Charles Fleetwood

FLEETWOOD, CHARLES (d. 1692), English soldier and politician, third son of Sir Miles Fleetwood of Aldwinkle, North amptonshire, and of Anne, daughter of Nicholas Luke of Wood end, Bedfordshire, was admitted into Gray's Inn on Nov. 3o, 1638. At the beginning of the Great Rebellion, he joined Essex's life-guard, was wounded at the first battle of Newbury, obtained a regiment in 1644 and fought at Naseby. He had already been appointed receiver of the court of wards, and in 1646 became member of parliament for Marlborough. He was said to have been the principal author of the plot to seize King Charles at Holmby, but he did not participate in the king's trial. In 1649 he was appointed a governor of the isle of Wight, and in 165o, as lieutenant-general of the horse, took part in Cromwell's campaign in Scotland and assisted in the victory of Dunbar. Next year he was elected a member of the council of state, was entrusted with the command of the forces in England, and shared in the final triumph at Worcester. In 1652 he married Cromwell's daughter, Bridget, widow of Ireton, and was made commander-in-chief in Ireland, to which title that of lord deputy was added. During his administration (1652-55) he carried out ruthlessly the settlement of the soldiers on the confiscated estates and the transplantation of the original owners. He showed great severity in the prosecu tion of the Roman Catholic priests, and favoured the Anabaptists and the extreme Puritan sects to the disadvantage of the moderate Presbyterians.

Fleetwood was

a strong and unswerving follower of Cromwell's policy. In Dec. 1654 he became a member of the council, and after his return to England in 1655 was appointed one of the major-generals. On Cromwell's death, he was regarded as a likely successor, and it is said that Cromwell had in fact so nominated him. He, however, supported Richard Cromwell, but allowed subsequently, if he did not instigate, petitions from the army de manding its independence, and finally compelled Richard by force to dissolve parliament. His project of re-establishing Richard in close dependence upon the army met with failure, and the Long Parliament was recalled. Fleetwood became a member of the committee of safety and of the council of state, and one of the seven commissioners for the army; on June 9 he was nominated commander-in-chief. But on Oct. 11 parliament declared his com mission void. The next day he assisted Lambert in his expulsion of the parliament and was reappointed commander-in-chief. On Monk's approach from the North, he stayed in London and main tained order. The army on Dec. 24 restored the Rump, when he was deprived of his command and ordered to appear before parlia ment to answer for his conduct. At the Restoration he was in cluded among the eighteen who were punished only by perpetual exclusion from public office, and his public career therefore closed, though he survived till Oct. 4, 1692.