The Sealed Knot was a secret

Royalist A royalist supports a particular monarch as head of state for a particular kingdom, or of a particular dynastic claim. In the abstract, this position is royalism. It is distinct from monarchism, which advocates a monarchical system of governme ...

association which plotted for the

Restoration Restoration is the act of restoring something to its original state and may refer to: * Conservation and restoration of cultural heritage ** Audio restoration ** Film restoration ** Image restoration ** Textile restoration * Restoration ecology ...

of the Monarchy during the

English Interregnum The Interregnum was the period between the execution of Charles I on 30 January 1649 and the arrival of his son Charles II in London on 29 May 1660 which marked the start of the Restoration. During the Interregnum, England was under various forms ...

. The group was commissioned by King Charles II between November 1653 and February 1654 from his exile in Paris for the purpose of coordinating underground Royalist activity in England and preparing for a general uprising against

the Protectorate The Protectorate, officially the Commonwealth of England, Scotland and Ireland, refers to the period from 16 December 1653 to 25 May 1659 during which England, Wales, Scotland, Ireland and associated territories were joined together in the Com ...

. Its original founding members were: *

John Belasyse, 1st Baron Belasyse John Belasyse, 1st Baron Belasyse (or Bellasis) (24 June 1614 – 10 September 1689) was an English nobleman, Royalist officer and Member of Parliament, notable for his role during and after the Civil War. He suffered a long spell of imprison ...

(1614–1689) * Sir William Compton (1625–1663; third son of

Spencer Compton, 2nd Earl of Northampton Spencer Compton, 2nd Earl of Northampton (May 160119 March 1643), styled Lord Compton from 1618 to 1630, was an English soldier and politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1621 to 1622. He became a peer by writ of acceleration in 1626 ...

) *

Henry Hastings, 1st Baron Loughborough Henry Hastings, 1st Baron Loughborough, 28 September 1610 to 10 January 1667, was the younger son of Henry Hastings, 5th Earl of Huntingdon, one of the most powerful landowners in Leicestershire. He fought with the Royalist army in the Wars of t ...

(1610–1666) * Col. John Russell (1620–1687) * Col. Sir Edward Villiers (1620–1689; father of

Edward Villiers, 1st Earl of Jersey Edward Villiers, 1st Earl of Jersey (c. 165625 August 1711) was an English peer, courtier, and statesman of the Villiers family. He was created Baron Villiers and Viscount Villiers in 1691 and Earl of Jersey in 1697. A leading Tory politicia ...

) * Sir Richard Willis (sometimes spelt 'Willys') (1613/14–1690) Additional members include: * Susan Hyde ( 1607 – 1656) * Elizabeth Maitland, Lady Tollemache (unclear) *

William Maynard, 2nd Baron Maynard William Maynard, 2nd Baron Maynard (c. 1623 – 3 February 1688/89) was an English aristocrat, the son of William Maynard, 1st Baron Maynard and Anne Everard. He married Dorothy Banastre. He later married Lady Margaret Murray, daughter of Wil ...

The Sealed Knot made ten attempts between 1652 and 1659 to bring about the Restoration. The largest uprisings were staged in 1655 and 1659: *

Penruddock uprising The Penruddock Uprising was a Royalist revolt launched on 11 March 1655, intending to restore Charles II to the throne of England. It was led by John Penruddock, a Wiltshire landowner who fought for Charles I in the First English Civil War; ...

(1655), named after one of the leaders of the revolt,

John Penruddock Colonel John Penruddock (or Penruddocke, 1619–1655), of Compton Chamberlayne, was an English Cavalier during the English Civil War and the English Interregnum. He is remembered as the leader of the Penruddock uprising in 1655. The Sealed Kno ...

. The revolt was easily put down by forces loyal to the

Lord Protector Lord Protector (plural: ''Lords Protector'') was a title that has been used in British constitutional law for the head of state. It was also a particular title for the British heads of state in respect to the established church. It was sometimes ...

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 for his part in the rebellion Penruddock was beheaded in May 1655. The conspiracy was ultimately ineffective, partly because of an abundance of caution, but not least due to the treachery of Willis, who was feeding information to Cromwell's spymaster

John Thurloe John Thurloe (June 1616 – 21 February 1668) was an English politician who served as secretary to the council of state in Protectorate England and spymaster for Oliver Cromwell and held the position of Postmaster General between 1655 and 1660. ...

from at least 1656, for reasons which remain unknown. *

Booth's uprising Booth's Uprising, also known as Booth's Rebellion or the Cheshire Rising of 1659, was an unsuccessful attempt in August 1659 to restore Charles II of England. Centred on North West England and led by George Booth, it took place during the politi ...

(1659) occurred after the death of Oliver Cromwell. The conspiracy was known to Thurloe and the Royalists under the command of

Sir George Booth George Booth, 1st Baron Delamer (18 December 16228 August 1684), was an English landowner and politician from Cheshire, who served as an MP from 1646 to 1661, when he was elevated to the House of Lords as Baron Delamer. A member of the mode ...

, and was militarily defeated on 19 August at the

Battle of Winnington Bridge The Battle of Winnington Bridge, often described as the last battle of the Civil War, took place on 19 August 1659 during Booth's Uprising, a Royalist rebellion in north-west England and Wales. During the battle a Parliamentary army of around 5, ...

by a

New Model Army The New Model Army was a standing army formed in 1645 by the Parliamentarians during the First English Civil War, then disbanded after the Stuart Restoration in 1660. It differed from other armies employed in the 1639 to 1653 Wars of the Th ...

contingent under the command of General

John Lambert John Lambert may refer to: *John Lambert (martyr) (died 1538), English Protestant martyred during the reign of Henry VIII *John Lambert (general) (1619–1684), Parliamentary general in the English Civil War * John Lambert of Creg Clare (''fl.'' c. ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sealed Knot English Civil War Cavaliers Plots, conspiracies and insurrections during the Interregnum (England) Secret societies in the United Kingdom