Oliver Cromwell (1599-1658)
1599 Born in Huntingdon on April 25th. The son of Robert Cromwell and Elizabeth Steward - wealthy and influential landowners in the Fen Country of East England.
Robert Cromwell and Elizabeth
his father and mother.
Attended Huntingdon Grammar School,  and Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge for a year. He returned home when his father died to look after his mother and family.
Attended Lincoln's Inn London.
1620 In August 1620 he married Elizabeth, daughter of Sir James Bourchier, a wealthy merchant in the City of London. Cromwell eventually had 9 children - 5 boys and 4 girls.
1628 Elected MP for Huntingdon, but this parliament was adjourned in 1629 by King Charles I - and the 'Eleven Years Tyranny' began.
Cromwell became very religious and was an avid reader of the Bible. He was later very vociferous in his attacks on the Bishops, believing that the people should choose their own ministers.
When Parliament was disbanded he returned to Huntingdon.
1631 Moved to St. Ives to work as a farmer. The inheritance from his father was rather poor but when his uncle, Sir Thomas Steward, died in 1636 it meant he could move into a substantial house near the cathedral in Ely.
1636 Moved to Ely where he became a local tax collector - gaining status in the local area.

Cromwell's house in Ely.
(29, St Mary's Street)
1640 Elected MP for Cambridge for the Short Parliament. and again in the Long Parliament.
1642 At the outbreak of war Cromwell went back to Cambridge to make sure the colleges did not give their treasures to the King's funds.

Cromwell was a captain with 60 horsemen (which he had recruited in Huntingdon) at the battle of Edgehill arriving rather late for the battle - he was much impressed by the superiority of the King's cavalry. He resolved to recruit and train his own troop of disciplined cavalry - later called the 'Ironsides'.
1643 Appointed Colonel of Horse. He began to recruit a cavalry regiment of carefully selected men.

Mar. Involved in some minor skirmishes around Grantham.

Jul 28. He fought at the battle of Gainsborough, defeating the Royalists with a well-disciplined cavalry charge. Appointed Governor of the Isle of Ely.

Operations in Lincolnshire. He was joined by Manchester's Eastern Alliance troops and moved northwards towards Hull to relieve the Earl of Newcastle's siege.

Oct 11. Cromwell's cavalry charge helped defeat the Royalists at the battle of Winceby.

 He was not interested in their social standing or beliefs, but their loyalty and behaviour. He combined strict discipline with good treatment and regular payment of his troops.
1644 On Jan 22 he was promoted to Lieutenant-General of Horse and Foot under the Earl of Manchester.

Feb. Appointed a member of the Committee of Both Kingdoms. although he seldom attended any of their meetings as he preferred to be with his troops.

Fought at the battle of Marston Moor, making two effective cavalry charges into the Royalist lines.

 

 He was later very critical of the Earl of Manchester' reluctance to fight and denounced him publicly in the House of Commons.
Cromwell after the Battle of Marston Moor.
1645 When the New Model Army was created under the leadership of Sir Thomas Fairfax, Cromwell was appointed a lieutenant-general in it, and resigned his seat in Parliament.

Jun 14. He took part in the battle of Naseby.

Jul 10. He fought at Langport
1658 Sep 3. Cromwell dies of malaria.

Nov 10. He was buried in Westminster Abbey, 13 days before his state funeral.

His body was later dug up, and hung up at Tyburn. His body was buried under the gallows, but his head was removed, stuck on a pole and raised above Westminster Hall where it remained until the end of Charles II's reign.