Bulstrode
Whitelock was born in 1605. He worked as a lawyer before being elected
to the House of Commons as representative
for Marlow in Buckinghamshire.
Whitelock,
a Puritan, was an opponent of Charles
I and chaired the committee that prosecuted Thomas
Wentworth,
Earl of Strafford. Although a moderate, his friendship with Oliver
Cromwell,
stopped him being a victim of Pride's
Purge in
December, 1648.
Whitelock
was against the trial and execution of Charles
I. Bulstrode Whitelock, the author of Memorials
of English Affairs 1625-1660,
died in 1676.
(1)
Bulstrode
Whitelock, Memorials of English Affairs (c. 1660)
The Women Petitioners again
attended at the door of the House for an answer to their Petition
concerning Lilburne and the rest. The House sent them this answer
by the Sergeant: 'That the Matter they petitioned about was of an
higher concernment than they understood, that the House gave an answer
to their husbands, and therefore desired them to go home, and look
after their own business, and meddle with their housewifery.
(2)
Bulstrode
Whitelock wrote about the execution of the Leveller,
Robert Lockyer, on 26th April, 1649.
About one hundred went
before the Corpse, five or six in a file; the Corpse was then brought,
with six trumpets sounding a soldier's knell; then the Trooper's horse
came, clothed all over in mourning and led by a footman. The corpse
was adorned with bundles of Rosemary, one half stained in blood; and
the Sword of the deceased along with them. Some thousands followed
in rank and file: all had sea-green-and-black Ribbon tied on their
hats, and to their breasts: and the women brought up the rear. At
the new Churchyard in Westminster, some thousands more of the better
sort met them, who thought not fit to march through the City. Many
looked on this funeral as an affront to the Parliament and the Army;
others called these people Levellers; but they took no notice of any
of them.
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