What was cromwell like as a ruler

This was no mere political issue, though. Cromwell's bigotry was also behind it: his contempt for Catholicism meant he would show no mercy during this notoriously violent campaign. In September , Cromwell's men entered the town of Drogheda and slaughtered almost everyone they found. It's estimated that around 3, locals were killed by Cromwell's forces, including many hundreds of ordinary civilians. Historians still debate the nuances of this outrageous event, and Cromwell's culpability.

But let's take the man's own word for it, because Cromwell himself wrote of the massacre: "I am persuaded that this is a righteous judgment of God upon these barbarous wretches. The horror continued just a month later in the Irish town of Wexford, where local rebels were actually trying to negotiate a surrender when Cromwell's men charged in to enact yet more lethal violence. The town and its harbour were destroyed, and it's estimated that around 1, people were killed.

Again, some historians may claim that Cromwell didn't directly give the order to murder civilians. As commander-in-chief of the army, the responsibilities for the excesses of the military must be laid firmly at his door. And away from the battlefield, Cromwell proved himself to be an arch-hypocrite and petty power hungry aristocrat. Despite his religious, Puritan, "man of the people" image, he behaved much like any monarch. He was addressed as "Highness" by his minions, and made Hampton Court Palace his home.

Far from an architect of modern liberty and democracy, he presided over a failed republic which was overthrown by the return of Charles II.

Instead, he ruled the country through his major-generals, which meant that England virtually became a military dictatorship.

He allowed greater religious freedom for Protestants, but introduced a string of 'moral' laws to 'improve' people's behaviour which banned the theatre and bear-baiting, and forbade people to drink or celebrate Christmas, among other things.

Cromwell increased the navy, which defeated the Dutch and captured Jamaica from the Spanish. When Cromwell died, he was succeeded by his son Richard, but the Protectorate collapsed and Charles II was restored as king shortly after. Oliver Cromwell — , Lord Protector of England. This practice was repeated by many of their descendants, who also occasionally used the surname Williams-alias-Cromwell. In contrast, in the wake of the Restoration some members of the family reverted to the surname Williams temporarily to distance themselves from any links to Oliver Cromwell.

It was not until the English civil wars of the s that he had the opportunity to rise to power. Having been educated at Huntingdon grammar school which now houses the Cromwell Museum and later at the puritan influenced Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge, run by a well-known Calvinist Samuel Ward, Cromwell first made a living as a minor landowner, farming and collecting tenancy rents following the modest inheritance left by his father. Robert passed away in June , which led to Cromwell leaving Cambridge without completing his degree to return to the homestead to support his mother and seven unmarried sisters.

On his small income Cromwell supported both his wife and his ever expanding family Oliver and Elizabeth had nine children in all, although only six survived into adulthood.

As the only surviving son himself, Cromwell was also tasked with supporting his widowed mother, who outlived her husband by a further 37 years. Cromwell relocated to the Cambridgeshire town of St Ives in and then to Ely in following the inheritance of property from his maternal uncle.

However, whilst Cromwell became an MP for Cambridge he was not significantly involved in national politics until the s.

Make-up was banned. Puritan leaders and soldiers would roam the streets of towns and scrub off any make-up found on unsuspecting women. Too colourful dresses were banned. A Puritan lady wore a long black dress that covered her almost from neck to toes. She wore a white apron and her hair was bunched up behind a white head-dress. Puritan men wore black clothes and short hair. Cromwell banned Christmas as people would have known it then.

By the C17th, Christmas had become a holiday of celebration and enjoyment — especially after the problems caused by the civil war. Cromwell wanted it returned to a religious celebration where people thought about the birth of Jesus rather than ate and drank too much. In London, soldiers were ordered to go round the streets and take, by force if necessary, food being cooked for a Christmas celebration. The smell of a goose being cooked could bring trouble. Traditional Christmas decorations like holly were banned.

Despite all these rules, Cromwell himself was not strict. He enjoyed music, hunting and playing bowls.