William Strode

For other people named William Strode, seeWilliam Strode (disambiguation).

Relief sculpture of William Strode (1594–1645), MP, detail from mural monument in St Mary's Church, Plympton, of his father Sir William Strode (d.1637) of Newnham

Arms of Strode:Argent, a chevron between three conies courant sable

William Strode(1598 – 9 September 1645) was an English politician who sat in theHouse of Commonsvariously between 1624 and 1645. He was one of theFive Memberswhose impeachment and attempted unconstitutional arrest by King Charles I in the House of Commons in 1642 sparked theCivil War,during which he fought on theParliamentarianside.

Origins

Strode was the second son ofSir William Strode(d. 1637), MP, ofNewnham,Plympton St Mary,Devon, by his first wife Mary Southcote, daughter of Thomas Southcote ofBovey Traceyin Devon.

Education

He was admitted as a student of theInner Templein 1614, matriculated atExeter College, Oxford,in 1617, and took the degree of BA in 1619.

Career

In 1624, Strode was electedMember of ParliamentforBere Alston,and was re-elected MP for Bere Alston in 1625, 1626 and 1628.He opposedCharles Ifrom the start, and took a leading part in the disorderly scene of 2 March 1629, when thespeaker,Sir John Finch,was held down in the chair after refusing to put the resolution ofSir John Eliotagainst arbitrary taxation and innovations in religion (seeDenzil Holles). Strode was prosecuted before the star chamber, but refused "to answer anything done in the House of Parliament but in that House." On 7 May a fresh warrant was issued, and a month later, to prevent his release on bail, he was sent by Charles with two of his fellow members to theTower.Refusing to give a bond for his good behaviour, he was sentenced to imprisonment during the king's pleasure, and was kept in confinement in various prisons for eleven years. During those eleven years, King Charles ruled without parliament.

In January 1640, in accordance with the king's new policy of moderation, Strode was released and on 13 April took his seat as MP for Bere Alston in theShort Parliament.He was re-elected for theLong Parliament,which met on 3 November 1640. He was the first to propose parliamentary control over ministerial appointments, the militia, and its own duration, He supported the Grand Remonstrance of 7 November 1641. He zealously pursued the prosecution ofStrafford,and actually proposed that all who appeared as the prisoner's counsel should be charged as conspirators in the same treason. As a result, he was included among the Five Members impeached by Charles ofhigh treasonon 3 January 1642.

Strode opposed all suggestions of compromise with Charles and urged on the preparations for war. He was present at theBattle of Edgehillon 23 October 1642. He was as relentless in the prosecution ofLaudas he had been in that of Strafford. It was he who carried up the message from the Commons to theLordson 28 November 1644 which desired them to hasten on the ordinance for the archbishop's execution. Strode did not long survive his victim. He is mentioned as having been elected a member of theWestminster Assemblyon 31 January 1645. He died on 9 September the same year, and by order of parliament was accorded a public funeral inWestminster Abbey.The body was exhumed after theRestorationand thrown into a pit in the churchyard ofSt Margaret's, Westminster,with about twenty other rebels.

Identification

The identity of the W. Strode imprisoned in 1628 and of the W. Strode impeached in 1642 has been questioned, but is now established.On the other hand, he is to be distinguished fromColonel William StrodeofBarrington,also parliamentarian and Member of Parliament, who died in 1666; and fromWilliam Strode(1602–1645), the orator, poet and dramatist.

References

• This article incorporates text from a publication now in thepublic domain:Chisholm, Hugh,ed. (1911). "Strode, William".Encyclopædia Britannica.Vol. 25 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 1040.