Five Members
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The Five Members were
Members of Parliament A member of parliament (MP) is the representative in parliament of the people who live in their electoral district. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, this term refers only to members of the lower house since upper house members of ...
whom King Charles I attempted to arrest on 4 January 1642. King Charles I entered the
English House of Commons The House of Commons of England was the lower house of the Parliament of England (which incorporated Wales) from its development in the 14th century to the union of England and Scotland in 1707, when it was replaced by the House of Commons of ...
, accompanied by armed soldiers, during a sitting of the
Long Parliament The Long Parliament was an English Parliament which lasted from 1640 until 1660. It followed the fiasco of the Short Parliament, which had convened for only three weeks during the spring of 1640 after an 11-year parliamentary absence. In Septem ...
, although the Five Members were no longer in the House at the time. The Five Members were: *
John Hampden John Hampden (24 June 1643) was an English landowner and politician whose opposition to arbitrary taxes imposed by Charles I made him a national figure. An ally of Parliamentarian leader John Pym, and cousin to Oliver Cromwell, he was one of th ...
() *
Arthur Haselrig Sir Arthur Haselrig, 2nd Baronet (1601 – 7 January 1661) was a leader of the Parliamentary opposition to Charles I and one of the Five Members whose attempted arrest sparked the 1642–1646 First English Civil War. He held various military an ...
(1601–1661) * Denzil Holles (1599–1680) *
John Pym John Pym (20 May 1584 – 8 December 1643) was an English politician, who helped establish the foundations of Parliamentary democracy. One of the Five Members whose attempted arrest in January 1642 sparked the First English Civil War, his use ...
(1584–1643) *
William Strode William Strode (1598 – 9 September 1645) was an English politician who sat in the House of Commons variously between 1624 and 1645. He was one of the Five Members whose impeachment and attempted unconstitutional arrest by King Charles I in ...
(1598–1645) Charles' attempt to coerce parliament by force failed, turned many against him, and was one of the events leading directly to the outbreak of
civil war A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...
later in 1642.


Background

The relationship between the House of Commons and
Charles I of England Charles I (19 November 1600 – 30 January 1649) was King of England, Scotland, and Ireland from 27 March 1625 until Execution of Charles I, his execution in 1649. He was born into the House of Stuart as the second son of King James VI of ...
had become increasingly fraught during 1641. The king believed that
Puritans The Puritans were English Protestants in the 16th and 17th centuries who sought to purify the Church of England of Roman Catholic practices, maintaining that the Church of England had not been fully reformed and should become more Protestant. P ...
, encouraged by five vociferous Members of the House of Commons
John Pym John Pym (20 May 1584 – 8 December 1643) was an English politician, who helped establish the foundations of Parliamentary democracy. One of the Five Members whose attempted arrest in January 1642 sparked the First English Civil War, his use ...
,
John Hampden John Hampden (24 June 1643) was an English landowner and politician whose opposition to arbitrary taxes imposed by Charles I made him a national figure. An ally of Parliamentarian leader John Pym, and cousin to Oliver Cromwell, he was one of th ...
, Denzil Holles,
Arthur Haselrig Sir Arthur Haselrig, 2nd Baronet (1601 – 7 January 1661) was a leader of the Parliamentary opposition to Charles I and one of the Five Members whose attempted arrest sparked the 1642–1646 First English Civil War. He held various military an ...
and
William Strode William Strode (1598 – 9 September 1645) was an English politician who sat in the House of Commons variously between 1624 and 1645. He was one of the Five Members whose impeachment and attempted unconstitutional arrest by King Charles I in ...
, together with the peer Edward Montagu, Viscount Mandeville (the future
Earl of Manchester Duke of Manchester is a title in the Peerage of Great Britain, and the current senior title of the House of Montagu. It was created in 1719 for the politician Charles Montagu, 4th Earl of Manchester. Manchester Parish in Jamaica was named af ...
) – had encouraged the Scots to invade England in the recent
Bishops' Wars The 1639 and 1640 Bishops' Wars () were the first of the conflicts known collectively as the 1639 to 1653 Wars of the Three Kingdoms, which took place in Scotland, England and Ireland. Others include the Irish Confederate Wars, the First and ...
, and that they were intent on turning the people against him. When rumours reached the court that they were also planning to
impeach Impeachment is the process by which a legislative body or other legally constituted tribunal initiates charges against a public official for misconduct. It may be understood as a unique process involving both political and legal elements. In E ...
the queen,
Henrietta Maria of France Henrietta Maria (french: link=no, Henriette Marie; 25 November 1609 – 10 September 1669) was Queen of England, Scotland, and Ireland from her marriage to King Charles I on 13 June 1625 until Charles was executed on 30 January 1649. She wa ...
, for alleged involvement in Catholic plots, Charles made accusations of
treason Treason is the crime of attacking a state authority to which one owes allegiance. This typically includes acts such as participating in a war against one's native country, attempting to overthrow its government, spying on its military, its diplo ...
against them in the
House of Lords The House of Lords, also known as the House of Peers, is the Bicameralism, upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Membership is by Life peer, appointment, Hereditary peer, heredity or Lords Spiritual, official function. Like the ...
. The Commons met to consider the allegations on 3 January 1642, and held them to be a breach of the House's privilege.


The attempted arrest

Without agreement from the Commons, Charles faced difficulties in having the Five Members taken into custody. He had been considering decisive action for some time, but became hesitant. Both the queen and
Lord Digby Baron Digby is a title that has been created twice, once in the Peerage of Ireland and once in the Peerage of Great Britain, for members of the same family. Robert Digby, Governor of King's County, was created Baron Digby, of Geashill in t ...
advised him to go down to the Commons with an armed guard, and to make the arrest in person. It was alleged that the queen exclaimed, "Go you poltroon. Go and pull those rogues out by the ears, or never see my face again"; the king yielded. To ensure there would be no armed resistance, he first sent a message to the
Lord Mayor of London The Lord Mayor of London is the mayor of the City of London and the leader of the City of London Corporation. Within the City, the Lord Mayor is accorded precedence over all individuals except the sovereign and retains various traditional powe ...
forbidding him from sending men to protect parliament. Then, on 4 January 1642, he set off for the House, accompanied by around four hundred armed men. The Five Members, who had been expecting the king to strike, took their seats as usual that morning. At about three o'clock, they received word via the French Ambassador that Charles was on his way, and they left the House and took a waiting barge to the
City of London The City of London is a city, ceremonial county and local government district that contains the historic centre and constitutes, alongside Canary Wharf, the primary central business district (CBD) of London. It constituted most of London fr ...
. Charles entered the precincts of the House with about eighty men, armed with pistols and swords. They remained in the lobby while Charles entered the Commons chamber accompanied only by his nephew, the
Elector Palatine The counts palatine of Lotharingia /counts palatine of the Rhine /electors of the Palatinate (german: Kurfürst von der Pfalz) ruled some part of Rhine area in the Kingdom of Germany and the Holy Roman Empire from 915 to 1803. The title was a kind ...
. Roxburghe, one of Charles' retainers, propped the doors open so that the
members Member may refer to: * Military jury, referred to as "Members" in military jargon * Element (mathematics), an object that belongs to a mathematical set * In object-oriented programming, a member of a class ** Field (computer science), entries in ...
in the chamber could see the troops making play with their pistols. Charles removed his hat and walked to the front, saluting some members as he passed. The members stood in silence. Addressing
Speaker of the House The speaker of a deliberative assembly, especially a legislative body, is its presiding officer, or the chair. The title was first used in 1377 in England. Usage The title was first recorded in 1377 to describe the role of Thomas de Hungerf ...
William Lenthall William Lenthall (1591–1662) was an English politician of the English Civil War, Civil War period. He served as Speaker of the House of Commons (United Kingdom), Speaker of the House of Commons for a period of almost twenty years, both before ...
, he said "Mr Speaker, I must for a time make bold with your chair". Lenthall vacated it. Calling first for one of the members, and then another, he was met with total silence. He asked the speaker where they were. Kneeling, Lenthall responded: This was the first time that a speaker had declared his allegiance to the liberty of parliament rather than the will of the monarch. The king responded: Tis no matter, I think my eyes are as good as another's." He studied the benches for 'a pretty while' then lamented "all my birds have flown". He left the chair and walked out "in a more discontented and angry passion than he came in", followed by shouts of "Privilege! Privilege!" from the members.


London in uproar

The king issued a proclamation ordering the City of London to surrender the fugitives, and marched in person to the
Guildhall A guildhall, also known as a "guild hall" or "guild house", is a historical building originally used for tax collecting by municipalities or merchants in Great Britain and the Low Countries. These buildings commonly become town halls and in som ...
to demand that City officers hand them over. However, the City officers declared their support for parliament, as did the regiments of the
Inns of Court The Inns of Court in London are the professional associations for barristers in England and Wales. There are four Inns of Court – Gray's Inn, Lincoln's Inn, Inner Temple and Middle Temple. All barristers must belong to one of them. They have ...
. Returning to
Whitehall Whitehall is a road and area in the City of Westminster, Central London. The road forms the first part of the A roads in Zone 3 of the Great Britain numbering scheme, A3212 road from Trafalgar Square to Chelsea, London, Chelsea. It is the main ...
in his coach, the king drove through a London that was in uproar. Rumours spread that the king's supporters were going to attack the City, and volunteers poured in to offer their services in its defence. Barricades were erected, cannon dragged out, and there were soon six thousand citizens ready to repulse any attack. Charles' attempt to coerce parliament by force had failed, and his act had in the eyes of many at the time revealed him to be a tyrant.


Aftermath

On 10 January, Charles suddenly left London for
Hampton Court Hampton Court Palace is a Grade I listed royal palace in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, southwest and upstream of central London on the River Thames. The building of the palace began in 1514 for Cardinal Thomas Wolsey, the chief ...
, fearing both for his own life and that of the queen. He was not to return for seven years – and then only for his own trial and execution. The next day the Five Members came out of their hiding place in the City, and travelled by barge back to parliament accompanied by a regatta of decorated craft, and cheering citizens. The king had lost the support of the people of London. On 17 January, the House of Commons issued a lengthy public declaration denouncing Charles' intrusion as "a high breach of the rights and privileges of parliament, and inconsistent with the liberties and freedoms thereof". It declared the king's order to the City to seize the Five Members to have no basis in law, and announced that any person doing so would be guilty of breach of privilege of parliament and deemed a public enemy of the
Commonwealth A commonwealth is a traditional English term for a political community founded for the common good. Historically, it has been synonymous with "republic". The noun "commonwealth", meaning "public welfare, general good or advantage", dates from the ...
. Any person harbouring the five, on the other hand, should have parliamentary protection. Parliament had already pressed the king to approve a Militia Bill, effectively transferring control of the army from king to parliament, and Charles once again refused, protesting "By God! Not for an hour! You have asked that of me which was never asked of any king". This time, parliament took matters into its own hands and in March 1642 issued the bill on its own authority, as the
Militia Ordinance The Militia Ordinance was passed by the Parliament of England on 15 March 1642. By claiming the right to appoint military commanders without the king's approval, it was a significant step in events leading to the outbreak of the First English Civ ...
. The country was headed for
civil war A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...
.


Commemoration

Charles' 1642 incursion into the Commons chamber is now commemorated annually at the
State Opening of Parliament The State Opening of Parliament is a ceremonial event which formally marks the beginning of a session of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It includes a speech from the throne known as the King's (or Queen's) Speech. The event takes place ...
, an event which formally marks the beginning of each parliamentary session. The monarch takes the throne in the
House of Lords The House of Lords, also known as the House of Peers, is the Bicameralism, upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Membership is by Life peer, appointment, Hereditary peer, heredity or Lords Spiritual, official function. Like the ...
and sends his messenger, Black Rod, to summon the
members Member may refer to: * Military jury, referred to as "Members" in military jargon * Element (mathematics), an object that belongs to a mathematical set * In object-oriented programming, a member of a class ** Field (computer science), entries in ...
of the
House of Commons The House of Commons is the name for the elected lower house of the bicameral parliaments of the United Kingdom and Canada. In both of these countries, the Commons holds much more legislative power than the nominally upper house of parliament. ...
to attend. At Black Rod's approach, the doors to the chamber are slammed in the messenger's face, symbolising the rights and independence of the Commons. Black Rod bangs forcefully three times with the end of the ceremonial staff on the closed doors, which are then opened. Black Rod's presence is announced. Black Rod then enters and conveys the monarch's command that "this honourable House... attend upon Her Majesty ubsequently His Majestyimmediately in the House of Peers."


Depiction in film

A version of the attempted arrest of the Five Members is depicted in the 1970 film ''
Cromwell Oliver Cromwell (25 April 15993 September 1658) was an English politician and military officer who is widely regarded as one of the most important statesmen in English history. He came to prominence during the 1639 to 1651 Wars of the Three Ki ...
''. However it inaccurately replaces Holles and Strode with
Oliver Cromwell Oliver Cromwell (25 April 15993 September 1658) was an English politician and military officer who is widely regarded as one of the most important statesmen in English history. He came to prominence during the 1639 to 1651 Wars of the Three Ki ...
and
Henry Ireton Henry Ireton ((baptised) 3 November 1611 – 26 November 1651) was an English general in the Parliamentarian army during the Wars of the Three Kingdoms, and the son-in-law of Oliver Cromwell. He died of disease outside Limerick in November 16 ...
.


References


Bibliography

* * * * Page numbers based on the 1974 reprint by
Book Club Associates Book Club Associates (BCA) was a mail-order and online book selling company in the United Kingdom. It came to dominate the mail-order book-club business in the U.K. in the 1970s and 1980s through extensive advertising in Sunday newspaper colour su ...
. * {{Cite book , title=The Early Stuarts 1603-1660 , series=The Oxford History of England , edition=2nd , last=Davies , first=Godfrey , publisher=
Oxford University Press Oxford University Press (OUP) is the university press of the University of Oxford. It is the largest university press in the world, and its printing history dates back to the 1480s. Having been officially granted the legal right to print books ...
, author-link=Godfrey Davies , year=1959 , isbn=0-19-821704-8 , url-access=registration , url=https://archive.org/details/earlystuarts160300davi 1642 in England Parliament of England