Divisions between army and Parliament

council of the army - reading

• 1647

• agitators and officers

• discuss document drafted by henry ireton with the help of cromwell and john lambert

• settlement directly between king and the army 

• broadly aligned with the goals of the political independents

heads of proposals contents

• august

• biennial parliaments

• electoral reform (changes in population and wealth)

• parliamentary control over the militia and navy for 10 years

• parliament appointment of great officers for 10 years

• religious settlement that provided for a national church with bishops while legalising independent congregations and freedom of worship

• act of oblivion granted widespread indemnity from crimes committed in wartime 

heads of proposals consequences

• more moderate than the newcastle propositions

• amended draft version of the heads by berkeley in july for the king

situation in late july 

• 100s of assorted londoners put their names to their own solemn engagement to find settlement

• 1000s reformadoes rallied st james field 

• 2 petitions urging city to retain trained bands for protection against advancing nma 

• mobs surges westminister: terrorises hol, reinstate london militia committee, invaded the commons, throwing excrement until a resolution inviting the king back to london was passed

westminister mob

• july

• mobs surges westminister: terrorises hol, reinstate london militia committee, invaded the commons, throwing excrement until a resolution inviting the king back to london was passed

westminister mob consequence

• speaker of each house

• 57 independent mps

• and 8 peers flee

role of charles in late july

• advisers suggest scottish support, incite london trained bands, engender a new presbytarian royalist force + lawyers show complex legislative issues in the settlement

• however, charles is convinced he still held the balance of power

august nma

• army’s presence reverses balance of power and london militia disperse just before london

• then army enters london unopposed and triumphantly accompanied the independent mps back to westminister