Pride's Purge facts for kids

Pride's Purge was a big event that happened on December 6, 1648. During this time, soldiers stopped members of Parliament from entering the House of Commons of England. These members were seen as unfriendly to the New Model Army.

Even after losing the First English Civil War, King Charles I still had a lot of power. He made a deal with Scottish Covenanters and moderate Parliamentarians. Their goal was to put him back on the English throne. This led to the 1648 Second English Civil War, where he lost again.

Army leaders believed that only removing the King could end the fighting. So, on December 5, they took control of London. The next day, soldiers led by Colonel Thomas Pride forced out many members of the Long Parliament. These were the MPs the Army saw as their enemies. About 45 MPs were also arrested.

This event paved the way for King Charles's execution in January 1649. It also led to the Protectorate being set up in 1653. Pride's Purge is known as the only military coup d'état (a sudden takeover by the military) in English history.

Why Pride's Purge Happened

When the First English Civil War started in 1642, most people believed a king was chosen by God. But they disagreed on how a king should rule. They also argued about who should lead the church. Royalists supported the King leading the Church of England. Puritans believed church leaders should be chosen by their communities.

The term "Puritan" meant anyone who wanted to "purify" the Church of England. There were many different Puritan groups. Presbyterians were strong in the Long Parliament. They wanted the Church of England to become like the Church of Scotland. Independents did not want any state church. This group included Oliver Cromwell and many in the New Model Army.

The Covenanters had won control of Scotland in the 1639-1640 Bishops' Wars. They saw the 1643 Solemn League and Covenant as a way to keep their power. They wanted to stop the Royalists from winning in England. Moderate Parliamentarians like Denzil Holles wanted the King to rule with Parliament's agreement. This was a long-standing English rule that King Charles had ignored.

These Parliamentarians fought to protect the old political system, not to destroy it. As the war went on, they and their Scottish allies saw the Independents as a bigger threat than the Royalists.

In 1646, most Parliamentarians thought defeating King Charles would make him agree to their terms. But he refused to make any real compromises. He used the disagreements among his enemies to make a deal with Scots and English Presbyterians. This led to the 1648 Second English Civil War. Even though this war ended quickly, it made some in the New Model Army believe Charles could not be trusted. They thought only his removal could end the conflict. Most, including Cromwell, thought this meant he should step down, not be executed.

Parliament kept trying to negotiate with King Charles. But by early November, the Army had run out of patience. On November 10, Henry Ireton showed the Army Council a plan. It suggested replacing Charles with an elected monarch. The Council first disagreed, but then approved it on November 15. This happened when it seemed Parliament might bring Charles back without conditions. The Army decided to act after finding secret messages from Charles. In these messages, he said any promises he made were just to help him escape.

How Pride's Purge Happened

On December 1, Sir Thomas Fairfax, the Army commander, ordered King Charles moved. Charles was taken from his guards on the Isle of Wight to Hurst Castle on the mainland. The next day, the New Model Army took over important places in London. This was to stop any interference from Presbyterian groups in the London Trained Bands. Fairfax set up his main office in Whitehall, near Parliament.

After a long meeting on December 5, Parliament voted to keep talking with the King. The vote was 129 to 83. The next morning, Colonel Thomas Pride and Sir Hardress Waller followed orders from Ireton. They told the Trained Bands guarding the House of Commons to leave. Then, Pride's soldiers stood on the stairs leading to the chamber. Cavalry from Nathaniel Rich's Regiment of Horse supported them.

As the MPs arrived, Pride checked their names against a list. This list had names of those the Army saw as enemies. Lord Grey of Groby helped Pride identify them. The list included 180 of the 470 eligible members. This included all 129 who had voted to continue talks with the King the day before. Some important opponents, like Denzil Holles, left the city.

In total, Pride stopped 140 MPs from entering. Forty-five of them were arrested and held in two inns in the Strand. Many later complained about rough treatment from their guards. The guards blamed the MPs for their unpaid wages. Most were released in late December. But former Parliamentarian generals William Waller and Richard Browne were held for almost three years.

After this, about 156 members were left in London. Another 40 or so were absent elsewhere. This group became known as the Rump Parliament. People thought they would support the Army, but this was not always true. Many were shocked by Pride's actions. More than 80 of those who stayed in London refused to attend Parliament. The vote to end talks with King Charles was made by only 83 MPs.

What Happened Next

Between December 1648 and January 1649, Pride's regiment received nearly £8,000 in back pay. This was much more than any other army unit got at that time. Colonel Pride was later chosen to be on the court that tried King Charles. He signed the document that ordered the King's death. Pride became wealthy under the Protectorate and died in 1659.

The Purge removed MPs who wanted to make a deal with King Charles. This included moderate Independents and Presbyterians. However, even those who agreed the King had to be removed did not always support his execution. This included Fairfax, who refused to be part of the trial. At first, Cromwell also did not support it. He returned to London from the siege of Pontefract Castle in early December. He hoped Charles would order the Duke of Ormond to stop talks with the Irish Confederacy. This would prevent a new war in Ireland.

Once it was clear Charles would not do this, Cromwell became convinced the King had to die. He said, "we will cut off his head with the crown still on it." On January 1, 1649, the House of Commons passed a law to try the King for betraying the country. When the House of Lords rejected this, the Commons declared themselves the highest power in the state. They then went ahead with the trial.

Republicans like Edmund Ludlow supported the trial. They argued Charles must die to "appease the wrath of God for the blood shed during the wars." They supported the Purge as the only way to make this happen. However, many more people opposed the trial. Only 52 of the 135 appointed judges showed up. Charles demanded to be tried by Parliament. But Ireton and Cromwell stopped this. They knew even the Rump Parliament would likely vote against the death sentence.

King Charles was executed on January 30. In a society that valued the rule of law greatly, the way he died and the military takeover before it, damaged the Protectorate from the start. The Purge was meant to remove the Army's opponents from Parliament. But it only made the divisions inside Parliament deeper. These divisions continued until Parliament was dissolved in 1653.

Images for kids

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  King Charles I; by 1648, many felt only his death could end the conflict.

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  Sir Thomas Fairfax, commander of the New Model Army.

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  The execution of King Charles I, which the Purge made possible.