Sleepy History - The English Civil War

Episode Date: July 5, 2026

✨Sleepy History is written and narrated by humans. ✨ Narrated By: Simon Mattacks Written By: Jo Steer The English Civil War was a period of profound change that reshaped the relationship between the monarchy, the parliament, and the people of England. From political disagreements and religious tensions to battles that altered the course of a nation, its story is one of conflict, conviction, and transformation. The events of these years left a lasting mark on British history and government. Tonight, trace the causes, key figures, and consequences of the English Civil War as the day gently fades from your view. Includes mentions of: British History, Military History, War, Politics, Death, and Violence #History #Sleep #English #civilwar #britishhistory #England #politics About Sleepy History Explore history's most intriguing stories, people, places, events, and mysteries, delivered in a supremely calming atmosphere. If you struggle to fall asleep and you have a curious mind, Sleepy History is the perfect bedtime companion. Our stories will gently grasp your attention, pulling your mind away from any racing thoughts, making room for the soothing music and calming narration to guide you into a peaceful sleep. Want to enjoy Sleepy History ad-free? Start your 7-day free trial of Sleepy History Premium: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://sleepyhistory.supercast.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Have feedback or an episode request? Let us know at: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠slumberstudios.com/contact⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Sleepy History is a production of Slumber Studios. To learn more, visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.slumberstudios.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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Wayfair, every style, every home. between 1642 and 1651 remain one of the most turbulent periods in British history. Long held disagreements over how the country should be governed finally erupted into civil war. On one side, there were the royalists, loyal to King Charles I. On the other, those who believed in parliamentary rule. It was a conflict that would end with the king's trial and execution, an event that sent shockwaves across Europe. But how did it come to this?

Could the conflict have been avoided, or was it an inevitable consequence of changing times? These are just a few of the questions we'll be looking at tonight. So just relax and let your mind drift as we explore the sleepy history of the English Civil War. It's early afternoon on the 30th of January 1649. Despite the cold weather, a huge crowd has gathered outside the Palace of Whitehall in London. They're here to watch something that's unprecedented in English history, the execution of Charles I.

The King of England, Scotland and Ireland has been found guilty of committing treason against his own people. Even for those who think Charles a tyrant, it's shocking to see the monarch led out to the scaffold. He's dressed all in black, but for a royal blue sash across his chest. He wears a wide-brimmed hat and two shirts so that the crowd doesn't see him shiver.

It's a struggle for the people to hear the king's final words as he's surrounded by a barrier of parliamentary guards. Some choose to look away as Charles kneels before the block and orders the executioner to strike. Just a year ago, the thought that England would execute their own king for treason would have been unimaginable to most. Even after a civil war and countless royal missteps, Charles was still a king,

and thought to be appointed by God. How many, we might wonder, were asking themselves a question, how did it come to this? Sometimes called the Great Rebellion. The English Civil War took place in three phases between 1642 and 1651. They're known as the first, second, and third civil wars. Although it took place before the formation of Britain, the British Civil War might be more accurate as a title, for one, because Charles was King of England and Scotland, titles he'd inherited from his Scottish father, James.

Charles was also King of Ireland, which had been conquered and colonised. Clashes in England took place within a broader conflict, known as the wars of the three kingdoms. England, Scotland and Ireland, each faced their own kinds of civil wars, fought over separate causes, yet all interconnected. The English Civil War, which is our focus tonight, revolved around the matter of how the country should be governed. parliamentarians supported the king's right to rule, but believed that the sovereign should work alongside the government. King Charles I, however, thought himself God's appointed ruler, and expected total obedience and unlimited power. Charles's way of thinking wasn't out of the

ordinary when he ascended the throne in 1625. There was an absolute monarchy in Russia, and France would soon become one under King Louis XIV. Much like the ruler of an absolute monarchy, Charles thought himself far elevated above his subjects. He was answerable to God and God alone, above the law and Parliament. And herein lies the crux of the problem. England was not an absolute monarchy.

In fact, the country had a long head, held tradition of pushing back against autocratic rule. The most famous example came in 1215 when a number of barons rebelled against King John, protesting high taxes and tyrannical rule. The king had been forced to sign Magna Carta, the first document in English history to limit the king's powers. It was written into law that land-owning nobles had to be consulted before taxes were raised, and that no one could be imprisoned without reason.

Everyone was entitled to a fair trial. The monarch still enjoyed a massive amount of power, but some constraints had been established. A lasting precedent had been set of the monarch needing consent to govern. Magna Carta laid the foundations of what would become the government in the 14th century. Two distinct bodies, the House of Lords and House of Commons, were well established by the time of Charles' reign. The House of Lords consisted of peers, bishops, dukes, earls and barons. They tended to be royalists.

Some inherited their titles, while others were personally appointed by the King. The House of Commons, on the other hand, was made up of elected representatives from counties and towns across England. They were a mix of lawyers, businessmen and country landowners, as only the wealthy were allowed to stand. Members of Parliament, or MPs, were far more likely to challenge the king. They were educated and forthright. Many were skilled orators. They believed themselves to be the voice of the people, defenders of their countrymen's ancient rights,

as laid out in the Magna Carta. There was a religious element to this as well, the country having undergone a Protestant Reformation just over a century before. Unable to obtain the divorce he wanted, King Henry VIII had broken away from Rome, A thousand years of Catholic dominance was unceremoniously brought to an end. Matters of faith had divided the country ever since. There had been uprisings and protests, plots to assassinate different monarchs,

and people charged with heresy and put to death for their beliefs. It was Charles' father, King James I, who'd been the intended victim of the gunbeck. powder plotters. A group of Catholic conspirators had very nearly succeeded in blowing up Parliament with the monarch inside. One of the most notorious plots in British history, it did immeasurable damage to the plotter's cause. Catholics would be regarded with paranoia and mistrust for centuries. Charles became king just 20 years after the plot, and anti-Catholic sentiment was at a fever pitch in Parliament. Many thought themselves defenders of the Protestant religion, seeing this as inextricably linked with their rights and parliamentary privileges. Religious reforms were met with suspicion, particularly from the Puritans, who had an increasing presence in the Commons.

These radical Protestants lived by a strict moral and religious code and wanted to rid the country of any trace of Catholicism. Charles's father, King James I of the Stuart dynasty, was the son of a devout Catholic, Mary Queen of Scots. Mary had been executed as a traitor by Queen Elizabeth I, and James himself had been raised as a Protestant. Coming to power after Elizabeth's death, James' attitude towards religion seemed a lot like hers.

It was an attempt at a compromise between Catholics and Protestants in the interests of maintaining peace. Regardless to the results, it didn't win him any fans. Catholics resented their lack of power and status, and the fines they had to pay for non-attendants at church. Protestants thought the king was too lenient on Catholics. Many disliked him as a foreigner on the throne. James's popularity only worsened over the course of his 22-year reign. He overspent wildly, despite a nearly bankrupt treasury, and showered wealth and titles on undeserving favourites.

What's more, the Stuart King was also increasingly high-handed. It was normal procedure to dissolve Parliament once matters had been discussed and business concluded. James, however, often dissolved Parliament because he didn't like what the MPs were saying. He went on to do this several times, after disputes over taxation and royal privilege, or when MPs dared to criticise his favourites. James set an example for his son of an untouchable ruler, for whom Parliament was optional, an unnecessary hindrance. It might seem that Charles I was set up to fail.

on a collision course with Parliament from the beginning of his reign. But then, we'd be discounting the King's part in what happened, the ways in which he made a bad situation worse. Barely a month into his reign in 1625, Charles married a French Catholic, Queen Henrietta Maria. He postponed the opening of Parliament until after he'd consummated the marriage, so that the question of annulment wasn't an option.

As we've mentioned, anti-Catholic feeling was rife. It was just two decades since the gunpowder plotters had tried to blow up the king and countless others. The last Catholic queen in recent memory was Mary the First, or Bloody Mary, best remembered for the number of Protestants. she'd had killed. So, in Parliament, the reaction to Charles's marriage was one of anger and fear. The Puritans in particular had deep suspicions that this was the beginning of a Catholic restoration. These fears were amplified by Charles' support of Richard Montague, a controversial

clergyman who was at odds with the Puritans. His appointment as royal chaplain, seemed like further evidence that the king might initiate a covert reformation. It wasn't the best start, to say the least. And neither was the king's coronation at Westminster Abbey. As a devout Catholic, Queen Henrietta Maria wouldn't attend a Protestant ceremony. Her absence was symbolic of the religious divide. A deep rift felt throughout the country. Most Protestants were concerned that as a result of his marriage,

the king would begin loosening restrictions on Catholics. Charles assured Parliament he'd do no such thing, despite having promised the exact opposite in a secret marriage treaty. In exchange for Henrietta's hand in marriage, Charles had sworn to her brother, King Louis Xirteenth of France, that he would ensure greater leniency towards English Catholics. He'd also agreed to loan naval ships to France to suppress French Protestants, known as the Huguenots. Charles backtracked in 1627 by sending a naval fleet to the Huguenots aid,

an open show of Protestant support. And this might well have helped to soothe tensions around his marriage. Had the relief campaign not been such a disaster, Charles had insisted on placing the Duke of Buckingham in command, despite his failure in Spain two years prior. As the king's favorite, Buckingham had been gifted wealth and titles, but was widely despised throughout the English court.

Buckingham's failure in France only confirmed public opinion that he was greedy, undeserving, arrogant and inept. The campaign was poorly organized, lacking resources and direction. Around 5,000 Englishmen lost their lives as a result. Parliament had attempted to open impeachment proceedings against the Duke the year before he'd sailed to France. Members of the Commons wanted him held accountable for what they saw as flagrant corruption. Charles's response had been to dissolve Parliament, saving his favourite, if only for a short while. Buckingham was assassinated in 1628.

By then, he was disliked so widely that poems were circulated, celebrating his killer as a hero. Charles's decision to dissolve Parliament was an early sign of his autocratic tendencies. He'd also previously ordered the arrests of two MPs who spoke out against Buckingham. The king was following his father's example, something that would eventually. eventually prove his undoing. The imprisonment of the MPs was met with outrage in the commons, and the men were released after a week in custody. There had been mistrust between Parliament and the King right from the beginning of Charles' reign.

Alongside the fallout from his marriage to a Catholic, the King had requested funds for a war against Spain, a significant amount of money. The request was refused. Parliament had also limited the Crown's revenue from customs duties, known as tonnage and poundage, to one year only, until the rates had been reviewed. Charles's predecessors had been granted these funds for life. So he took this as an insult. and dissolved Parliament.

He tried again the following year, but once again dissolved Parliament after their attempts to impeach Buckingham. This left Charles with no legal means of raising taxes for which he needed the government's consent. Charles's solution was to implement a forced loan, whereby wealthy subjects were obliged to lend the king money. It was essentially a tax without Parliament's consent, leading many to call it illegal.

Some refused to pay. The king had 76 men imprisoned for this refusal, and the case went to court in 1627. The accused argued for their release on the grounds of Magna Carta. It was illegal to detain a subject without just cause. To Parliament's horror, the judges bowed to royal pressure and declared that the King could do just that. The issue was front and foremost in 1628 when Charles summoned Parliament once again. He was obliged to sign a statement known as the Petition of Rights. This reiterated the constraints of Magna Carta, and added a few more stipulations. The king couldn't imprison anyone without due process. He couldn't raise taxes or loans without Parliament's consent. Nor could he impose martial law in peacetime or force civilians to lodge soldiers

in their homes. But not long after, Charles collected customs duties without parliamentary consent. And he would continue to do so year after year. When the issue was brought up in the House of Commons, Charles ordered that proceedings be adjourned. MPs then physically held down the Speaker of the House until they'd had time to read out their complaints. Subsequently, the king dissolved Parliament and had nine MPs arrested over the matter. Those imprisoned included Sir John Elliott, a popular orator and impassioned parliamentarian.

Elliot died in prison, becoming a political martyr and souring feelings towards the sovereign, even further. The session that Charles had tried to adjourn took place in early March 1629. It would be the last Parliament summoned for over a decade.

Seemingly, the king had had enough of interference. What followed is a period known as the personal rule. It's also known as the 11 years tyranny. With the crown in deficit, Charles needed money, and he was determined to get it however he could. He introduced an array of unpopular fines and taxes, fostering resentment across the nation. One of these was an archaic law known as the distraint of the knighthood. According to this law, any man who earned £40 or more from the land must present.

present themselves to the king and receive their knighthood. Charles not only had the law reinstated, but backdated it to the beginning of his reign. He sent out officials to collect fines from thousands of landowners for not having presented themselves for knighthood. Similarly, the boundaries of the royal forests were extended back to their ancient borders. This allowed the king to fine landowners for intruding on land they might have owned for generations.

Such methods were lucrative, but deeply unpopular, as were his demands for so-called ship money. This was a tax paid by coastal towns in wartime, the money going to support the Navy. Charles changed the rules so that it was paid. in peacetime, and not only by coastal towns, but by the whole country. It brought in hundreds of thousands to the Treasury each year, but placed a hefty burden on English landowners, and, indirectly, it affected the communities which revolved around them. Some refused to pay, like the wealthy landowner John Hampton, who was taken to court in 60s. He lost his case, but only by a margin, inspiring resistance nationwide.

By 1639, royal officers collecting ship money were only bringing in a fraction of what they had previously taken. Charles also alienated traders and manufacturers by exploiting loopholes in the statute of monopolies. Certain individuals or companies were awarded exclusive trading rights in exchange for payments to the Crown. With monopolies in place, the costs of items soared. Both merchants and the general public had to pay more for everyday items, from soap and salt to tobacco. By the end of the 1630s, Charles had made enemies throughout the land. acted as though he were the ruler of an absolute monarchy. His methods of raising money made him seem greedy and corrupt.

In addition to this, he'd instigated several religious reforms alongside William Lord, the Archbishop of Canterbury. These were framed as a bid to make worship more uniform, but fueled the fears of a Catholic Reformation. The return of stained-glass windows looked to many like Catholic pomp, as did the return of ritualistic elements to services and the veneration of priests and bishops. The impact of these reforms was felt most keenly in Scotland, where Protestantism had become part of the nation's identity.

Catholicism was viewed as a threat to independence. and to the wealth and lands of the Scottish nobles. King James had already reclaimed former church lands, which the nobility had been living off since the Reformation, a century prior. Now, with Lord's reforms and the reintroduction of bishops, it seemed like it was just a matter of time before Catholicism was restored. Soon enough, Charles faced a crisis. in Scotland. The introduction of an English-style prayer book resulted in riots and protests nationwide.

The country mobilized against their absentee king, signing the National Covenant and vowing to defend the true religion. Twice, the king would send armies into Scotland, in what became known as the the Bishop's Wars. Both campaigns in 1639 and 1640 would fail to put down the Scottish forces. Before the second Bishop's War, and in dire need of money, Charles had been forced to summon Parliament for the first time in 11 years. He dissolved it just after three weeks, after they refused to give him money for his war against Scotland until their grievances. had been addressed. So, Charles had gone on anyway, without the funding, and suffered a humiliating defeat in the second Bishop's War. Afterwards, he'd been forced to recall Parliament, yet again,

completely out of money by November of 1640. By this point, hostilities had only grown stronger. The grieved MPs detailed their list of complaints, and a number of reforms were then passed in the comments. It was written into law that Parliament would meet every three years, and without the monarch's summons, if it wasn't forthcoming. The King was now forbidden from dissolving Parliament without their consent. Specific laws were also introduced regarding Charles' unpopular economic policies. For example, the forced loans, which he'd imposed on the nobility, were now only legal if Parliament consented to them first. Equally, there were curbs on trade monopolies, which allowed individual businesses to dominate

the market in return for a payment to the Crown. royal courts were also abolished, those used by Archbishop Lord to punish religious opponents. Charles's key minister, the Earl of Stratford, was impeached and tried for treason. Having raised an Irish army, which Parliament feared could be turned against England, Stratford was sentenced to death. Under pressure, Charles himself signed the warrant. These events fed a narrative that blamed the king's wicked advisors, rather than condemning the king himself. It's important to remember that at this stage, even the most ardent parliamentarians had no mind to abolish the monarchy. In fact, the protestation of 1641 required all Englishmen over the age of 18 to sign an oath.

They swore to protect the true reformed religion alongside His Majesty's Royal Person and Parliament too. It might have been an attempt to dampen hostilities between the King's supporters and his opponents in Parliament. Unfortunately, it was soon followed by a rebellion in Ireland, which quickly re-inflamed tensions across the sea. The uprising have been started by Irish Catholics, preempting a Protestant assault. This led to panic among the English Protestants. Rumors abounded that Charles supported the Irish Catholics and planned to lead a similar uprising in England. What we might call the spark of the English Civil War came not long after in January 1642. The King marched into the House of Commons with an army of 400 and attempted to arrest five MPs for treason.

Having received a tip-off, the politicians escaped. But this incident destroyed the King's credibility. Fearing for his safety, Charles fled London. Soon after, Parliament took control of the army, fearing that the King might use it against them. Next, they sent Charles a list of demands known as the 19 propositions. It actually caused a rift within the Commons, with many MPs feeling that they'd gone too far. Lines were being drawn in the sand, and it was becoming easier to see where people stood. On a simplistic level, there were those who were against the king and those who remained somewhat sympathetic.

By August of 1642, attempts at diplomacy had failed. In Nottingham, as a rallying call to his supporters, Charles raised the standard, the royal flag, the king and parliament, were now officially. Different counties proclaimed themselves loyal to different sides, driving a wedge between friends, families and neighbours. However, most ordinary people supported whoever their local lord had backed. And some counties abstained completely, even forming armies to keep both sides out. It's a common misconception that the nobility were all royalists and the less privileged were all parliamentarians.

For some, choosing sides was a matter of great conviction. Others might have picked whichever side looked likely to win. Flamboyantly dressed, with long flowing hair, the royalists became known as the Cavaliers. Their opponents likened them to privileged foreign knights who rode horses and did their king's bidding. Though it began as an insult, royalists embraced the name. Similarly, the parliamentarians became known as the round-hand.

Many being Puritans, they dressed far more plainly and had short, bowl-like haircuts, hence the name Roundhead. The actual conflict took place in three phases. There was the first, second and third civil war, the first between 1642 and 1646. During this time, there were a number of conflicts. beginning in the Midlands with the Battle of Edge Hill. Both sides lost around 500 men.

The battle lasted for only a day and ended without a clear winner. It said that the king was deeply grieved by what he saw on the battlefield. Still, the war had only just begun, and while peace delegations continued in the background, more bloodshed was still to come. Further conflicts ended with no clear winner until the tide began to turn in 1644. The parliamentarians, having aligned with the Scots, won a decisive victory at the Battle of Marston Moor. They did even better the following year at Nesby, having been reorganized in the new model army.

Commander-in-chief was Sir Thomas Fairfax, while second in command, was Oliver Cromwell, the future leader of the English Commonwealth. The royalist cause collapsed after Nesby, and in 1646 Charles surrendered to the Scottish Army. They spent months negotiating a price with Parliament before handing him over to be placed under House Arrest. Charles managed to escape the following November, but soon found himself back under house arrest on the Isle of Wight. Resourceful as ever, he made a secret pact with the Scottish, agreeing to a series of religious reforms in England if they'd help restore him to the throne. The Scottish invasion of England, in 1648, marked the second phase of the Civil War.

It was accompanied by a scattering of royalist uprisings in Wales and in the south and north of England, but none proved a match for the new model army under the leadership of Fairfax and his deputy Cromwell. Whereas the royalists were disorganized, lacking leadership and focus, the parliamentarians were united in ideology, an organized force of professional soldiers they put down the royalist rebellions one by one. They then beat the Scots in a clear victory, ending the Royalist's hopes at the Battle of Preston. The king's only option was to try and negotiate.

To the likes of Oliver Cromwell and many radicals in the army, the time for talking was long past. They'd come to the opinion that peace for England was only possible if the treasonous Charles was put to death for his crimes. The majority of Parliament was very much against this, including key figures like Thomas Fairfax. The mere notion of a king committing treason was unthinkable, and killing a king chosen by God

risked overturning the entire order on which society rested. What came next was essentially, a parliamentary coup. It's known as Pride's Purge, and it was led by Colonel Thomas Pride. 186 MPs, including the more moderate ones, were barred from entering the House of Commons, while 45 were arrested. The new model army had effectively seized power and would now decide the fate of their sovereign. And so, Charles I, King of England, Scotland and Ireland was placed on trial and inevitably found guilty. He was sentenced to execution for the crime of high treason as a tyrant, traitor, murderer and public enemy.

He met his end three days later, outside the Palace of Whitehall on the 30th of January 1649. his final speech, Charles forgave his enemies. But at the same time, he remained defiant, declaring, a subject and sovereign are clean, different things. The king's composure on the scaffold led some to see him as a martyr, unjustly killed. While Cromwell had mixed feelings about the event, ultimately he seems to have been convinced. It was God's will that Charles be put to death. The problem was that while Charles's reign had ended, the civil war was still ongoing. Royalists rallied around the 19-year-old heir apparent, proclaiming him King Charles II.

The third civil war between 1649 and 1651 would be the final and bloodiest chapter in the conflict. A major clash took place in Ireland, where the Irish Catholics had joined English royalists. Together, they planned to invade England, defeat the parliamentary forces, and put Charles the second on the throne, but Cromwell viciously put down the rival forces. After the siege of Drogheda, he's said to have ordered the massacre of at least 2,000 people. including many civilians. This was only the beginning of a brutal campaign, which saw further civilian deaths due to conflict

and countless more due to famine and disease. By 1653, Ireland was under occupation. According to some estimates, it had lost around 25% of its pre-war population. Cromwell's campaign left deep wounds in Ireland. Ireland and soured Anglo-Irish relations for centuries to come. Charles I had been perceived as a tyrant and murderer. From an Irish perspective, Cromwell was no different.

Cromwell was only present for the beginning of the campaign, events in Scotland having demanded his attention by the summer of 1650. While the Scots had been resentful of Charles' authoritarian, rule, most wanted no part of Cromwell's Republic. So they're united around Charles II, agreeing to put him on the throne in return for a series of Protestant reforms. In the early stages, when Cromwell marched into Scotland, it looked like the Scots might have the upper hand. But things turned around at the Battle of Dunbar, where Cromwell launched launched a counterattack and won a crucial victory over a larger force.

He went on to occupy much of southern Scotland. Meanwhile, Charles II, by now crowned King of Scotland, marched southwards into England, hoping to rally support. Cromwell then followed with a much larger force, eventually trapping the Royalists in the Midlands and winning a crushing victory at the Battle of Worcester. Charles II managed to escape to France, but with 3,000 killed and 10,000 captured, royalist support was all but destroyed.

The civil war was finally over. Cromwell and Parliament had triumphed over their opponents. A new kind of England would emerge in the aftermath, a kingless republic led by Lord Protector Oliver Cromwell, a commonwealth governed by Parliament for the people in the interests of the common good, instead of one ruler, at least. That was the idea in theory. The reality was somewhat more complicated, and ultimately it would prove to be a short-lived experiment. descending into chaos after Cromwell's death.

In May 1660, Parliament proclaimed Charles II King. He was soon after welcomed back to London, to large-scale celebrations across the capital. The country breathed a sigh of relief at this return to monarchy, to peace and normality. Or rather, that was the hope. In truth, England was never the same again. The Civil War was a testing ground for ideas.

As people showed a willingness to challenge the status quo, there had been a shift in beliefs about royal authority. Gradually, the government would come to have greater power. The path to progress is rarely linear. Still, we might say that the English Civil War helped to lay foundations. The seeds were sown for a constitutional monarchy, and eventually a British democracy.