This Sunday marks the 350th anniversary of the Nine Regicides.
The what?
The Nine Regicides, or to put it another way, the week that nine men were executed by the gruesome method of being hanged, drawn and quartered.
Their crime?
They were nine of the 59 Commissioners who signed the Death Warrant for King Charles I in 1649. After the restoration of the monarchy in 1660, a law was passed that limited reprisals against the former Republic to those who had officiated in the regicide of King Charles I.
The bill was passed in August 1660 and the first of a series of executions took place on 13th October 1660 and continued until the 19th October.
This Sunday, to mark the anniversary of this gory event, the Roundhead Association will lead a march and parade along The Mall and to Horseguards Parade in memory of the dead Commissioners.
It should be quite a sight to watch.
A similar event takes place annually in January – but organised by their opposing team at the English Civil War Society.
The English Civil War Society march down The Mall
Incidentally, the Indemnity and Oblivion Act of 1660 was repealed in 1948.
The Event Details on Sunday:
The Roundhead Association will mark the anniversary of the regicides by marking the route Charles I took to his death in Whitehall. This is a special one off event and is a privilege afforded by the Royal Parks Department.
The March will assemble on The Mall (probably by St James) from 10:45 with the event commencing at 11:25 with a Cavalry Parade along the length of the column followed by a General Salute. At 11:30 the March will commence along The Mall then along Horse Guards Approach Road and onto Horse Guards Parade where the March will form up for the Parade Ceremony including award and promotion presentations.
At 12:20 following the Ceremony the March will proceed back to The Mall and form up at Admiralty Arch whilst a small separate ceremony takes place where a Wreath will be laid before the statue of King Charles I located at the Whitehall corner of Trafalgar Square.
At 12:45 the Army will then march back to the Assembly Area on The Mall where the cavalry will again Parade before the final general salute.
The event will finish at 13:00
See you there?
The executions themselves took place in two locations:
- Thomas Harrison First to be found guilty. Was hanged, drawn and quartered on Saturday 13 October 1660. He was a leader of the Fifth Monarchists who still posed a threat to the restoration.
On Saturday the 13th of October 1660, betwixt nine and ten of the clock in the Morning, Mr. Tho. Harrison, or, Major General Harrison, according to this sentence, was upon a Hurdle drawn from Newgate to the place called Charing-Cross; where within certain Rails lately there made, a Gibbet was erected, and he hanged with his face looking towards the Banqueting-house at Whitehall, (the place where our late Sovereign of eternal memory was sacrificed) being half dead, he was cut down by the common Executioner, his Privy Members cut off before his eyes, his Bowels burned, his Head severed from his Body, and his Body divided into Quarters, which were returned back to Newgate upon the same Hurdle that carried it. His Head is since set on a Pole on the top of the South-East end of Westminster-Hall, looking towards London. The Quarters of his Body are in like manner exposed upon some of the City Gates.
- John Carew Joined Fifth Monarchists. Tried, found guilty; and hanged, drawn and quartered on Monday 15 October 1660.
Monday following, being the fifteenth of October, about the same hour, Mr. John Carew was carried in the like manner to the same place of Execution; where having suffered like pains, his Quarters were also returned to Newgate on the same Hurdle which carried him. His Majesty was pleased to give, upon intercession made by his Friends, his Body to be buried.
- John Cooke Solicitor-General – Tried, found guilty of regicide; hanged, drawn and quartered on Tuesday 16 October 1660.
- Hugh Peters Preacher – Tried, found guilty of inciting regicide; hanged, drawn and quartered on Tuesday 16 October 1660.
Tuesday following, being the sixteenth of October, Master John Cook, and Mr. Hugh Peters, were about the same hour carried on two Hurdles to the same place, and executed in the same manner, and their Quarters returned in like manner to the place whence they came. The Head of John Cook is since set on a Pole on the North-East end of Westminster-Hall (on the left of Mr. Harrison’s) looking towards London; and the head of Mr. Peters on London-Bridg. Their Quarters are exposed in like manner upon the tops of some of the City Gates.
- Thomas Scot Fled to Brussels, returned to England, was tried, found guilty; and hanged, drawn and quartered on Wednesday 17 October 1660.
- Gregory Clement Went into hiding, captured, tried, found guilty; and hanged, drawn and quartered on Wednesday 17 October 1660.
Wednesday, October 17, about the hour of nine in the morning, Mr. Thomas Scot, and Mr. Gregory Clemen, were brought in several Hurdles; and about one hour after Master Adrian Scroop and Mr. John Jones together in one Hurdle were carried to the same place, and suffered the same death, and were returned and disposed of in the like manner.
- John Jones Maesygarnedd Tried, found guilty: hanged, drawn and quartered on Wednesday 17 October 1660.
- Adrian Scroope Tried, found guilty: hanged, drawn and quartered on Wednesday 17 October 1660.
Tyburn
- Francis Hacker Officer of the Guard – Tried, found guilty of signing the execution order; hanged (but not drawn and quartered) on 19 October 1660.
- Daniel Axtell Officer of the Guard – Tried, found guilty of participating in the regicide; hanged, drawn and quartered on Thursday 19 October 1660.
Mr. Francis Hacker, and Mr. Daniel Axtel, were on Friday the 19th of October, about the same time of the morning, drawn on one Hurdle from Newgate to Tiburn, and there both Hanged; Mr. Axtel was Quartered, and returned back, and disposed as the former; but the Body of Mr. Hacker was, by his Majesties great favour, given entire to his Friends, and buried.
He was not a fifth monarchist.
as he was being led up the scaffold, the hangman asked for his forgiveness. Upon hearing his request Thomas Harrison replied, “I do forgive thee with all my heart… Alas poor man, thou doith it ignorantly, the Lord grant that this sin may be laid to thy charge.” Thomas Harrison then gave all of the money that remained in his pockets to his executioner and was thereafter executed.
He was not a fifth monarchist
There seems to be quite a substantial amount of evidence that he was. Can you overturn it?
Hello,
I have become interested in the Regicides as I am a descendant of Sir Hardress Waller. It would be good to find out how many more there are known to you who are his descendants.
I have family ancestral links to Agencore’, the Pendle Witch trials etc, but this is becoming an interest to me.
Kindest Regards
Robert Robinson
Thomas Scot was my eight-great-grandmother’s sister’s husband’s father.
His last words before he was turned off the scaffold were –
“I say unto the praise of the free grace of God, that he hath engaged me in a cause not to be repented of. No, not to be repented of.”
Thomas Harrison, like nearly all of the regicides, came from a very good family. Both his father and grandfather had been elected to Mayor of Newcastle under Lyme (more than once) Staffordshire. They were well liked. Young Thomas Harrison did not start the civil wars. He was drawn in, like many other young soldiers. Neither as a young man was he particularly religious but like many (most?) in England he came from a Puritan family. After the wars subsided, victorious, he could have walked into any of the huge estates in England and claimed them as his own. He did not. He went back to live in his fathers shop. He wanted to see England governed by a Parliament of good men. Is there something wrong with that? Is that not what we want today? Is it not the definition of good men that has changed and nowadays they are not so necessarily religious? When Cromwell formed his military dictatorship Thomas Harrison would not collude with him. For that Cromwell put him in prison.
Neither did Harrison accompany Cromwell to Ireland earlier. However Thomas Harrison, John Lambert and Oliver Cromwell were unbeatable in Battle. And do people think it was the one 40odd year old or his two 20 odd year old Generals that were with him that made the day when in battle. Who do they think cut across the field at Naseby to get help to Ireton? Do they think it was the forty year old?
And yes they have ridiculed this brave man, Thomas Harrison, ever since. Every book you read puts turncoat generals such as Monk to be held in greater esteem than the one that stood by his principles and wanted England governed by decent people. Sometimes you despair with historians.
And on the day that the men that could not beat him and his men, in battle (In fact every time they met him, even in ambush, they lost) had him hung drawn and quartered, and on the day when John Jones and all the other brave individuals they later called the regicides were slaughtered as arranged by the son of the man that commenced the wars, on that day (or those few days if you like) democracy began in England.
I was interested to read some direct quotes from condemned regicides in the O
(cont) Oct Nov 2010 posts. I am descended from the Russell family of Hadley Massachusetts who hid regicides William Goffe & Edward Whalley. I am trying to “rewrite” Goffe’s diary based on the known fragments from it. He kept track of what happened to all who were involved. I would love to hear from any of you who have a personal interest in any of the signatories of the death warrant, or other significant players. Janice, email is ashpelon@aol.com
I am looking for an example of how a guard would have saluted in this era for a school play. Are there any images or descriptions. Is it a hand to the head, or is it to the heart etc?
Thanks for any help! đŸ™‚
John COOKE was survived by his widow Frances (maiden surname probably FARREN) and a daughter named Freelove.
Frances COOKE petitioned Charles II in 1664, and went afterwards to Antigua in the West Indies, where she married twice more with further issue, including a daughter Frances PROCTOR who became the wife of John PIGOTT (my ancestors).
Freelove COOKE married John GUNTHORPE, a London Goldsmith, and also went to live in Antigua ca 1674, with issue.