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Oliver Cromwell (1599-1658)
In 1599 Oliver Cromwell was born at Huntingdon in England where his family owned at estate. Cromwell took an active part in politics. He was a justice of the peace and a staunch Protestant.
Cromwell was a member of the parliament in 1628 when it clashed with Charles I and was dissolved in 1629. Cromwell was one of those who refused to compromise with the king.
A new parliament was called in 1640 and Cromwell was the member for Cambridge. Cromwell clashed with the Anglican Church over the role that the clergy took and the use of ritual within the church. He was also opposed to what he saw as the corrupt nature of the clergy. Many of the parliamentarians supported these views. A bill called 'the Grand Remonstrance' which represented these views was passed by Parliament. This bill led to Civil War in 1642 because Charles I raised a Loyalist army in response to the bill.
When the war broke out Cromwell created and led a cavalry force known as the 'Ironsides'. He was a talented leader and won a number of battles in East Anglia. As a result Parliament raised an army to fight the loyalist forces and lieutenant-general Cromwell was the second in command. The parliamentary forces defeated the Royalists and Charles I was executed. Effectively running the country, Cromwell won battles against the Irish and the Scots (who believed that Charles II was the new king).
Cromwell was a Puritan. He abolished bishops and congregations were allowed to select their own ministers. He allowed the Book of Common Prayer to be used in private houses. In some sense he can be seen as a benevolent dictator but Cromwell was a constitutional reformer who brought political stability after the civil war and established the constitutional government and religious tolerance which we have known until recently.