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| Committee of Both Kingdoms | ||
| 1644 Feb 16 |
The Committee of Both Kingdoms was proposed in Feb 1644 as
a body to direct the war strategy after Parliament had joined with the
Scots and signed the Solemn League and Covenant.
The Committee was to consist of 7 Peers, 14 MPs and 4 Scottish Commissioners. The peace party MPs did not approve of this as it gave the Committee powers to run the war without consulting Parliament at all. The Lords were unhappy about it as they felt they were under-represented in it.
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Since the death of Pym, Parliament had markedly split into two factions - the War Party (those who were for all out war) and the Peace Party (those who wanted to negotiate with the King for peace). |
| Pym's successor, Oliver St John, allied himself with the war party in proposing the Committee and together with Sir Henry Vane, determined the members of it beforehand. | ||
| Algernon
Earl of Northumberland, Robert Earl of Essex (Lord General), Robert Earl of Warwick (Lord Admiral), Edward Earl of Manchester, William Viscount Say and Sele, Philip Lord Wharton, John Lord Robarts, William Pierpoint, Sir Henry Vane (senior), Sir Philip Stapleton, Sir William Waller, Sir Gilbert Gerrard, Sir William Armyne, Sir Arthur Haselrigg, Sir Henry Vane (junior), John Crewe, Robert Wallop, Oliver St. John (Solicitor-General), Oliver Cromwell, Samuel Browne and John Glynn (Recorder) ...together with 4 Commissioners appointed by the Scots |
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| Decisions could be made provided there were at least 6 members of the Committee present - as long as there was at least 1 Lord and 2 MPs. | ||
| 1648 Jan 3 |
The Committee of Both Kingdoms is dissolved as Parliament shows its distrust in the Scots. The English members continued to meet and it was then known as the Derby House Committee. | Derby House in Cannon Row, Westminster was where the meetings took place |
| 1649 | It was dissolved by Parliament soon after the King's execution on 7 February 1649, and replaced by the Council of State. | |