock
along with Sir Joseph Wagstaffe
organised and lead the Royalist uprising in the West. On March 11 Penruddock with between 300 and 400 other Cavaliers took Salisbury and raised the Royal standard. The next morning he led his followers out of Salisbury heading west through Blandford, Sherborne
and Yeovil
hoping to pick up more supporters, but a single troop of horse of the New Model Army under Captain Unton Crook defeated them after a three-hour street fight in South Molton
in Devon
on 14 March. Most of the Royalists either fled or were killed but Crook captured Penruddock and the other ringleaders.
In 1655 Oliver Cromwell
appointed the judge Sir Hugh Wyndham
to the commission of oyer and terminer
charged with dealing with the Penruddock uprising, and for his part in the rebellion Penruddock was beheaded in May of that year, other Royalists who took part were executed and 70 were shipped to the West Indies and sold as indentured labour (slaves).
Sealed Knot
The Sealed Knot was a secret Royalist association which plotted for the Restoration of the Monarchy during the English Interregnum.Its original founder members were:* John Belasyse, 1st Baron Belasyse...
for a Royalist insurrection to start in March 1655 during the Protectorate
The Protectorate
In British history, the Protectorate was the period 1653–1659 during which the Commonwealth of England was governed by a Lord Protector.-Background:...
of the Lord Protector
Lord Protector
Lord Protector is a title used in British constitutional law for certain heads of state at different periods of history. It is also a particular title for the British Heads of State in respect to the established church...
Oliver Cromwell
Oliver Cromwell
Oliver Cromwell was an English military and political leader who overthrew the English monarchy and temporarily turned England into a republican Commonwealth, and served as Lord Protector of England, Scotland, and Ireland....
.
There were plans to seize Salisbury
Salisbury
Salisbury is a cathedral city in Wiltshire, England and the only city in the county. It is the second largest settlement in the county...
, Newcastle
Newcastle upon Tyne
Newcastle upon Tyne is a city and metropolitan borough of Tyne and Wear, in North East England. Historically a part of Northumberland, it is situated on the north bank of the River Tyne...
, York
York
York is a walled city, situated at the confluence of the Rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. The city has a rich heritage and has provided the backdrop to major political events throughout much of its two millennia of existence...
and Winchester
Winchester
Winchester is a historic cathedral city and former capital city of England. It is the county town of Hampshire, in South East England. The city lies at the heart of the wider City of Winchester, a local government district, and is located at the western end of the South Downs, along the course of...
and instigate smaller uprisings in Nottinghamshire
Nottinghamshire
Nottinghamshire is a county in the East Midlands of England, bordering South Yorkshire to the north-west, Lincolnshire to the east, Leicestershire to the south, and Derbyshire to the west...
and Cheshire
Cheshire
Cheshire is a ceremonial county in North West England. Cheshire's county town is the city of Chester, although its largest town is Warrington. Other major towns include Widnes, Congleton, Crewe, Ellesmere Port, Runcorn, Macclesfield, Winsford, Northwich, and Wilmslow...
. The New Model Army
New Model Army
The New Model Army of England was formed in 1645 by the Parliamentarians in the English Civil War, and was disbanded in 1660 after the Restoration...
garrison in Winchester was reinforced shortly before the uprising so plans to attack it were abandoned. No men answered the call in Cheshire, but risings did take place in the other places. However, at all of the locations except Salisbury, the Royalists disbanded without a fight due to lack of support.
The rendezvous point for the York uprising was on Marston Moor and is notable for the presence of Earl of Rochester
Henry Wilmot, 1st Earl of Rochester
Lieutenant-General Henry Wilmot, 1st Earl of Rochester , known as The Lord Wilmot between 1643 and 1644 and as The Viscount Wilmot between 1644 and 1652, was an English Cavalier who fought for the Royalist cause during the Wars of the Three Kingdoms.-Early life:Wilmot's family was descended from...
who had arrived from the exiled court of Charles II
Charles II of England
Charles II was monarch of the three kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland.Charles II's father, King Charles I, was executed at Whitehall on 30 January 1649, at the climax of the English Civil War...
to take part, it was put down by Colonel Robert Lilburne
Robert Lilburne
thumb|right|Robert LilburneColonel Robert Lilburne was the older brother of John Lilburne, the well known Leveller, but unlike his brother who severed his relationship with Oliver Cromwell, Robert Lilburne remained in the army...
Governor of York and on its failure Rochester fled the country.
Colonel
Colonel
Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
John Penruddock
John Penruddock
Colonel John Penruddock , of Compton Chamberlayne, was an English Cavalier during the English Civil War and the English Interregnum. He is remembered as the leader of the Penruddock uprising in 1655....
along with Sir Joseph Wagstaffe
Joseph Wagstaffe
Sir Joseph Wagstaffe was a Royalist officer during the English Civil War and one of the leaders in the Penruddock uprising of 1655.-Origins and birth:...
organised and lead the Royalist uprising in the West. On March 11 Penruddock with between 300 and 400 other Cavaliers took Salisbury and raised the Royal standard. The next morning he led his followers out of Salisbury heading west through Blandford, Sherborne
Sherborne
Sherborne is a market town in northwest Dorset, England. It is sited on the River Yeo, on the edge of the Blackmore Vale, east of Yeovil. The A30 road, which connects London to Penzance, runs through the town. The population of the town is 9,350 . 27.1% of the population is aged 65 or...
and Yeovil
Yeovil
Yeovil is a town and civil parish in south Somerset, England. The parish had a population of 27,949 at the 2001 census, although the wider urban area had a population of 42,140...
hoping to pick up more supporters, but a single troop of horse of the New Model Army under Captain Unton Crook defeated them after a three-hour street fight in South Molton
South Molton
"Molton" redirects here. Or see Molten or Moulton.South Molton is a small town in Devon, England. It is part of the North Devon local government district. The town is on the River Mole. According to the 2001 census the civil parish of South Molton had a population of 4,093.The town was one of...
in Devon
Devon
Devon is a large county in southwestern England. The county is sometimes referred to as Devonshire, although the term is rarely used inside the county itself as the county has never been officially "shired", it often indicates a traditional or historical context.The county shares borders with...
on 14 March. Most of the Royalists either fled or were killed but Crook captured Penruddock and the other ringleaders.
In 1655 Oliver Cromwell
Oliver Cromwell
Oliver Cromwell was an English military and political leader who overthrew the English monarchy and temporarily turned England into a republican Commonwealth, and served as Lord Protector of England, Scotland, and Ireland....
appointed the judge Sir Hugh Wyndham
Sir Hugh Wyndham
Sir Hugh Wyndham SL , of Silton, English judge, was born at Orchard Wyndham, Somerset, the eighth son of Sir John Wyndham of Orchard Wyndham, and his wife, Joan, daughter of Sir Henry Portman...
to the commission of oyer and terminer
Oyer and terminer
In English law, Oyer and terminer was the Law French name, meaning "to hear and determine", for one of the commissions by which a judge of assize sat...
charged with dealing with the Penruddock uprising, and for his part in the rebellion Penruddock was beheaded in May of that year, other Royalists who took part were executed and 70 were shipped to the West Indies and sold as indentured labour (slaves).
External links
- Original letters and other communications between Oliver CromwellOliver CromwellOliver Cromwell was an English military and political leader who overthrew the English monarchy and temporarily turned England into a republican Commonwealth, and served as Lord Protector of England, Scotland, and Ireland....
and Major General of the West John Disbrowe They are all dated 1654 which conflicts with the other sources. - Penruddock's Uprising, 1655
- Biography of Henry WanseyHenry WanseyHenry Wansey was an antiquary, who was by trade a clothier, but retired from business in middle life and devoted his leisure to travel, to literature, and to antiquarian research.-Life:...
who was in Salisbury at the time of the uprising - Sealed Knot