Thomas Fairfax Biography and Timeline — Page 3

Capture of Torrington

Captures Torrington from the Royalists

Role range: 1642-1649

Peace Treaty

Signs a peace Treaty with Lord Ralph Hopton who agrees to disband his forces

Role range: 1642-1649

Capture of Exeter

Captures the garrison ar Exeter & Princess Henrietta becomes a prisoner of Parliament

Role range: 1642-1649

Army Council

The Army Council supports the Solemn Engagement of the Army, drawn up because Parliament seeks to disband the New Model Army before settling arrears, indemnity and the soldiers' grievances

Role range: 1642-1649

Grandees

Fairfax stands at the head of the New Model Army Grandees as officers and Agitators adopt the Solemn Engagement, resisting parliamentary disbandment until soldiers' arrears, indemnity and grievances are secured

Role range: 1642-1649

Heads of the Proposals

Fairfax's Army leadership approves the completed Heads of the Proposals as the New Model Army's official basis for a national settlement

Role range: 1642-1649

Constitution of England

The Levelllers demand a dissolution of Parliament within a year and substantial changes to the constitution of future Parliaments, which were to be regulated by an unalterable "law paramount"

Role range: 1642-1649

Dissolution of Parliament

The Levelllers demand a dissolution of Parliament within a year and substantial changes to the constitution of future Parliaments, which were to be regulated by an unalterable "law paramount"

Role range: 1642-1649

Levellers

The Levellers demand a dissolution of Parliament within a year and substantial changes to the constitution of future Parliaments, to be regulated by an unalterable law paramount. At least five regiments of cavalry elect new unofficial agitators and produce "The Case of the Army Truly Stated", which is presented to Sir Thomas Fairfax

Role range: 1642-1649

Putney Debates

Fairfax is absent through illness, but the debates take place under the authority of the Army command that sought to prevent division between officers and rank-and-file soldiers

Role range: 1642-1649

Levellers

Senior officers in the Army, nicknamed the Grandees, are angered by The Case of the Armie Truly Stated and invite the New Agents and their civilian supporters to debate their proposals before the General Council of the Army at the Putney Debates

Role range: 1642-1649

Putney Debates

Senior officers in the Army, nicknamed the Grandees, are angered by The Case of the Armie Truly Stated and invite the New Agents and their civilian supporters to explain their principles before the General Council of the Army at the Putney Debates

Role range: 1642-1649

Levellers

Senior officers in the Army, nicknamed the Grandees, are angered by "The Case of the Army Truly Stated" and order the unofficial Agitators to explain their principles before the General Council of the Army at the Putney Debates

Role range: 1642-1649

Putney Debates

Senior officers in the Army (nicknamed "Grandees") were incensed by the "Case of the Army" and ordered the unofficial Agitators to give an account of their principles before the General Council of the Army, known as the Putney Debates

Role range: 1642-1649

Agreement of the People

Fairfax's authority is used as the Army Council meetings are suspended, leaving the Agreement of the People unadopted as the Army's official constitutional programme

Role range: 1642-1649

Army Council

Fairfax's authority is used as the Army Council meetings are suspended and the Agitators are ordered back to their regiments, limiting the Leveller challenge to the officer leadership

Role range: 1642-1649

Grandees

Fairfax's authority is used by the Grandees to suspend the Army Council meetings and send Agitators back to their regiments, ending the open phase of the Putney Debates

Role range: 1642-1649

Putney Debates

Fairfax's authority is used as the Army leadership orders Agitators and representative officers back to their regiments, bringing the debates to a temporary close

Role range: 1642-1649

Agitators

Fairfax's authority is used at the Ware rendezvous to suppress Leveller-influenced Agitator resistance, restore Army discipline and end the immediate challenge to the Grandees

Role range: 1642-1649

Battle of Maidstone

Fairfax defeats Royalist insurgents at Maidstone during the Second Civil War and breaks the main Kentish rising.

Role range: 1642-1649

Siege of Colchester

Fairfax receives the surrender of Colchester after a hard Royalist siege during the Second Civil War.

Role range: 1642-1651 – 1645-1650

Dissolution of Parliament

Attempts to form a provisional Government around the Independent Members of Parliament

Role range: 1642-1649

Parliament

Opposes Colonel Thomas Prides purge of Parliament

Role range: 1642-1649

Provisional Government

Attempts to form a provisional Government around the Independent Members of Parliament

Role range: 1642-1649

Death of Thomas Fairfax

Death of Ferdinando Fairfax

Execution

Fairfax leads the successful siege of Colchester, after the surrender of which he approves the execution of the Royalist leaders Sir Charles Lucas and Sir George Lisle, holding that these officers had broken their parole

Role range: 1642-1649

Siege of Colchester

Fairfax leads the successful siege of Colchester, after the surrender of which he approves the execution of the Royalist leaders Sir Charles Lucas and Sir George Lisle, holding that these officers had broken their parole

Role range: 1642-1649

Trial

Parliament passes an Ordinance setting up a High Court of Justice to try Charles I

Role range: 1642-1649

Levellers

Puts down the Leveller mutiny

Role range: 1642-1649

Rebellion of Rebels in Burford

Puts down the Leveller mutiny

Role range: 1642-1649

Constitution of England

Calls for the adoption of the Leveller programme. Calls for the trial of the King, the abolition of the Army

Remonstrance-Army

Introduces the Remonstrance of the Army to Parliament

Role range: 1642-1649

Arrest of Charles I

Orders Charles I to be transferred to Hurst Castle

Role range: 1642-1649

Commonwealth

Cromwell is appointed Fairaxs successor, "captain-general and Commander in Chief of all the forces raised or to be raised at authority of Parliament within the Commonwealth of England"

Resignation of Thomas Fairfax

The Scots had declared for Charles II, and the council of state resolved to send an army to Scotland in order to prevent an invasion of England, Fairfax resigns his commission. Cromwell is appointed Fairaxs successor, "captain-general and Commander in Chief of all the forces raised or to be raised at authority of Parliament within the Commonwealth of England"

Resignation of Thomas Fairfax

Fairfax receives a pension of 5000 pounds a year, and lives in retirement at his Yorkshire home of Nunappleton

Constitution of England

Supports the restoration of a constitutional monarchy

Role range: 1642-1649

Restoration

Supports the restoration of a constitutional monarchy

Role range: 1642-1649

Restoration

Charles II the "merry monarch, scandalous and poor", is glad to obey the summons, and Fairfax provides the horse on which Charles rides at his coronation

Role range: 1642-1649

Restoration

A "free" Parliament is called; Fairfax is elected member for Yorkshire, and is put at the head of the commission appointed by the House of Commons to wait upon Charles II, at the Hague and urges his speedy return

Role range: 1642-1649