1646-1649: The Windsor Prayer Meeting, April 1648

The NMA held a prayer meeting that was Puritan in April 1648 where preachers referred to Charles as "Charles Stuart" and that "man of blood."

This is significant because this was the first time in public that the army declared that there was a possibility that Charles could, and should, die. 

1646-1649: Charles' Intentions during the Settlement Period

Debate centres around Charles' intentions during the settlement period:

By 1648, he knows there will be no settlement and now aims to be a martyr for the monarchy to be resorted in the future

Or

Charles never wanted a settlement (due to his "divine right"). He is the main reason why he is executed. 

Suicide or murder?

Charles after escaping Hampton Court fled to the Isle of Wight and hoped that his relative Colonel Hammond would protect him, then he planned to head to France. Colonel Hammond, however, was loyal to Parliament and turned him in, where he was imprisoned in Carisbrooke Castle. Charles then began corresponding with the Scots and in December 1647, he signed the Solemn League and Covenant in the English Parliament and imposed Presbyterianism for 3 years. He also agreed that Scotsmen would have greater influence in the English government with a view of eventually combining England and Scotland as one Kingdom. In return the Scots would take him to London to negotiate with Parliament, who if refused, the Scots would then send an Army to England to assist Charles. 

Why was the Engagement Significant?

It meant a real possibility of war or Scottish invasion and hardens views towards the King. It lead to the Vote of No Addresses in January 1648, which stated that there would be no further negotiations with Charles. 

1646-1649: The Heads of Proposals

Reading - July 16th, 1647

• The Army's General Council met. Appeared to be signs that the general unity of the army that had held to date was beginning to break down. 
• The agitators had become more impatient with the slow progress in achieving their demands and were pushing for a more immediate march on London to secure their demands 
• At Reading, it became more clear that senior officers now had a fundamental design for settlement and were negotiating directly with Charles
• These negotiations opened Ireton and Cromwel up to charges of hypocrisy. 

Heads of Proposals - August 2nd, 1647

• Regular biennial parliaments 
• Reform of parliamentary representation 
• Parliamentary control of army and navy
• Parliamentary appointment of great offices of state for 10 years 
• Religious settlement that maintained national Church with bishops, but no coercive power
• Act of Oblivion (pardon) that exempted only a few royalists from punishments 

Negotiations with Charles 

• Their willingness to compromise with Charles brought division in the army to a head and would also be the basis of their own more hard-line attitude to Charles after the 2nd Civil War 
• The Grandees of the NMA wanted settlement because they wanted a good working relationship with the King, with Berkley commenting that Ireton may able to get the "Heads" through the Army Council. 
• Ireton modified the "Heads" after talking to the King and there is little doubt that Ireton and Cromwell went as far as they felt they could in trying to get Charles to accept the Heads
• The tension between the Army and Parliament increased. The Political Presbyterians organised demonstrations in favour of peace on the 26th July, with the convenience of Holles, a mob invaded the Commons and forced the passing of a resolution to invite the King to London. 
• By 3rd of August, the Army was just outside of London, where the Political Independents joined them after walking out of Parliament. 
• Charles escaped from Hampton Court on 11th November. In response to the new military threat posed by Charles' escape and his negotiations with the Scots, the NMA officers reunited. An attempted Leveller inspired military in the army at Wore was crushed. 

1646-1649: The Role and Influence of the New Model Army

After Charles' surrender, the New Model Army became increasingly politicised. This was due to their dissatisfaction with the settlements offered to the King by Parliament. They also had material concerns - wages were £3 million in arrears and Parliament had proposed to disband them in the Newcastle Propositions. As Parliament failed to address their concerns, the demands of the army became more radical.

When Parliament proposed to disband the Army, Fairfax ordered a meeting at Newmarket on 4th/5th June 1647. During this meeting a more formal political structure in the army was developed. A General Council was created to allow official strategies and possible settlement to be discussed. The General Council was made up of two officers and two agitators (more radical, pushing for change) from each regiment. This was led by Henry Ireton who had the role of Commissary General.

What were the Heads of Proposals?

The army had so much say during the settlement period because:

Physical control of Charles: 
Charles had been placed under semi-protective house arrest by Parliament after his surrender. He was based at Holmby in Northamptonshire. On 2nd June, 1647, the Army seized Charles from Parliament. George Joyce, a Coronet in the army arrived at Holmby House and said that he had Cromwell's permission to remove the King. Joyce had associations with the agitators. He was allowed to take custody of Charles and immediately took him to the Army's headquarters at Newmarket. Most of the garrison protecting the King went with Joyce. Fairfax was furious but it seemed as though Joyce had the approval of Cromwell and Ireton

The Solemn Engagement:
The first step of the army's demands that had been declared in the Humble Remonstrance were put into action through the documents of the Solemn Engagement which encouraged cooperation between the army's officers and the agitators. This document was mainly drafted by Ireton. In June, Cromwell, Ireton and Fairfax met with Charles and to reinforce the Solemn Engagement, impeachment charges were drawn against 11 MPs, including Holles (Political Presbyterian) - the army saw him as leading Parliament against them.

Humble Remonstrance 
Produced on the 4th June, 1647. The Remonstrance declared that the army would not disband until their grievances were met - i.e. indemnity (no prosecution or punishment for affairs during the First Civil War) and also the removal of the Political Presbyterians who wanted to disband the army.

"A Representation of the Army" 
Drafted on the 14th June, 1647 by Ireton, Lambert and Cromwell. The Representation outlined the army's political position and what they wanted. Main points focused on:

• Purge of Parliament
• Future Parliaments of Fixed Duration 
• Guaranteed right of freedom or people to petition to Parliament (meaning free speech and say)
• Liberty of tender consciences (religious freedom)

All these influenced what was to be in the Heads of Proposals 

1646-1649: Newcastle Propositions Revised and Significance

In the winter of 1646-1647 the Newcastle Propositions were revised:

• Demobilise the NMA but keep a smaller armed force to send to Ireland 
• Create an alternative "safe" army based on London trained bands 

What was the significance of the Newcastle Propositions?

The approach that the Political Presbyterians took allowed an entrance for the New Model Army to negotiate on the terms of settlement, thus being the zenith of their politicisation 

1646-1649: Newcastle Propositions

1646-1649: The Failure to Reach Settlement - Key Groups in the Settlement Period

Key Groups in the Settlement Period 

In 1646, the settlement meant making a deal with the King. There was no thought of making a deal for the future which did not include Charles I (at this point no man was thinking of regicide).

Why couldn't a settlement be reached?

• Charles - attitude and intransigence made negoitation difficult. Arguably Charles could never have accepted any form of a settlement 
• New Model Army - increasingly politicised. Relationship with Parliament had changed
• Parliament - there was division and factions among groups who had their own different ideas - this was the rift of the Political Presbyterians and the Political Independents 
• Radicalism - development of religious and political radicalism, especially within the NMA. 

Parliament during this time

Division within Parliament over how to fight the Civil War alerted Charles to the growing factions and he played on this - it was one of his political advantages over Parliament 

 

Political Presbyterians (Peace Party) V. Political Independents (War Party)

Political Presbyterians - Willing to accept settlement with the King on minimal terms

• Most influential group in Parliament by 1646 
• Conservative on social and political matters
• Opposed to religious toleration 
• Favoured negotiations for peace with the King 
• Drew closer to the Scots 
• Disenchanted by the NMA
• Main aim to prevent social revolution 

Political Independents - Charles must accept limitations before NMA is disbanded (meaning security within the settlement)

• Oliver Cromwell a member of this group
• Dislike the authoritarianism of Scottish Presbyterianism 
• Wanted increasingly religious tolerance
• Allied with the NMA 

What was equally important at the time was what the nation wanted - Farr comments that "most of the country actually favours a quick resolution in order to gain peace." 

This is understandable as people didn't want to go to war in the first place. The war continued longer than many people thought it would have and therefore this made it easy to back the Political Presbyterians as they were willing to go back to the traditional system. 190,000 Englishmen died and this caused an appeal and need for settlement.