John Wildman facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Sir John Wildman MP
1653 engraving of John Wildman by Wenceslas Hollar. The caption reads nil admirari ("astonished at nothing")
Postmaster General
In office 1689–1691
Preceded by	Laurence Hyde, 1st Earl of Rochester
Succeeded by	Sir Thomas Frankland; Robert Cotton
Member of Parliament
In office 1689–1693 Serving with Henry St John
Preceded by	John Pleydell
Succeeded by	Henry Pinnell
Constituency	Wootton Bassett
Member of Parliament
In office 1654–1656
Preceded by	(vacancy)
Succeeded by	Colonel Edward Salmon
Constituency	Scarborough

Sir John Wildman (around 1621 – 2 June 1693) was an important English politician and soldier. He lived during a very exciting time in England, when the country was going through a Civil War and major changes in its government. Wildman was known for his strong beliefs about how England should be ruled.

Biography

Wildman was born in Wymondham, a town in Norfolk. His parents were Jeffrey and Dorothy Wildman. Jeffrey was a butcher. John went to Corpus Christi College, Cambridge, as a sizar. This meant he was a poor student who worked as a servant to help pay for his education. He earned his Master's degree in 1644. Later, he described himself as an attorney or solicitor, which means he worked with legal matters.

The English Civil War

During the English Civil War, Wildman briefly served as a soldier under Sir Thomas Fairfax. However, he became more famous as an adviser to the Army's "agitators." These were people who spoke for the soldiers and wanted big changes. In 1647, Wildman was a leader of the group in the army that did not want to make any deals with King Charles I.

Wildman first became involved in politics in July 1647. He and others who supported the New Model Army traveled to the army's headquarters. They wanted to show their support to the army leaders. Later that month, the army invited Wildman and other allies, like William Walwyn, to discuss their new peace plan. This plan was called the Heads of Proposals.

The London group worried that the plan gave too much power back to the King. So, they wrote a statement to Sir Thomas Fairfax, the army's leader. They warned that the basic rules of government were in danger. This was a big moment. It showed that some people in the army and London were starting to disagree with the army's leaders. They wanted even more radical changes. Wildman became a central figure in this movement.

In December 1647, Wildman wrote a pamphlet called Putney Projects. In it, he criticized Oliver Cromwell and Henry Ireton. He said they had gone against the army's promises in their peace plan. He also helped present the views of his friends at the Putney Debates. These important discussions happened between army officers and soldiers in late 1647. Wildman said the soldiers wanted him to speak for them. He argued that agreements with the King should be canceled. He also wanted to get rid of the monarchy and the House of Lords. He believed all men should have the right to vote. He also pushed for a document called the Agreement of the People. Some historians think he played a main role in writing it.

Wildman and John Lilburne tried to create a movement to support the Agreement of the People. They were arrested in January 1648 for promoting a petition. They were held in Newgate Prison until August 1648.

After they were released, the Levellers (a political movement) held a meeting. Wildman spoke about the true goals of the war. The group agreed to oppose executing or removing the King until a new government was decided. They created a new Agreement of the People. However, after many talks, the army officers changed it a lot. Lilburne and other Leveller leaders refused to accept the changed version.

It seems Wildman was okay with the officers' suggestions. He stopped his protests and joined the New Model Army in late 1648. He became a major in Colonel John Reynolds's horse regiment. However, he did not go with the regiment when it went to Ireland in 1649.

The Commonwealth Period

Wildman stayed in England and became very rich by buying land. He bought land that had been taken from royalists and others who had lost the war. His land purchases were spread across many counties. In 1655, he bought Beckett Hall near Shrivenham.

In 1654, Wildman was elected to Parliament for Scarborough. But he was likely one of the members who were not allowed to serve. This was because he refused to promise not to try and change the government. By the end of 1654, he was planning to overthrow Oliver Cromwell, who was then the leader of England. Wildman wanted to combine royalist and Leveller groups to do this.

Because of his plans, he was arrested on 10 February 1655. He was caught while writing a declaration against Cromwell. He was sent to Chepstow Castle and then to the Tower of London. About a year and a half later, in June 1656, he was released after paying a large sum of money as security.

For the rest of Cromwell's rule, Wildman stayed out of prison. But he continued to be involved in secret plans. He often talked with royalist agents. He made them believe he was working for the King. He even signed a statement supporting Charles II in July 1656. Cromwell's government likely knew about his activities. Some historians think Wildman might have given information to Cromwell's spy master, John Thurloe, to stay safe. Because of this, some royalists did not trust him. Historian C.H. Firth thought Wildman's goal was to remove Cromwell. He wanted to set up either a republic or a monarchy with a very strict constitution.

In the late 1650s, Wildman used his wealth to buy a house in Bow Street, London. He used it for meetings of a Republican club. Important figures like Henry Marten and James Harrington were said to attend. Wildman was also a member of Harrington's Rota Club. This was a club where people debated ideas about government and voted on them.

In December 1659, when the Army removed the Long Parliament, Wildman helped create a new form of government. At the same time, he was secretly planning to overthrow the Army's rule. He offered to raise soldiers if Bulstrode Whitelocke would support a free government. Whitelocke refused. Wildman then helped Colonel Henry Ingoldsby take Windsor Castle for the Parliament.

The Restoration and Later Years

When the English Monarchy was restored in 1660, Wildman was investigated. But because he had recently helped Parliament and had been against Cromwell, he was not punished. In 1661, he was suspected of being involved in plots against the new government. He was arrested on 26 November 1661 and imprisoned. He spent almost six years in different prisons, including the Tower of London. His son was also with him. During this time, he studied law and medicine.

Marble monument to John Wildman in St Andrew's parish church, Shrivenham

After a change in government, Wildman was released on 1 October 1667. He promised not to act against the government. He became friends with George, Duke of Buckingham.

When he returned to England, Wildman quickly got back into political activities. He was involved in plans for armed resistance against King Charles II. Wildman was close to Algernon Sidney. Both were seen as too republican by some leaders. Wildman helped write a statement to be published during a planned uprising. He was seen as a "chief oracle" or main adviser. He was also said to have suggested strong actions against the King and the Duke of York.

On 26 June 1683, he was sent to the Tower of London. This was for his part in the Rye House Plot, a secret plan against the government. But he was released on bail in November and fully freed in February 1684.

When James II of England became King, Wildman continued his activities. He communicated with the Duke of Monmouth, who was in exile. Wildman was Monmouth's main contact in England. Monmouth complained that Wildman was slow to provide money for an expedition. Wildman, on the other hand, complained that Monmouth was making plans without consulting people in England. Other reports say Wildman advised Monmouth to claim the title of King. However, Wildman pulled back at the last moment. He did not help with the planned uprising in London and refused to join Monmouth when he landed. In June 1685, Wildman fled England.

The Glorious Revolution

Wildman escaped to the Netherlands and stayed there until the Glorious Revolution in 1688. This was when William, Prince of Orange, came to England. Wildman was not happy with William's statement about why he was coming. Wildman wanted it to be a stronger criticism of the previous kings. But more moderate advisers won out. Wildman sailed with William's fleet and landed in England.

He wrote many anonymous pamphlets during this time. He was elected to the Convention Parliament in January 1689, representing Wootton Bassett. He spoke often in Parliament.

On 12 April 1689, he was made Postmaster General. This meant he was in charge of the postal service. But soon, there were complaints that he was using his position to cause trouble for supporters of William III. He was also suspected of talking with those who supported the old King James. Because of this, he was removed from his post in February 1691.

However, Wildman had become a freeman of the City of London in December 1689. He became an alderman (a senior member of a city council). King William III knighted him in October 1692.

Sir John Wildman died on 2 June 1693, at the age of 72. He is buried at Shrivenham.

Legacy

In his will, Sir John Wildman asked for a simple stone near his burial place. He wanted it to show that he spent much of his life in prison without committing crimes. He believed he loved God and wished for the freedom and happiness of his country and all people.

However, the historian Baron Macaulay had a different view. He said Wildman had a strong dislike for monarchy. Macaulay also noted that Wildman was very careful about his own safety. He was skilled at getting close to treason without actually being caught. Macaulay wrote that Wildman was always planning things, and everyone knew it. But he was so clever that he avoided danger and died peacefully in his bed. Meanwhile, many of his friends ended up being executed.

There is an engraved portrait of Wildman by William Faithorne. It has the motto "Nil Admirari", which means "astonished at nothing."

Works

Wildman wrote many pamphlets, often without his name or using fake names:

• Putney Projects; or the Old Serpent in a New Form. By John Lawmind, 1647.
• The Case of the Army stated, 1647.
• Truth's Triumph, 1648.
• London's Liberties; or a Learned Argument between Mr. Maynard and Major Wildman, 1651.

He also likely wrote several pamphlets in a collection called Twelve Collections of Papers relating to the Present Juncture of Affairs in England (1688–9). These include:

• Ten Seasonable Queries proposed by an English Gentleman at Amsterdam to his Friends in England
• A Letter to a Friend advising in this Extraordinary Juncture how to free the Nation from Slavery for ever
• Good Advice before it be too late, being a Breviate for the Convention

Some other writings are believed to be by Wildman, along with others:

• A Memorial from the English Protestants to the Prince and Princess of Orange
• A Defence of the Proceedings of the Late Parliament in England, anno 1689
• An Enquiry or Discourse between a Yeoman of Kent and a Knight of the Shire, upon the Prorogation of Parliament, &c.

Family

Sir John Wildman was married twice. His first wife was Frances, daughter of Sir Francis Englefield. His second wife was Lucy, daughter of Lord Lovelace.

Wildman had a son, also named John. This son married Eleanor Chute in 1676. He died in 1710 without children. He left most of his property, including Beckett Hall, to John Shute, who later became Viscount Barrington.