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| Charles Flees to the Scottish Army. 1646 | ||
| Charles believed that if he recognised the Presbyterian
Church in Scotland and did not interfere with Presbyterian worship in
England then they would support him. He was holed up in Oxford and
becoming surrounded by Parliamentarian troops.
Charles plans to go to Southwell, still amazingly in Royalist hands, and give himself up to the Scottish army besieging Newark |
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| Apr 27 | A disguise is brought to John Ashburnham by one of the King's chaplains, Dr. Michael Hudson. The King arrives at midnight and Ashburnham cuts his hair and trims his beard. Charles then dresses as a servant. | |
| The Governor of Oxford leads the three men to the East gate of the city and lets them out, locking the door behind them with instructions not to let anyone pass through the gates for five days. At 3 am Charles is passing over Magdalen Bridge. He has a pass signed by Fairfax taken from a soldier. | 'Farewell Harry' the Governor cries to the King as he lets them out of the gate. | |
| The King passes through Marsh Baldon, Dorchester, Benson,
Nettlebed and Henley. They are joined by one of Ireton's men at Slough
and move on to Uxbridge and Hillingdon where they arrive at 10 am.
They wait three hours for signs of any contacts from London and then move north to Harrow, St Albans and Wheathampstead. Here they stop for the night. |
Hudson's plan involves a feint towards London and then a turn to move northwards, but the King is at this stage considering presenting himself at Westminster. | |
| Apr 28 | Hudson is sent off to contact Montreuil, the French
Ambassador while Charles and Ashburnham head north to Downham. Montreuil
is to seek written assurances from the Scots that they would support the
King.
Montreuil could only get a verbal assurance that they would not ask the King to do anything against his conscience, and that if Parliament did not restore his rights and prerogatives then they would declare for him. |
A possible escape by sea.... |
| May 5 | Having passed down through Huntingdon, looped up to Melton
Mowbray, back to Stamford, up to Grantham the King arrives at
Montreuil's house in Southwell at 7 am.
Charles goes to the Scots who act surprised and immediately start demanding further conditions from the King. The King realises that Newark cannot hold out against the besiegers and in a gesture of goodwill orders them to surrender to the Scots. The Scots are unimpressed and they demand that he signs the Covenant and establishes Presbyterianism in England and Ireland. Charles refuses and then gets treated like a prisoner with guards on the door. |
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| May 7 | The Scots set out north for Newcastle. | |
| May 13 | The Scots arrive at Newcastle with Charles. They turn a blind eye when Charles orders Ashburnham and Hudson to escape. | Asburnham took with him a letter to Henrietta Maria from Charles 'transferring at this time the freedom of my pen to his tongue'. |
| He also sent orders to Oxford to negotiate for the city's surrender, taking care of the University and ensuring the Duke of York is sent to his father. | When the city surrendered on June 24th, the University was undamaged but the Duke of York was imprisoned and sent to St James' Palace. | |
| Charles was treated with disdain by the Scots. He managed to write and smuggle out some letters. Reports say that he still managed to maintain his dignity. | To Henrietta Maria he writes 'there was never man so alone as I . . . no living soul to help me . . . all the comfort I have is in thy love and a clear conscience.' | |
| Jul 13 | Charles is presented with the Newcastle Propositions. | |
| How Charles gets to London | ||