RICHARD CROMWELL & THE FALL OF THE PROTECTORATE

What did the Humble Petition and Advice require the Lord Protector to do?

The Humble Petition and Advice required the Lord Protector to nominate a successor.

How did Oliver Cromwell prepare Richard for the succession?

From 1657 onwards, Oliver Cromwell involved his son Richard in the day-to-day government of the country in order to prepare him for the task.

What was Richard Cromwell’s background before becoming Protector?

Richard had played very little part in events up to that point; he had not fought in any of the Civil Wars and had kept away from London, raising a large family and working as a JP in Hampshire.

Why might Oliver Cromwell have chosen Richard as his successor?

Oliver Cromwell may well have chosen Richard to succeed him precisely because he had not previously been enmeshed in the events of the previous decade and so was not attached to any one particular faction.

What was the disadvantage of Oliver Cromwell’s choice of Richard?

The disadvantage of this approach was that Richard was not a politically minded man, and while he was not particularly opposed, nor was he strongly supported.

What financial problem weakened Richard Cromwell’s Protectorate?

The cost of war had once again put the governmental system under strain: income was being consistently outstripped by outgoings and army pay was once again falling into arrears.

What was the composition of the Third Protectorate Parliament under Richard?

Richard had been unable to exclude MPs from the Third Protectorate Parliament so it was a heady combination of diverse political opinions, including civilian Cromwellians, army men, republicans and many MPs of shifting loyalty.

What divisions ran through Parliament and the Council of State under Richard?

The division into civilian and military factions ran right through Parliament and the Council of State.

What further complication existed during Richard’s Protectorate?

It was further complicated by the ongoing machinations of republicans such as Haselrig who continued to oppose the constitutional settlement as being too monarchical.

Who headed the Wallingford House Faction and what was its aim?

Charles Fleetwood headed up a faction known as the ‘Wallingford House Faction’. They campaigned for proper payment of army arrears but their ambitions reached further: they wanted the Grandees recognised as an ongoing political force in the nation.

What did the collapse of the Protectorate unleash?

The collapse of the Protectorate unleashed another wave of religious radicalism.

Why did Richard Cromwell rapidly lose contact with the Grandees?

Richard did not have the leverage within the army that his father had enjoyed and he rapidly began to lose contact with the Grandees, even those who were less overtly hostile to his Protectorate than the Wallingford House group.

What two issues discussed by Parliament were abhorrent to old New Model Army men?

He allowed his Parliament to discuss reducing the army and limiting religious toleration, both abhorrent to old New Model men.

What was the final straw for the Grandees and what did they do?

It was the final straw for the Grandees and they mobilised the London-based soldiers.

What happened on 22 April that effectively ended Richard’s Protectorate?

On 22 April, Major General Desborough forced Richard to dissolve the Third Protectorate Parliament and placed him under house arrest.

What was the hub of the problem after Oliver Cromwell’s death?

The hub of the problem was that Cromwell had been able to maintain power by bridging both the civilian and military factions. After his death, power was fought over between those factions.

What forced the hand of the Grandees to recall the Rump Parliament?

A faction stirred up dissent among the latent religious radicalism of the lower ranks, the Fifth Monarchists and other sectarians and forced the hand of the Grandees to recall the old Rump Parliament.

When did the Rump Parliament open and what did it immediately do?

The Rump opened on 7 May 1659 with Speaker Lenthall in the chair again. The Rump MPs immediately abolished the Protectorate constitution.

Under what circumstances did Richard Cromwell resign?

Richard was still Protector in name but he resigned when he was presented with paperwork to sign and a promise that his considerable personal debts would be cleared.

Why was the legality of the Rump dubious in 1659?

Its legality was dubious because it had been formed as the result of an army coup and was now recalled because of the army, whereas the Protectorate system, though innovative, had nevertheless been established by a Constitution that had been agreed in a more conventional way.