Charles I's Executioners: Civil War, Regicide & the Republic

by James Hobson

This biographical history of the English Civil War profiles the lives and ultimate fates of the nearly 60 men who sentenced their king to death.

On January 30th, 1649, King Charles I was executed on a scaffold outside the Banqueting House of Whitehall. The parliamentarian High Court of Justice declared him guilty of treason, disregarding the Divine Right of Kings. Fifty-nine commissioners signed his death warrant.

These killers of the king were soldiers, lawyers, Puritans, Republicans--and some mere opportunists--all brought together under one infamous banner. In Charles I's Executioners, James Hobson explores the lives of these men, shedding new light on their backgrounds, ideals, and motives.

Their stories are a powerful tale of revenge and clashing convictions; their futures determined by their one fateful decision. When Charles II was restored, he enacted a deadly wave of retribution against the signatories. Some pleaded for mercy, many went into hiding or fled abroad, while others stoically awaited their sentence.

Genres: European History, History

224 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 4, 2022

Reviews

[Melisende · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Stuart period of history hasn't really been within my history purview - I know enough about it but have not really researched further, preferring to focus instead on the traditional medieval period. Having said that, I love historical fiction, and with no real time boundaries, I have found myself wandering into the realm of the Stuarts over the past year or so.

The regicides of Charles I featured in a number of historical fiction accounts of the period, and I became familiar with a few of the names - but not all, and certainly not their fates. So, after picking up a copy of Charles Spenser's "Killer of the King" I took the plunge, and was so pleased to be then able to read Hobson's account.

This is a more simplified version - it is not strictly a biography of the nearly 135 participants in the trial and execution of King Charles I of England, nor does it go into any great detail about the English Civil War (it is assumed that the reader has some fore-knowledge). What Hobson has done instead is present a series of themed vignettes of the 59 who actually signed the warrant of execution for King Charles I of England.

What I discovered was incredibly interesting. The men came mostly from the gentry class; their motivations varied from personal, political, economic, and religious; not all were active to the same capacity; not all were guilty to the same degrees; not all did it for "honourable" reasons. I also learnt that where their signatures were placed on the document was in no way indicative of their importance. The vignettes are not overly detailed - they cover off each individual's family background, motivation, career (pre and post execution) and their fate after the restoration of the English monarchy under Charles II.

Unless you are a keen student of the period, many of names will be very unfamiliar - and even Hobson questions why some were included on the list of those to be executed for treason when some who were more active participants got off scott free. What cannot be taken away from these men - of whom only nine suffered to be hanged, drawn and quartered, was that they all died well, believing in and in some cases, becoming martyrs, for their cause.

If you are looking to add to your knowledge for the English Civil War and the Restoration, you could do no better than to add this book to your recommended reading list. There are many small snippets that have intrigued me and now require further investigation.

[ella 🥀 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Charles I's Executioners explores the motivations of the 59 commissioners who signed Charles I's death warrant. It was interesting to see the wide range of motivations and lifestyle of the regicides. I particularly liked the structure, and the way the events before and after 1649 were interweaved throughout the book. While it does not give a clear timeline of the Civil War to the Restoration, and would probably not be the best place to start for those new to the Stuarts, it does add extra context to the era and enables us to grasp the intentions of these men. Clearly, it is male-dominated: however, there are mentions of influential wives, like Lucy Hutchinson.
Overall, it was an interesting read for extra knowledge of the regicides, though it was a little dry for 200 pages.

[Michael Bully · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book focuses on the 59 men who signed Charles I's death warrant on 30th January 1649 and their fate during the Restoration . Nineteen had already died, so the trials that began in October 1660 could do little but order the confiscation of their property. James Duke of York was a major beneficiary. Nine regicides were subject to the full penalties of treason, being hung, drawn and quartered., two died in custody before being executed. Others who were tried faced a range of prison sentences.

The author ensures that each regicide is mentioned but avoids a mini-biography of each one. So adopts a cluster approach, for example Chapter 3 features 'The Gentry Soldiers' ( Oliver Cromwell, Richard Deane, John Okey), Chapter 10 concerns 'The Regicide Republicans' ( Thomas Chaloner, Thomas Scott, Valentine Walton) , Chapter 16 looks at the largely overlooked 'Committee Men ( William Purefoy, Miles Corbert, Vincent Potter) -behind the scenes administrators on the Parliamentarian side. Henry Ireton is held to be the main regicide

I quite admire the fact that the author attempts quite a difficult task : It would have been easy to stick to anecdotes about the regicides.And there are some interesting tales. Some regicides fled to Switzerland, North America, and three ended up in the Dutch Republic where they were effectively kidnapped and transported back to London by Sir George Downing who had a street named after him. But Mr Hobson decides to see if there is some common thread concerning their lives and beliefs. The regicides were from the side of Parliament, and obviously had enough status by 1649 to be in a position to sign said warrant. Yet were they committed to the idea of a Republic in principle, or was it just the personal reign of Charles I they couldn't stomach?

And have to admit that at times I began to lose the thread of the book. We learn that the regicides were gentry ( pages 39 and 52) but also many were engaging in the transatlantic trade ( page 3). The author stresses the importance of religious motivation in opposing Charles I, suggesting that it was his perceived affinity with Catholicism was held to be a danger to Protestant faith. Yet it would have been good to have expanded this theme. Did the gentry who were not Anglican feel excluded from the Court and other centres of power, the same way Catholic gentry did in the early 1600's? Is this part of an ongoing issue in English and perhaps Scottish history- the jealousy of the entitled nobility who feel that their ambitions are blocked? Mr Hobson also mentions that "By about 1655 most of the 1649 regicides were either opposed to Cromwell, apathetic or already dead (page 130).. Again. would like to have learnt more about this.
But overall, there is a lot to recommend this book, and I am sure will become an importance reference work for years to come.

[Brenda · Rating 4 out of 5]

In January of 1649, Charles I was publicly executed by his own people, in his own country, England. This fascinating book examines a vantage point I hadn't thought of which is of the fifty nine English and Welsh men who signed the king's death warrant.

The range of men include rich and poor, educated and uneducated, army officers and MPs. Most were gentry to varying degrees from a cobbler and a merchant to a lawyer to an aristocrat. A few were diplomatic and kind and cared about the welfare of people, especially the poor, but others were cruel and didn't even acknowledge the poor.

What nearly all these regicides have in common is religion (Puritans) and politics (republicans). A few definitely improved financially which was a motivator to begin with. After the execution many lost money, too. All were committed to the cause, at least until many were sentenced to horrific death for treason. Some remained courageous and were martyrs but some (understandably) were cowards and tried to flee or plead ignorance. A few died of comparatively "easy" deaths by natural causes in obscurity.

Very few names of the wives are known but Lucy Hutchinson thankfully wrote her husband's memoirs which give incredible insight into the people and events. After sentencing and imprisonment, a few wives successfully pled for leniency for their husbands.

This book is thoroughly researched and contains illustrations of some of these men. I recommend it to those interested in this time era and who wish a unique look at the men who brought about this execution which changed British history. The author answered questions I didn't realize I had!

My sincere thank you to Pen & Sword and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this intriguing book in exchange for an honest review. Much appreciated.

[Joyce · Rating 3 out of 5]

224 pages

3 stars

This book is very dry.

It speaks of the fifty-nine individuals who signed the who signed King Charles I's execution warrant and their reasons for doing so.

It tells the reader who these men were and their backgrounds. Their thoughts on politics, religion and everyday life are examined in minute detail. What drove them to commit their signatures to a piece of paper that condemned their lawful king to death? Revenge? A desire to change society? Because their best friend though it was a good idea?

In signing the document, the men bought themselves a world of hurt. When Cromwell died and tried to pass the monarchy on to his son Richard – well, it didn't work.

Parliament and the people wanted the monarchy back. When Charles II took the throne, the signatories of the death warrant were in for a huge surprise.

While dry, the book contains some very good facts and it is interesting. Obviously Mr. Hobson did his research. The book is exhaustively researched. I applaud his diligence. However, it was a little too over-dry for me.

I want to thank NetGalley and Pen & Sword History for forwarding to me a copy of this very detailed book for me to read, enjoy and review.

[Soozee · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent, very readable, account of the events of the English Civil War and its aftermath. The author set out to provide information on each of the 59 men who signed Charles I's warrant of execution. The result could easily have been a muddled, repetitive account. Instead the author handles the information in a very clear and professional manner; the men are grouped sensibly - some chapters deal with up to 6 names, some only one. While detailing their lives and motives (where possible) the author takes the reader through the events of the Civil War and the Restoration of the monarchy, giving a great insight into life and beliefs of that time.

It is fascinating to learn more about who signed the death warrant - clearly some important people ducked the issue, and some men were brought forward almost to make up the numbers. Signing the document had serious impact on their future lives, as well as on the course of history itself. The author describes their lives, where he can - some were real nonentities about whom little is really known - and explains what they did after. Some prospered, some were brought to trial and some died horrible deaths for their beliefs.

Thoroughly enjoyable and informative, a scholarly and interesting book for anyone at all interested in learning more about the Civil War and the men who fought and died.

Thank you to NetGalley and Pen & Sword History for allowing me access to the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Farah Mendlesohn · Rating 3 out of 5]

On the one hand, this is a super useful book whose little bios are fascinating.

On the other hand it is littered with mistakes (easily checked on wikipedia), false comparisons (ie mercy to a town that surrendered v massacre to one that did not, does not prove Ireton more merciful than Cromwell), and flat out prejudice. I very rarely write in books but I've littered this one with corrections and reactions. I think I was most irritated that despite describing the manner of the deaths of regicides who begged and pleaded at their trial, the brave manner in which Thomas Harrison faced his death (described in detail by Pepys) was entirely omitted. Apparently a 'fanatic' is not allowed his moment of glory.

Two issues run through: Hobson allows his anti Cromwellian position to cloud his judgement more than once; and he insists on framing anti-Catholicism as fanaticism and irrational. In 1640 most adults will have had grandparents or great grandparents who remembered the burnings and exiles under Mary.

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found this rather dry, although it is thoroughly researched and the regicides led interesting lives, although they were mostly a pretty nasty lot. They were somewhat fanatical men but James Hobson concludes that they had noble principles, and that 'they should never be remembered without gratitude'. He is critical of King Charles 1.

The 59 regicides include Deane, who the Royalist Edward Hyde called a 'bold and excellent officer', Hewson, who rode through London on the day of the King's execution forbidding public mourning, and Venn who was so hated that the parishionersat his church put a new bowl on top of the font, so that baptised children weren't tainted by sharing it! The 59 came from many different backgrounds, had varied careers, and didn't share the same beliefs.

This is well-worth reading if you are interested in King Charles 1, and the English Civil War.

I received this free ebook from NetGalley in return for an honest review.

[Patrick Walters · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an absolutely fascinating account of the lives (and deaths!) of the 59 regicides.

It is very well structured, putting the regicides into different groups in each chapter such as Gentry Soldiers, Republicans and Puritan Fanatics, which makes it very easy to read.

It is incredibly well-researched with fascinating anecdotes about almost all the regicides and lots about some of them.

As someone who knows quite a lot about the Civil War Period, I found it especially enlightening about the events surrounding the end of the Republic, the period of Richard Cromwell’s rule and the Restoration of Charles II.

I would thoroughly recommend this book to anyone who has an interest in this period of history.

[Alexandra · Rating 2 out of 5]

Decent look at those involved at the time of his death. More on the different people and a bit about each and their connections to each other.