Petition
A petition signed by more than 2,000 London citizens helps secure Lilburne's release after his imprisonment for denouncing comfortable Members of Parliament while common soldiers suffered
Role range: 1642-1649
Historical biography archive · Updated 2026-11-03
John Lilburne Biography and Timeline
Follow John Lilburne through 23 dated historical records for England.
John Lilburne, historical timeline
A chronological timeline drawn from matching World History Database records.
23Distinct records
1 of 1Page
1645–1651Years on this page
1645
Levellers
John Lilburne is imprisoned for denouncing Members of Parliament who lived in comfort while the common soldiers fought and died for the Parliamentary cause
Role range: 1642-1649
1646
Levellers
Lilburne's imprisonment helps turn a circle of supporters into a wider Leveller movement, as campaigns for his liberty are presented as campaigns for the birthright liberties of all freeborn Englishmen
Role range: 1642-1649
Levellers
Lilburne is imprisoned again, this time in the Tower of London, for denouncing his former army commander the Earl of Manchester as a Royalist sympathiser because he had protected an officer charged with treason. Campaigns to free Lilburne from prison help spawn the movement known as the Levellers
Role range: 1642-1649
Treason
Lilburne is imprisoned again, this time in the Tower of London, for denouncing his former army commander the Earl of Manchester as a Royalist sympathiser, because he had protected an officer who had been charged with treason
Role range: 1642-1649
1647
Constitution of England
A radical group within the New Model Army, the Levellers, calls for constitutional reform
Role range: 1642-1649
Franchise
The Levellers call for a broader franchise under a republican government
Role range: 1642-1649
Levellers
The Levellers call for a broader franchise under a republican government. The Levellers emphasise popular sovereignty, extended suffrage, equality before the law and religious toleration, ideas expressed in the manifesto "Agreement of the People". A radical group within the New Model Army calls for constitutional reform
Role range: 1642-1649
Manifesto
The Levellers, a political movement during the English Civil Wars which emphasised popular sovereignty, extended suffrage, equality before the law, and religious tolerance, all of which were expressed in the manifesto "Agreement of the People"
Role range: 1642-1649
Reform of Electoral System
The Levellers call for a broader franchise under a republican government
Role range: 1642-1649
1648
Petition
Leveller supporters present a large London petition to Parliament demanding reforms associated with the Agreement of the People
Role range: 1642-1649
1649
Levellers
Lilburne and the Leveller movement press the revised Agreement of the People as a proposed written constitution, but Parliament does not adopt it as the national settlement
Role range: 1642-1649
England's New Chains Discovered", attacking the new regime
Lilburne publishes "England's New Chains Discovered", attacking the new regime and warning that the people remain unfree after the King's execution
Role range: 1642-1649
England's New Chains Discovered
Lilburne publishes "England's New Chains Discovered", attacking the new regime and warning that the people remain unfree after the King's execution
Role range: 1642-1649
England's New Chains Discovered
Lilburne publishes England's New Chains Discovered and attacks the concentration of political power in the Army and Rump Parliament.
Role range: 1642-1649
Levellers
Lilburne publishes England's New Chains Discovered, attacking the army-dominated government for betraying the liberties for which Parliamentarian soldiers and civilians had fought
Role range: 1642-1649
The Second Part of England's New Chains Discovered", renewing Leveller criticism of the Council of State
Lilburne publishes "The Second Part of England's New Chains Discovered", renewing Leveller criticism of the Council of State and Army Grandees
Role range: 1642-1649
The Second Part of England's New Chains Discovered
Lilburne publishes "The Second Part of England's New Chains Discovered", renewing Leveller criticism of the Council of State and Army Grandees
Role range: 1642-1649
Arrest of Leveller Leaders
Lilburne is arrested with other Leveller leaders after renewed pamphlet attacks on the post-regicide government.
Role range: 1642-1649
Agreement of the Free People
Lilburne and fellow Levellers issue the Agreement of the Free People while imprisoned, setting out their constitutional programme.
Role range: 1642-1649
Agreement of the Free People
Lilburne and the imprisoned Leveller leaders issue "An Agreement of the Free People of England" as a proposed constitutional settlement
Role range: 1642-1649
Acquittal for High Treason
A London jury acquits Lilburne of high treason after a celebrated trial arising from his attacks on the Commonwealth government.
Role range: 1642-1649
1651
Battle of Worcester
Ordered by Cromwell to intercept the Earl of Derby on his march to Worcester
Role range: 1642-1649
Records, sources and methodology
These dates and descriptions come from the historical_events database. Exact duplicate records have been collapsed. Names are grouped by the country, Name 2 and Name 1 fields; records with missing Name 2 cannot be reliably assigned to an individual biography. Check the underlying sources before formal citation.