Levellers
Overton helps define the emerging Leveller movement through the Remonstrance of Many Thousand Citizens, a radical petitionary text generally treated as one of the movement's founding documents
Permanent historical records · Updated 2026-11-03
1646 in England — Page 2
Explore 69 historical events and records for England in 1646.
Historical records for England in 1646
Sorted by month and day. Records with no month are shown last. Showing 29 of 69 unique records.
69Unique records
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23Named events on this page
17Named people on this page
10Places on this page
July
August
Levellers
Overton is arrested after attacking the House of Lords, and his imprisonment strengthens the Leveller argument against arbitrary authority and unelected power
Siege of Raglan
Raglan is surrendered to Parliament, ends military operations of the 1st civil war
Siege of Raglan Castle
Forced to surrender Raglan Castle to the Parliamentarians
Levellers
The soldiers in the New Model Army elect Agitators from each regiment to represent them; the Agitators are recognised by the Army commanders and sit on the General Council. Richard Overton is arrested for publishing a pamphlet attacking the House of Lords; during imprisonment he writes the influential Leveller manifesto "An Arrow Against All Tyrants and Tyranny"
September
Siege of Oxford
Oxford capitulates following the final siege of Oxford, and by the end of September 1646 Charles had neither army nor garrison in England, following the surrender of Thomas Blagge at Wallingford Castle after a siege conducted by Fairfax
Siege of Wallingford Castle
Oxford capitulates following the final siege of Oxford, and by the end of September 1646 Charles had neither army nor garrison in England, following the surrender of Thomas Blagge at Wallingford Castle after a siege conducted by Fairfax
October
An Arrow Against All Tyrants
Overton publishes "An Arrow Against All Tyrants and Tyranny", a major Leveller statement against arbitrary government and imprisonment
An Arrow Against All Tyrants and Tyranny
Overton publishes "An Arrow Against All Tyrants and Tyranny", a major Leveller statement against arbitrary government and imprisonment
Other events (month unknown)
A Minute or First Draught of the Optiques
Hobbes prepares A Minute or First Draught of the Optiques, his most developed treatment of optics.
Begins History of the Rebellion
Hyde begins writing his History of the Rebellion during royalist exile.
Capture of Dartmouth
Discovers letters from the Queen enlisting French support. Captures Dartmouth
Controversy with Longomontanus
Publication of "Controversy with Longomontanus"
Death of Robert Devereux
Death of Robert Devereux
Death of Robert Devereux
Death of the Earl of Essex
Exile of Hyde
Follows the future Charles II to Scilly then to Jersey
Gangraena
Publication of "Gangraena", an alarmist account of sectarian activities
Gangraena", an alarmist account of sectarian activities
Publication of "Gangraena", an alarmist account of sectarian activities
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
Mathematics Tutor to Prince Charles
Hobbes becomes mathematics tutor to the exiled Prince Charles, the future Charles II.
Member of the Long Parliament
Sidney takes a seat in the Long Parliament.
Peace
Rejects the Newcastle Proposals to take the Covenant & Parliament control the militia
Peace
Receives Charles Is peace offer to the Independents & communicates it to Cromwell
Petition
Walwyn helps organise London support for petitions demanding legal and political reform during the growth of the Leveller movement
Release from Tower
Released from the Tower after accepting service with Parliament.
Resignation of Robert Devereux
Devereux resigns
Siege of Corfe Castle
The second siege, in 1646, is resisted for two months before the castle is betrayed by a member of the garrison. After its capture, the castle is slighted (destroyed) with some explosives mainly by "undermining" to ensure that it could never stand again as a Royalist stronghold
Siege of Corfe Castle
The second siege, in 1646, is resisted for two months before the castle is betrayed by a member of the garrison. After its capture, the castle is slighted (destroyed) with some explosives mainly by "undermining" to ensure that it could never stand again as a Royalist stronghold
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
How these records were prepared
Generated from the World History Database historical_events table. Identical display records are collapsed; descriptions otherwise retain the stored text. Coverage and source quality vary. Check primary and specialist sources before citing individual historical claims.