Family Tree
TimeRef.com
  • Episodes
    Episode Index
    Key Dates Timelines
    By Category
    This day in history
  • People
    A..Z List of Medieval People
    Kings and Queens of England Kings of Scotland Kings of France Kings of Denmark Emperors of Byzantine Popes and Antipopes Crusader States and their Rulers
    Family Trees
  • Life
    Life in Medieval Times
    Life in a Castle The Feudal System Country Life and Agriculture Life in a Medieval Town Life in a Religious Community
  • Castles
    Castle Index Page Castle Development
    Early Fortifications Motte and bailey Castles Square Keeps Castles of William the Conqueror Concentric Castles Castles of Edward I
    Castle Siege Tactics Parts of a Castle
    Locations of over 300 Castles
  • Places
    A..Z list of Medieval Buildings 3D Virtual Reconstructions Maps Photographs
    Abbeys and Monasteries Cathedrals Medieval Architecture
  • 3D/VR
    3D Virtual Reconstructions VR Experiences
    Virtual Motte and Bailey Castle Virtual Norman Keep Virtual Siege Engines
    Bodiam Castle Skenfrith Castle Middleham Castle The White Tower Etal Castle
    Knights Training
  • More
    Test your Knowledge
    Glossary of Terms Scriptorium
    Games Early Access
    Copyright / About TimeRef.com Contact the Author
TimeRef.com
  • Episodes
    Episode Index
    Key Dates Timelines
    By Category
    This day in history
  • People
    A..Z List of Medieval People
    Kings and Queens of England Kings of Scotland Kings of France Kings of Denmark Emperors of Byzantine Popes and Antipopes Crusader States and their Rulers
    Family Trees
  • Life
    Life in Medieval Times
    Life in a Castle The Feudal System Country Life and Agriculture Life in a Medieval Town Life in a Religious Community
  • Castles
    Castle Index Page Castle Development
    Early Fortifications Motte and bailey Castles Square Keeps Castles of William the Conqueror Concentric Castles Castles of Edward I
    Castle Siege Tactics Parts of a Castle
    Locations of over 300 Castles
  • Places
    A..Z list of Medieval Buildings 3D Virtual Reconstructions Maps Photographs
    Abbeys and Monasteries Cathedrals Medieval Architecture
  • 3D/VR
    3D Virtual Reconstructions VR Experiences
    Virtual Motte and Bailey Castle Virtual Norman Keep Virtual Siege Engines
    Bodiam Castle Skenfrith Castle Middleham Castle The White Tower Etal Castle
    Knights Training
  • More
    Test your Knowledge
    Glossary of Terms Scriptorium
    Games Early Access
    Copyright / About TimeRef.com Contact the Author
Biography
Biography
Please note that the TimeRef website is currently being redesigned.

Cromwell, Oliver

Tweet
 Born25 April 1599   Born At
 Died3 September 1658  Buried At
 Born25 April 1599 / 
 Died3 September 1658 / 
liver Cromwell was an MP for Huntingdon. During the civil wars between King Charles I and Parliament, Cromwell fought against the King. Cromwell rose through the ranks of the army from a captain to lieutenant-general. After the execution of Charles I Cromwell became Lord Protector of England.

 

Family Tree Details

 Cromwell, Oliver (b.1599 - d.1658)
 Cromwell, Oliver (b.1599 - d.1658)

See Also

People

  • Charles (I, King of England and Scotland 1625-1649)
  • Bourchier, Elizabeth
  • Montague, Edward (2nd Earl of Manchester)
  • Ireton, Henry (Major-General)
  • Fairfax, Thomas (Sir)
  • A .. Z List of Medieval People

Timeline

1599
Apr 25
Birth of Oliver Cromwell

Oliver Cromwell was born on the 25th of April 1599. His father was Robert Cromwell and was descended from Thomas Cromwell, Earl of Essex, who was executed for treason by Henry VIII. ¹

1616    (Age: 17yrs)
Apr 23
Oliver Cromwell enters university

Oliver Cromwell was admitted into Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge. ¹

1630    (Age: 31yrs)
Jul 15
Cromwell defends rights

The ancient council in Huntingdon in Cambridgeshire was abolished by a new charter and replaced by a council of twelve members elected for life and a mayor chosen out of the twelve on a yearly basis. The new system created complaints because it limited access to common land for the citizens of Huntingdon. Cromwell agreed with the complaints and became the spokesperson against the new council and its main architect Robert Bernard. The matter became serious and Cromwell was arrested and went to court. The Earl of Manchester found no-one at fault and ordered that the charter was amended to ensure the rights of people to the common land. After this episode Cromwell felt he had to leave Huntingdon. He moved to St. Ives just a few miles to the east. ¹

1636    (Age: 37yrs)
...
Cromwell inherits land in Ely

Oliver Cromwell inherited land in Ely when his uncle on his mother's side, Sir Thomas Steward, died. This included farm land known as the Cathedral Tithes. Cromwell moved to Ely and lived in a house known as 'the glebe house'. This is where Cromwell and his large family lived until 1647. ¹

1644    (Age: 45yrs)
Jul 2
Battle of Marston Moor

The battle of Marston Moor. With the arrival of Prince Rupert, the Parliamentarian forces led by generals Leven, Fairfax and Manchester abandoned the siege of York and headed south. Rupert followed and attacked the rear of the column forcing the fleeing army to stop. The Parliamentarians held the higher and tactically better position on Long Marston Moor. The Duke of Newcastle and his Royalist men joined Prince Rupert to create an army of around eighteen thousand men while the Parliamentarians had a force of around twenty eight thousand men and had better artillery. Late in the day the fighting began with an attack by Leven and Fairfax in the centre. The attack did not go well for the Parliamentarians and Leven and Fairfax left the battlefield. Whan all seemed lost a cavalry unit commanded by Oliver Cromwell on the left of the field attacked the Royalists and gained the upper hand. The Royalists were defeated leaving some three to four thousand of their men dead.  ¹

Dec 9
Parliament debates the failures of the army

Parliament wanted a report into the failings of the army against King Charles I. At first the Earl of Manchester was blamed for his lack of commitment in the field but, to prevent a serious split in the country, Cromwell put forward a suggestion to change how the army was controlled. Cromwell admitted that being a commander was not easy and he himself had made mistakes on the battlefield. Cromwell's suggestion was that no member of the Commons or Lords should control an army. This would mean Manchester and the other generals would have to resign. It meant Cromwell himself would have to do so as well. Cromwell suggested that the army should reorganised. ¹

1645    (Age: 46yrs)
Mar
Cromwell rejoins his army

The west of England was under attack from the Royalist Western army commanded by Goring. The New Model Army was not ready and so Parliament ordered Cromwell to rejoin his regiment and to meet up with Waller. This went against the Self-Denying Ordinance under which Cromwell should have given up his command, but without his leadership Cromwell's regiment had become ill disciplined and mutinous. This was reversed when he again took command. ¹

Jun 14
Battle of Naseby

The Battle of Naseby. Sir Thomas Fairfax and the New Model Army caught the King at Naseby Field in Northamptonshire. Cromwell joined Fairfax and the combined Parliamentary force consisted of some 14,000 men while the King and Prince Rupert had around half that number. The King had a better position on the battlefield and had more experienced soldiers while some of the Parliamentary men were raw conscripts. For the Parliamentarians, Skippon commanded the infantry, Cromwell commanded the Ironsides to the left and to the right Ireton commanded his men. Both Skippon and Ireton were injured in the battle. Ireton was captured but managed to escape. Cromwell's Ironsides routed the Royalist army and the battle was won. King Charles was defeated. King Charles and his cavalry escaped to Leicester but he left has baggage train behind unprotected. Large amounts of the King's and his supporters money was captured by the Parliamentarians along with the King's personal letters. ¹

Sep
Royalist losses

Cromwell took his forces into Wiltshire and captured Devies, Laycock House and Winchester, after a siege, from Royalist garrisons. ¹

1646    (Age: 47yrs)
Apr
Charles escapes from Oxford

The armies of Fairfax and Cromwell surrounded the city of Oxford where King Charles was besieged. Negotiations were held in an attempt to get a peaceful solution rather than lose men in a costly assault, but before the city surrendered Charles managed to escape in disguise. Charles hoped that the Scots would support his cause against Parliament. Charles had been using the French envoy, Jean de Montreuil, to communicate with the Scots. ¹

Jun 15
Ireton marries Cromwell's daughter

The marriage of General Henry Ireton to Bridget, the eldest daughter of Oliver Cromwell. ¹

1648    (Age: 49yrs)
...
Destruction of Haverfordwest Castle

Cromwell ordered that the castle at Haverfordwest should be demolished. ¹

3D Virtual Reconstructions

Transport yourself back up to a thousand years and explore historical buildings as they may have appeared in the past. Built using the popular game development tool Unity 3D, these reconstructions will run in the most of the popular web browsers on your desktop or laptop computer.

More medieval people

Uncover the lives of the hundreds of kings, queens, lords, ladies, barons, earls, archbishops and rebels who made the medieval people an exciting period of history to live through.

Selection of references used:

  • 1. C.H.Frith, Cromwell, 1935
  • 2. Mike Salter, Castles of South-West Wales

    See Also

    People

    • Charles (I, King of England and Scotland 1625-1649)
    • Bourchier, Elizabeth
    • Montague, Edward (2nd Earl of Manchester)
    • Ireton, Henry (Major-General)
    • Fairfax, Thomas (Sir)
    • A .. Z List of Medieval People

    ^ Back to top

            x-small

            small

            medium

            large

            x-large

            x-x-large

            This popup will contain more information
            This popup will contain more information
            xyz
            xyz