Edmund Ludlow, the son
of Sir Henry Ludlow, was born at Maiden Bradley in 1617. Educated
at Trinity College, Oxford,
he was admitted to the Inner Temple in 1638.
Ludlow was elected to the
House of Commons as representative of Wiltshire.
A strong critic of Charles
I and a close
associate of Henry
Marten,
Ludlow caused controversy in Parliament on 7th May, 1642, when he
said that "the king was not worthy to be king of England."
On the outbreak of the
Civil War Ludlow joined the Parliamentary
army and he initially served as a bodyguard to the Earl
of Essex. On 23rd October, 1642, Ludlow fought at Edgehill
before becoming captain of a troop of cavalry. The following year
he was appointed as governor of Wardour Castle in Wiltshire.
Ludlow
endured a three months siege at Wardour Castle before being forced
to surrender to the royalists. After a short imprisonment in Oxford
Ludlow was exchanged in the summer of 1644.
In May 1644 Ludlow joined
the army led by William Waller. Ludlow,
who was appointed as Sheriff of Wiltshire, took part in battle at
Newbury
(27th October, 1644), the
siege of Basing House (November, 1644) and the relief of Taunton (December,
1644).
In the House
of Commons Ludlow showed himself to sympathize with the Levellers
and the Anabaptists. He was also
a promoter of the Pride's Purge and
signed the death warrant of Charles
I. In February
1649 he was elected to the Council of State.
In June 1650 Oliver
Cromwell appointed Ludlow as second in command to General Henry
Ireton. He went to Ireland in January 1651 and later that year
took part in the siege of Limerick. On the death of Ireton he became
chief commander until replaced by Charles
Fleetwood in October 1652.
Ludlow was furious when
Cromwell closed down the House of Commons
in April, 1653. He circulated pamphlets critical of the government
and in January 1655 Fleetwood sacked him from his post in Ireland.
When Ludlow arrived back
in England in October 1655, and was kept in captivity until being
allowed to meet Oliver Cromwell on
12th December, 1655. Cromwell asked Ludlow what he wanted and he replied:
"That which we fought for, that the nation might be governed
by its own consent." Ludlow argued that Cromwell's administration
was illegal but promised he would not plot to overthrow the government.
Cromwell accepted his word
and Ludlow was allowed to retire and went to live in Essex. Attempts
were made in Wiltshire to get Ludlow elected to the House
of Commons but this was prevented by the government. However,
after the death of Cromwell he was allowed to represent Hindon in
Parliament. Ludlow now led the opposition to Richard
Cromwell
becoming Lord Protector.
In June, 1659, Parliament
appointed Ludlow as commander-in-chief of the Irish army. Over the
next few months he purged senior officers in the army and replaced
them with committed republicans. When this was done he appointed Colonel
John Jones
as commander in his
absence.
Ludlow arrived in England
and attempted unite opposing forces in the House
of Commons. He was forced to return to Ireland after hearing that
Jones had been arrested by his own officers. While Ludlow was in Ireland
George
Monck, the officer in charge of the English army based in Scotland,
decided to march his army to London.
When Monck arrived he reinstated
the House of Lords and the Parliament of
1640. Monk
now contacted Charles
II, who was living
in Holland. Charles agreed that if he was made king he would pardon
all members of the parliamentary army and would continue with the
Commonwealth's policy of religious toleration. Charles also accepted
that he would share power with Parliament and would not rule as an
'absolute' monarch as his father had
tried to do in the 1630s. This information was passed to Parliament
and it was eventually agreed to abolish the Commonwealth
and bring back the monarchy.
Ludlow joined with John
Lambert and Robert
Lilburne
in an attempt to arouse
resistance to the restoration of the monarchy. When their soldiers
deserted Ludlow was forced to go into hiding. Later he escaped to
France.
In August 1660, Charles
II and Parliament
agreed to pass the Act of Indemnity and Oblivion. This resulted in
the granting of a free pardon to anyone who had supported the Commonwealth
government. However, the king retained the right to punish those people
who had participated in the trial and execution of Charles
I.
A special court was appointed
and in October 1660 those Regicides
who were still alive and living in Britain were brought to trial.
Ten were found guilty and were sentenced to be hung, drawn and quartered.
This included Thomas Harrison, John
Jones, John Carew and Hugh
Peters. Others executed included Adrian Scroope, Thomas Scot,
Gregory Clement, Francis Hacker, Daniel Axtel and John Cook.
Oliver
Cromwell, Henry Ireton, Thomas
Pride and John Bradshaw were all
posthumously tried for high treason. They were found guilty and in
January 1661 their corpses were exhumed and hung in chains at Tyburn.
A reward of £300
was offered for Ludlow's arrest. Ludlow constantly kept moving living
in Geneva, Lausanne and Vevay. His fellow Regicide,
John Lisle was assassinated in Vevay on 11th August, 1664, but Ludlow
survived several plots on his life.
Ludlow's wife joined him
in Switzerland and he remained close to other republican exiles, Nicholas
Love and Andrew Broughton. Over the next few years Ludlow wrote his
memoirs.
When the Glorious
Revolution took place in 1688 Ludlow returned to England. However,
a proclamation was issued for his arrest and he was forced to flee
the country.
Edmund Ludlow died in Vevay
on 26th November 1692.
(1)
Edward Ludlow,
Memoirs of Edward Ludlow (c. 1680)
In the mean time the Major-Generals
carried things with unheard of insolence in their several precincts,
decimating to extremity whom they pleased, and interrupting the proceedings
at law upon petitions of those who pretended themselves aggrieved;
threatening such as would not yield a
ready submission to their orders, with transportation to Jamaica
or some other plantations in the West Indies; and suffering
none to escape their persecution, but those that would
betray their own party, by discovering the persons that
had acted with them or for them.
(2)
Edward Ludlow,
Memoirs of Edward Ludlow (c. 1680)
Sir Anthony Ashley Cooper,
also a great instrument in this horrid treachery, as he was most active
amongst those of the Parliament who were consulting for their restitution,
so notwithstanding the affronts he had formerly put upon me, the Lord
Arundel being pressed by the trustees and contractors at Drury House
for the paying in of thousands of pounds which he was in arrears for
some lands which they had sold of his to some of his friends, and
which Cromwell had discharged him of, they not allowing that to be
a sufficient discharge threaten him to sell the land again, according
to a command they had received from the Parliament to that purpose,
if he forthwith paid not the said arrears. It being apprehended that
my letter to them might be of service to him therein, he the same
Sir Anthony, coming to me with him to desire me to write on his behalf,
professed to be very affectionate to the interest of the Commonwealth,
which he did so to the life that I was much pleased therewith, having
always believed him to be otherwise inclined. But notwithstanding
his fair words, I was not so confident of him as to repose any great
trust in him, he having played fast and loose so often, declaring
sometimes for the king, then for the Parliament, then for Cromwell,
afterwards against him,
and now for the Commonwealth.
About this time I went
to Sir Arthur Haslerig, whom I knew to be of a most rigid and inflexible
spirit, and endeavoured as well as I could to persuade him of the
necessity incumbent on us all to lay aside our private animosities,
and to unite our whole strength to preserve the vessel of the Commonwealth
from sinking. I desired him to entertain a better opinion of Sir Henry
Vane, and some other persons than he seemed to have, assuring him
that it was impossible to prevent that ruin which threatened us.
(3)
Edward Ludlow,
Memoirs of Edward Ludlow (c. 1680)
Another of my friends
who was well acquainted with the designs of the Court, and had all
along advised me not to trust their favour; now repeated his persuasions
to withdraw out of England, assuring, that if I staid I was lost;
and that the same fate attended Sir Henry Vane and others, notwithstanding
all engagements to the contrary. He added, that there was a design
on foot to seize the estates of all those who had been outlawed in
the late King's time, of which number my father having been one, it
would be difficult for me to escape ruin on that account. The advice
of my friend whom I had always found to be entirely sincere, and knew
to be well informed of affairs, was of great weight to induce me to
resolve upon departing from England; in which resolution I was confirmed
by the friendly counsel of the Lord Ossery, eldest son to the Marquis
of Ormond, who with divers others that had observed the inconstancy
and irresolution, to say no worse, of those in the House of Commons,
in sacrificing Mr. Carew and Colonel Scroop to the revenge of the
enemy, concurred in giving the same advice.
The time appointed for
my departure from England being come, after I had settled my affairs
in the best manner I could, and taken leave of my dearest friends
and relations, I went into a coach about the close of the day, and
passing through the City over London-Bridge to St.
George's Church in Southwark, I found a person ready to receive me
with two horses, one of which I mounted and began my journey. My guide
was so well acquainted with the country, that we avoided all the considerable
towns on the road, where we suspected any soldiers might be quartered
; and the next morning by break of day we arrived at Lewes without
interruption. On the Tuesday following, a small vessel being prepared
for my transportation, I went on board; but the wind blowing hard
and the vessel having no deck, I removed into another that had
been provided for me by a merchant of Lewes, and was struck upon the
sands as she was falling down to receive me. This vessel had carried
over Mr. Richard Cromwell some weeks before, and lay very commodiously
for my safety on that occasion; for after I had entered into her to
secure my self from the weather, till I might put to sea in the other,
the searchers came on board my small vessel to see what she carried,
omitting to search that in which I was, not suspecting any person
or thing to be in her, because she was struck upon the sands. But
the storm still continuing, and the men thinking not fit to put to
sea, we continued in the harbour all that day and the night following;
the master, who had used the ports of Ireland whilst I had been in
that country, among other things, enquiring if Lieutenant-General
Ludlow were not imprisoned with the rest of the King's judges; to
which I answered, that I had not heard of any such thing.
The next morning we set
sail, and had the wind so favourable, that we arrived in the harbour
of Diepe that evening before the gates were shut; where going ashore
I was conducted by the master, to the house of one Madame de Caux
to whom I was recommended, where I was received with all possible
demonstrations of civility; the gentlewoman leaving it to my choice
either to continue at her habitation in Diepe, or to go to her house
in the country; which last I chose to do, as well that I might enjoy
the liberty of taking the air, as to avoid the Irish who were in great
numbers in the town, and who probably might have seen me in Ireland
when I served the Parliament.
(4)
Edward Ludlow, Memoirs of Edward Ludlow (c. 1680)
The first letters I received
from England, after my arrival at Geneva, informed me that Major-General
Harrison, Mr. John Carew, Chief Justice Coke, Mr. Hugh Peters, Mr.
Thomas Scot, Mr. Gregory Clement, Colonel Adrian Scroop, Colonel John
Jones, Colonel Francis Hacker, and Colonel Daniel Axtel being accused
of having contributed in their several stations, to the death of the
King, had been condemned and executed. This important business had
been delayed during the time that Mr. Love was to continue Sheriff
of London, he being no way to be induced, either for fear or hopes,
to permit juries to be packed in order to second the designs of the
Court. But after new sheriffs had been chosen, more proper to serve
the present occasion, a commission for hearing and determining this
matter, was directed to thirty-four persons, of whom fifteen had actually
engaged for the Parliament, against the late King; either as members
of Parliament, judges or officers in their army; most, if not all
of them, the Lord Mayor excepted, having been put into places of trust
and profit since the late revolution.
(4)
Edward Ludlow, Memoirs of Edward Ludlow
(c. 1680)
Colonel John Jones who
next appeared on this bloody theater, was a gentleman of a competent
estate in North- Wales, and so well beloved in his country that he
did considerable service to the public cause by his interest in those
parts. He reduced the Isle of Anglesey to the obedience of the Commonwealth,
and was soon after chosen to serve in Parliament for that place. He
had been one of the Council of State, and in the year 1650 was constituted
one of the Commissioners of Parliament for managing the civil affairs
of Ireland. This trust he discharged during the course of divers years,
with great diligence, ability, and integrity, in providing for the
happiness of that country, and bringing to justice those who had been
concerned in the murders of the English Protestants. When the Great
Parliament was restored to the exercise of their authority, after
the long interruption, they chose him to be one of those eight persons,
to whom they committed the care of the public safety, till they could
establish a Council of State. Of this also he was chosen a member,
and soon after sent by the Parliament to his former trust in Ireland,
where he continued till the late change.
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