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Nathaniel Rich (soldier)

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Nathaniel Rich
St. Mary's Church, Putney,location of the 1647Putney Debates;Rich was a leading participant
Captain of Deal Castle
In office
1648–1653
Member of Parliament
forCirencester
In office
February 1648[a]– March 1660
Personal details
Bornc.1622
Felsted,Essex,England
Died1701 to 1702, age 79 (approximate)
Stondon Massey,Essex,England
Spouse(s)(1) Elizabeth Hampden (1644–1655 her death)
(2) Lady Elizabeth Kerr (1663–his death)
ChildrenNathaniel (before 1648, after 1702);Robert(ca.1648–1699); unnamed daughter
Alma materSt Catharine's College, Cambridge;Gray's Inn
OccupationPuritanradical and soldier
Military service
AllegianceParliamentarians
RankColonel
Battles/wars

ColonelNathaniel Rich(c.1620–1622 to 1701–1702) was a member of thelanded gentryfromEssex,who sided withParliamentduring theWars of the Three Kingdoms.He has been described as "an example of those piousPuritangentlemen who were inspired by the ideals of theEnglish Revolution".[1]

Initially a close associate ofOliver Cromwell,he served as acolonelin theNew Model Army,and was electedMPforCirencesterin 1648. The two men later fell out due to Rich's support for theFifth Monarchists,a radical religious group that opposed Cromwell's appointment asLord Protectorin 1653.

Although Rich was removed from the army and lost much of his influence as a result, he remained a committed republican and opposed theStuart Restorationin May 1660. Since he had not participated in theExecution of Charles I,he was pardoned under theIndemnity and Oblivion Act,but arrested in January 1661 during the short-lived uprising led by his fellow Fifth Monarchist,Thomas Venner.Released in 1665, he lived quietly on his estate in Essex until his death sometime between October 1700 and March 1702, one of the few senior officers of the New Model to survive into the 18th century.

Personal details

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Nathaniel Rich was born inFelsted,Essex,eldest son ofRobert Rich(diedc.1630) and Elizabeth Dutton; the precise birthdate is unknown but was probably sometime between 1620 and 1622.[2][b]A junior member of the powerful and well connectedRich family,he was related toRobert Rich, 2nd Earl of Warwick,commander of theParliamentariannavy from 1643 to 1649,[3]as well as his younger brotherHenry Rich, 1st Earl of Holland,executed byParliamentin March 1649.[4]

In January 1644, he married Elizabeth (c.1625–1655), daughter ofSir Edmund Hampdenand cousin ofJohn Hampden,the Parliamentarian leader killed at theBattle of Chalgrove Fieldin 1643.[5]They had three children, Nathaniel (before 1648, after 1702),Robert(1648–1699), and a daughter, of whom little is known. In 1663, Lady Elizabeth Kerr became his second wife; they had no children and his will left her a life interest in his lands, which reverted to his son Nathaniel on her death. His younger son Robert married Mary Rich, a distant cousin, and in 1677 inherited thetitleand estates of his father-in-law, Sir Charles Rich.[1]

Wars of the Three Kingdoms

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Oliver Cromwell,whom Rich served with in theEastern AssociationandNew Model Army;the two were close associates until 1654

His father died when he was young. Further, in 1636, Rich inherited the manor ofStondon Masseyin Essex from his recently deceased uncle,Sir Nathaniel Rich.[6]He began his education atFelsted School,whose pupils included four sons ofOliver Cromwell,and was supervised by Samuel Wharton, a "godly"ministerappointed by the devoutlyPuritanEarl of Warwick.[7]In 1637 he graduated fromSt Catharine's College, Cambridge,then known for its Puritan teachings,[8]and in August 1639 started training as a lawyer atGray's InninLondon.[9]

With this background, it was natural for him to supportParliamentwhen theFirst English Civil Warbegan in August 1642. TheEarl of Essexwas appointed commander of theParliamentarianarmy, and Rich enlisted in his personal troop ofLifeguards,made up of colleagues from theInns of Court.[10]This unit fought in two of the earliest battles of the war,Powick Bridgein September andEdgehillin October 1642.[11]In summer 1643, he transferred to the army of theEastern Associationas captain of a cavalry troop in theEarl of Manchester's regiment. He had reached the rank oflieutenant-colonelby the time it took part in the decisiveBattle of Marston Moorin July 1644.[1]

In the recriminations that followed the alleged failure to follow up victory at Marston Moor and the botchedSecond Battle of Newburyin October 1644, Rich was one of the witnesses on whom Cromwell relied in his attack on Manchester and Essex that led to their removal under theSelf-denying Ordinance.[12]Promotedcoloneland his regiment absorbed into theNew Model Armyin February 1645, his appointment was initially rejected by theHouse of Commons.[13][c]Confirmed in time to fight atNasebyin June, Rich then participated in various actions during the 1645 to 1646 campaign that won control ofSouth West England.The loss of this region destroyed theRoyalistarmy as a viable military force, and when the war ended with the ThirdSiege of Oxfordin June 1646, SirThomas Fairfaxappointed Rich one of the commissioners who negotiated its surrender. In the 1647Recruiter election,he and Fairfax were returned asMPsforCirencester,although they did not formally take their seats until February 1649.[1]

Nathaniel Rich (soldier) is located in Kent
Dover
Dover
London
London
Maidstone
Maidstone
Walmer
Walmer
Deal
Deal
Sandown
Sandown
class=notpageimage|
Rich's Kent campaign, 1648

In the power struggle between the army and Parliament that followed victory, Rich was initially viewed as a moderate and discouraged petitioning by theAgitatorswho represented the rank and file.[14]However, when Parliament tried to disband the New Model without settling their pay arrears, he supported his regiment's refusal to comply and helped draft theHeads of Proposals,which set out the army's conditions for a peace settlement withCharles I.[15]Largely prepared by the senior officers or "Grandees",they were denounced by the Agitators as insufficient, leading to the October to November 1647Putney Debatesin which the two sides sought to reach internal agreement. Rich was a prominent participant in these talks and like most of the Grandees opposed Agitator demands for "One man, one vote".[1]

After a series of disturbances in theCity of London,in January 1648, Rich's regiment was based in theRoyal Mewsto guard Parliament and put down a pro-Royalist riot in April, just after the outbreak of theSecond English Civil War.On 1 June, he joined the army under Fairfax sent to suppress the rising inKentand took part in the storming ofMaidstone.He was then detached to relieve the port ofDover,before going on to retakeWalmer Castle,Deal,andSandown Castlefrom the Royalists, a process he completed with great efficiency by the end of August.[1]Following its recapture, he was appointed Governor orCaptain of Deal Castle,a position he retained until 1653.[16]

The Interregnum

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Attitudes hardened after the Royalist defeat in the Second Civil War and a significant group, including Cromwell, now concluded further negotiations with Charles were pointless and thus he had to be removed. In December 1648,Pride's Purgeexcluded MPs considered opponents of the army likeDenzil Holles,creating a reduced body of 210 known as theRump Parliament,most of whom were in favour of putting the king on trial.[d]Although Rich supported the creation of theCommonwealth of England,he doubted the legality of theHigh Court of Justice for the trial of Charles Iand refused to sit on it, while he did not take his seat in Parliament until February 1649, after theking's executionin January.[1][e]

Eltham Palace;Rich acquired substantial parts of its park and woodlands between 1651 and 1653

Despite avoiding active participation in Charles' trial and execution, Rich remained loyal to Cromwell, and in December 1650 put down a Royalist rising inNorfolk.He benefitted from his new status by acquiring estates confiscated from the crown nearEltham Palacein Kent andHigh Easterin Essex,[1]and played a prominent role in supporting the army in Parliament.[18]However, objections to the cost of financing the New Model and theFirst Anglo-Dutch Warmeant the Rump grew increasingly hostile to the new regime, which led Cromwell to dismiss it in April 1653.[19]Like otherFifth Monarchistssuch as Major GeneralsThomas HarrisonandRobert Overton,Rich supported its replacement by the nominated "Barebones Parliament"in July 1653, but broke with Cromwell when he dissolved this body in December and becameLord Protector.[1]

Along with several officers from his regiment, Rich was associated with the "Petition of the three colonels",a document widely circulated within the New Model attacking Cromwell's assumption of power, and he was dismissed from the army in 1654.[20]He was arrested and brought before theEnglish Council of Statein 1655 for describingThe Protectorateas an illegitimate government and justifying the right of individuals to take up arms against it. Released in early 1656, he was among the MPs excluded from theSecond Protectorate Parliamentin July 1656.[1]It has been suggested he was viewed as a serious threat to the state, given his military connections and the influence of the Rich family in Essex and Suffolk, with several of the MPs who were permitted to take their seats linked to him or his relative, the Earl of Warwick.[21]

Cromwell's death in September 1658 and the succession of his sonRichardled to a power struggle between the army and theThird Protectorate Parliament,which was dominated by crypto-Royalists and moderate Presbyterians similar to those excluded in December 1648. In April 1659, a group of senior officers known as theWallingford House partycompelled Richard Cromwell to resign and reinstate the surviving members of the Rump.[22]Among them was Rich, who was re-appointed colonel of his regiment and offered the post ofAmbassador to the Dutch Republic,a position he refused.[1]As the political chaos continued into 1660, the military commander inScotland,GeneralGeorge Monck,marched his troops intoEnglandin February and forced Parliament to re-admit those MPs excluded in 1648. Realising Monck intended to restore the monarchy, Rich supportedJohn Lambert's attempt to maintain the Commonwealth by force, but his troops refused to follow him; SirRichard Ingoldsbywas appointed colonel in his stead and he was placed under arrest.[23]

Restoration

[edit]

Following the May 1660Stuart Restoration,Rich lost the lands he had acquired in Eltham and High Easter, but was exempted from other legal penalties under theIndemnity and Oblivion Act.Despite this, he was re-arrested on 10 January 1661 during the short-lived rising by his fellow Fifth MonarchistThomas Venner,and held inPortsmouth.In August 1663, he married Lady Elizabeth Kerr, daughter of theEarl of Ancramand thanks to her lobbying and the support of his custodian,Charles Berkeley, 1st Earl of Falmouth,he was finally set free in 1665. He spent the rest of his life living quietly in Stondon, where he died sometime between drawing up his will in October 1700 and it being proved in March 1702.[1]

Notes

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  1. ^Parliament suspended April 1653, reseated May 1659
  2. ^Since he was still alegal minorin 1636, he could not have been older than 20, while he graduated fromCambridge Universityin 1637, at a time when most did so at the age of 15 to 16
  3. ^The reason given was his youth, but his support for Cromwell's attack on Manchester and Essex is the more likely explanation[1]
  4. ^This did not imply support for his execution, for which the numbers at this time were substantially lower.
  5. ^The official record suggests this was because polling had been disrupted by Royalist sympathisers, but Rich, Fairfax and others may have delayed doing so because in 1647 the Long Parliament re-affirmed theSelf-denying Ordinance,and also required all MPs to subscribe to the Presbyterian-backedSolemn League and Covenant.[17]

References

[edit]
  1. ^abcdefghijklmGentles 2004.
  2. ^Roberts 2017.
  3. ^Kelsey 2004.
  4. ^Smut 2004.
  5. ^Russell 2008.
  6. ^Powell 1956,p. 242.
  7. ^Webster 1997,p. 33.
  8. ^Jones 2010,p. 93.
  9. ^Foster 1889,p. 223.
  10. ^Graham 2009,p. 889.
  11. ^Firth 1894,pp. 40–43.
  12. ^Hamilton 1890,p. 155.
  13. ^'28 February 1645',Journal of the House of Commons,Vol. 4, 1644-1646 (London, 1802),pp. 64-65.(British History Online accessed 28 May 2016).
  14. ^Firth 1891,p. xx.
  15. ^Firth 1891,pp. xli, 148.
  16. ^Reece 2013,p. 147.
  17. ^Gentles 1992,p. 148.
  18. ^Gentles 1992,pp. 420–421.
  19. ^Gentles 1992,p. 436.
  20. ^Taft 1978,pp. 36–38.
  21. ^Farr 2020,pp. 20, 72.
  22. ^Worden 2010,pp. 82–83.
  23. ^Farr 2020,p. 227.

Sources

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  • Farr, David (2020).Major-General Hezekiah Haynes and the Failure of Oliver Cromwell's Godly Revolution, 1594–1704.Taylor & Francis.ISBN978-1000078831.
  • Firth, C.H, ed. (1894).The Memoirs of Edmund Ludlow, 1625-1672.Clarendon Press.Retrieved19 September2022.
  • Firth, C.H, ed. (1891).The Clarke Papers; Selections from the Papers of William Clarke, Volume I.Camden Society.Retrieved19 September2022.
  • Foster, John (1889).The Register of Admissions to Gray's Inn, 1521-1887.Hansard.Retrieved18 September2022.
  • Gentles, Ian (1992).The New Model Army in England, Ireland and Scotland, 1645-1653.Blackwell.ISBN978-0631158691.
  • Gentles, Ian (2004). "Rich, Nathaniel (1701x1702)".Oxford Dictionary of National Biography(online ed.). Oxford University Press.doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/23489.(Subscription orUK public library membershiprequired.)
  • Graham, Aaron (2009). "Finance, Localism and Military Representation in the Army of the Earl of Essex (June-December 1642)".The Historical Journal.52(4): 879–898.doi:10.1017/S0018246X09990343.JSTOR25643862.S2CID154847523.
  • Hamilton, W.D, ed. (1890).Calendar of State Papers Domestic: Charles I, 1644-1645, Volume 503, November to December 1644.HMSO.
  • Jones, William R (2010).A History of St Catharine's College, Cambridge.CUP.ISBN978-1108008969.
  • Kelsey, Sean (2004). "Rich, Robert, second earl of Warwick (1587–1658)".Oxford Dictionary of National Biography(online ed.). Oxford University Press.doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/23494.(Subscription orUK public library membershiprequired.)
  • Powell, W.R, ed. (1956).A History of the County of Essex; Volume 4 Ongar Hundred.Victoria County History.Retrieved17 September2022.
  • Reece, Henry (2013).The Army in Cromwellian England, 1649-1660.OUP.ISBN978-0191746284.
  • Roberts, Stephen, ed. (2017).The Cromwell Association Online Directory of Parliamentarian Army Officers; Surnames beginning "R".British History Online.Retrieved17 September2022.
  • Russell, Conrad (2008). "Hampden, John".Oxford Dictionary of National Biography(online ed.). Oxford University Press.doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/12169.(Subscription orUK public library membershiprequired.)
  • Smut, R Malcolm (2004). "Rich, Henry, first earl of Holland (1598-1649)".Oxford Dictionary of National Biography(online ed.). Oxford University Press.doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/23484.(Subscription orUK public library membershiprequired.)
  • Taft, Barbara (1978). ""The Humble Petition of Several Colonels of the Army": Causes, Character, and Results of Military Opposition to Cromwell's Protectorate ".Huntington Library Quarterly.42(1): 15–41.doi:10.2307/3817408.JSTOR3817408.
  • Webster, Tom (1997).Godly Clergy in Early Stuart England: the Caroline Puritan Movement, C.1620-1643.CUP.ISBN978-0521521406.
  • Worden, Blair (2010). "Oliver Cromwell and the Protectorate".Transactions of the Royal Historical Society.20:57–83.doi:10.1017/S0080440110000058.JSTOR41432386.S2CID159710210.
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