George Monck, the son of
a baron, was born in Devon 1608. Monck became a professional soldier
and on the outbreak of the Civil
War he joined
the forces supporting Charles
I.
Monck was captured at the
Battle of Nantwich in 1644. He was imprisoned in the Tower
of London for two years and in 1647 agreed to become a commander
in the Parliamentary army. Monck successfully fought in Ireland and
Scotland before taking part in the Dutch Wars (1652-54).
On 3 September 1658, Oliver
Cromwell died. A few months previously, Cromwell had announced
that he wanted his son, Richard Cromwell,
to replace him as Lord Protector of the Commonwealth. The English
army was unhappy with this decision. While they respected Oliver as
a skillful military commander, Richard was just a country farmer.
In May 1659, the generals forced Richard Cromwell to retire from government.
Parliament and the leaders
of the army now began arguing amongst themselves about how England
should be ruled. Monck, now the officer in charge of the English army
based in Scotland, decided to take action, and in 1660
marched his army to London.
When Monck arrived he reinstated
the House of Lords and the Parliament of
1640. Royalists were now in control of Parliament. Monck
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.
As a reward for his action,
Monck was granted the title, the Duke of Albemarle and was appointed
as lieutenant-general of the army. He also became one of the king's
most important advisers.
Many of the men who had
fought as Cavaliers against the Roundheads
also became ministers and advisers.
Some of these men wanted revenge against those who had killed their
king. A large number of the people responsible were now dead. However,
many of those who were still alive were punished. Eleven members of
the House of Commons who had signed Charles
I's death warrant were hanged, drawn and quartered. Royalists even
dug up the body of Oliver Cromwell
and displayed it at Tyburn.
Although he was a Presbyterian
Monck
made no effort to prevent the Anglicans
from regaining power. He kept out of politics and served in the army
during the Second Dutch War (1665-67). George Monck died in 1670 and
was buried in Westminster Abbey, London.
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