William
Strode was born in Devon in 1599. A Puritan,
Strode was elected to the House of Commons.
Over the next few years
Strood emerged as one of the leading opponents of
Charles
I
and his Ship Tax. Strood also played
an important role in having the
king's two senior advisers, William Laud
and Thomas Wentworth arrested and
sent to the Tower of London.
Charged with treason, Wentworth's
trial opened on 22nd March, 1641. The case could not be proved and
so his enemies in the House of Commons,
led by Arthur Haselrig, John
Pym and Henry Vane, resorted to a Bill
of Attainder. Charles
I gave his consent
to the Bill of Attainder and Thomas
Wentworth, Earl of Strafford, was executed on 12th May 1641.
Parliament then passed
a law that gave members control over the king's ministers.
Charles I was
furious and decided it was time to retaliate. On 4 January 1642, Charles
sent his soldiers to arrest Strode, Denzil
Holles, Arthur Haselrig, John
Pym and John Hampden.
The five men managed to escape before the soldiers arrived. Members
of Parliament no longer felt safe from Charles and decided to form
their own army. After failing to arrest the Five
Members, Charles fled from London.
Aware that Civil War
was inevitable, Charles
began to form an army.
William Strode died in
1645.
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