John Desborough, the son
of a large landowner, was born in Cambridgeshire, in 1608. He trained
as an attorney before marrying Jane Cromwell, the sister of Oliver
Cromwell.
In 1642 Cromwell appointed
Desborough as a quarter-master to his troop of cavalry. In the Civil
War he commanded the cavalry at the storming of Bristol
and at the battle of Langport in 1645. As a major-general, he also
took part in the parliamentary victory at Worcester.
Desborough was elected
to the House of Commons in 1654 and was
appointed as a member of the Council of State of the Protectorate.
The following year he was one of the major-generals given the task
of imposing Puritan
morality. In this role Desborough
was given control of west county.
In 1659 Desborough joined
Charles Fleetwood
and John
Lambert to help remove Richard Cromwell
as Lord Protector
of the Commonwealth.
On the Restoration
Desborough escaped to Holland. He returned to England in 1666 and
lived in retirement in Hackney until his death in 1680.
Available
from Amazon Books (order below)
