Strafford

Thomas Wentworth was born into a Yorkshire landowning family in 1593. At the age of 21 he was elected to the House of Commons as one of the two county MPs for Yorkshire.   Though generally an advocate of the idea of harmony between the King, Charles I, and his subjects he nevertheless earned a reputation as an opponent of the Crown during his first decade in the House. He was appointed Lord President of the Council of the North in 1628, a role which involved maintaining law and implementing royal policy on behalf of the King. He took his duties seriously and had little time for those who believed that royal policy was becoming a threat to established legal and constitutional traditions. This detail is taken from the painting. Whilst it is probable that Woolnoth drew on Van Dyck’s portraits of Strafford it is also likely that he also drew heavily on contemporary reports of the trial. These described Strafford as dressed entirely in black with the exception of his Garter badge on a blue riband, which can be clearly seen.

In 1631 Strafford became Lord Deputy of Ireland.   His success at removing corruption, increasing revenues and implementing royal directions was achieved by an authoritarian style which antagonised both Protestants and Catholics alike. King Charles I was determined to suppress a Scottish uprising and looked to Wentworth, who advised him to recall Parliament in order to have them vote to grant the necessary funds for raising an army to defeat the Scottish rebellion. The King summoned what became known as the ‘Short Parliament’ in April 1640.  But when it became obvious that the Commons would not grant funding Wentworth advised Charles to dissolve Parliament so that he would be ‘loose and absolved from all rules of government’.   The King appointed Strafford captain-general of a largely non-existent army that was intended to subdue Scotland.  On 20 August the Scots army crossed into England and soundly defeated the ragged English army at the Battle of Newburn. Many regarded Strafford as personally responsible for this disastrous failure.

There was fear that Strafford might use the military forces still under his command against his opponents and consequently a desire to remove him from power.  It was suspected that he would raise accusations of high treason against those parliamentarians who had encouraged the Scots to invade England; so, in a pre-emptive move, John Pym accused him of high treason and impeached him before the House of Lords. On 25 November 1640 Strafford was sent to the Tower of London having been charged with ‘endeavouring to subvert the ancient and fundamental laws and government of England and Ireland’, of establishing an ‘arbitrary and tyrannical government’ in Ireland, and of provoking war against the Scots. 

An etching by Hollar of the Trial in 1641. In the ensuing trial proceedings the Commons’ case was managed by a committee of eleven MPs, who were mostly trained lawyers, led by John Pym. Strafford conducted his own defence.   From his accusers’ point of view it was difficult to attach the charge of treason to a man who had been acting on the King’s instructions.  The case collapsed into confusion on the 10 April.  The House of Commons then decided to proceed by a ‘bill of attainder’ which would simply declare Strafford’s guilt as proven.  Amid fears that Strafford might prove a threat if he were to be spared, the Commons approved the bill on 21 April by 204 votes to 59. The King appealed to the House of Lords on 1 May to spare Strafford from execution and the following day sent an armed guard to the Tower in a futile attempt to free him.  Unfortunately this gave credibility to rumours of an army plot to seize the Tower, release Strafford and force Parliament to dissolve.   On 7 May the Lords passed the bill and finally on the tenth the King, intimidated by crowds outside Whitehall, gave the bill his royal assent.  Strafford was beheaded on Tower Hill two days later much to the great satisfaction of London’s crowds.