The 30th January stands out for me due to two events related to the English Civil War. On this date in 1647 King Charles I was sold by the Scottish Presbyterians to the English Parliament for around £100,000. That is probably around £15 to 20 million in today’s money. So now we know the value of a king’s ransom.
The other event was in 1661 when Oliver Cromwell was ritually executed. He had already been dead for two years. If I’m ever executed, I’d like it to be well after I was already dead too. That’s definitely the best way to be executed.
Oliver Cromwell died of natural causes on September 3, 1658. Following the Restoration of the monarchy in 1660, Cromwell’s body was exhumed from Westminster Abbey, where he had been buried. This act was part of a broader effort by the new king, Charles II, to denounce Cromwell and the Commonwealth government that had overthrown his father, King Charles I in the English Civil War. Cromwell was posthumously tried for treason, and in January 1661, his body was hanged in chains at Tyburn, London. His head was then displayed on a pike outside Westminster Hall as a warning to others.
This gruesome act symbolised the rejection of Cromwell’s rule and the return to monarchy in England. Cromwell’s legacy remains complex; he is viewed by some as a champion of republicanism and religious freedom, while others see him as a dictator who imposed strict Puritanical rule. His actions and their consequences continue to be a subject of historical debate and analysis.
Although the English Civil War is still some decades distant in the Sir Anthony Standen Adventures, Charles I does get a fleeting reference in my work in progress. This is because he marries Henrietta Maria, daughter of Marie de Medici.
I imagine Cromwell was entombed within Westminster Abbey but AI seems to think he was buried in the grounds. Ah well, it’s a nice illustration.