Oliver Cromwell’s military leaders are brilliant and charming, who heads the parliamentary forces and achieve victory in the British civil war.

Half of the Cromwell line goes back to Glamorganshire, Wales…

A New online biography in four parts starting soon…

If my maths are correct Philip Henry is my great grandfather seven times removed…

An explanation of the New England Way and events from 1660-1700 which brought changes to the European communities.

Oliver Cromwell was born on 25 April 1599 and was to play a pivotal and controversial role in British politics and history. He might have died on three September 1658 yet few even now agree about his legacies.

After the execution of the king and the declaration of a republic, Cromwell was the most powerful person in Britain. His importance was formally recognised in 1653 when he was made Lord Protector. Historians have argued as to whether Cromwell was a dictator or a tyrant. Ashley for instance asserts that he was not as Parliaments of one type or another met during the republic, he also had to take note of the Council of State. Schama states that Cromwell was not arrogant enough to be a dictator or a king, in effect he was looking after Britain till he could find a replacement for monarchy.

Cromwell was by upbringing a Puritan although devotedly so only from the 1620s. His tutor, Dr Thomas Beard had a strong influence upon him, particularly the notion of ‘Providence’. Oliver Cromwell strongly believed that things were meant to happen, divine providence would make or break people, he certainly believed he was marked out for greatness to fulfill God’s will.

Different opinions and viewpoints on Oliver Cromwell’s rise to power and his actions once there.

The English Civil Wars took place during an era in which the treatment of prisoners of war did not have any set conventions or legal guidelines that were binding upon all the combatants involved in these conflicts. There were different concepts and contending notions as to how prisoners of war should be treated yet none of the competing sides during the English Civil Wars have to strictly adhere to legally binding ways of dealing with their captives. There were as will discussed in the following chapters and conclusion informal rules and procedures about how wars should or should not be conducted.