Dissolution of Parliament
Dissolves the First Protectorate Parliament after constitutional conflict
Permanent historical records · Updated 2026-11-03
1655 in England
Explore 39 historical events and records for England in 1655.
Historical records for England in 1655
Sorted by month and day. Records with no month are shown last. Showing 39 of 39 unique records.
39Unique records
1 of 1Page
33Named events on this page
25Named people on this page
22Places on this page
January
Interregnum
Cromwell dissolved the First Protectorate Parliament after disputes over constitutional authority.
March
Penruddock Rising
Helps lead the royalist rising that fails in the West Country
Capture of Salisbury
Captures Salisbury during the royalist rising for Charles II
Penruddock Rising
Leads a royalist rising against the Protectorate and briefly seizes Salisbury
Constitution of England
Influences Cromwell's decision to divide England and Wales into military districts after Penruddock's rising
Suppression of Penruddock Rising
Suppresses the royalist rising and hardens security policy
April
Attack on Tunis
Destroys Barbary shipping at Porto Farina and demonstrates English naval power
Failure at Hispaniola
Fails to capture Hispaniola before the expedition turns toward Jamaica
Failure at Hispaniola
Leads the land attack on Hispaniola that ends in failure
May
Capture of Jamaica
Helps capture Jamaica from Spain during Cromwell's Western Design
Capture of Jamaica
Commands the land forces that capture Jamaica after the failed attack on Hispaniola
Invasion of Jamaica
The Western Design captures Jamaica from Spain under Penn and Venables
August
Rule of the Major-Generals
Orders Major-Generals to be appointed to control local militias and security
October
Commercial Treaty with France
Agrees a commercial treaty with France after worsening relations with Spain
War with Spain
Moves into open conflict with Spain after the seizure of Jamaica
Other events (month unknown)
Church History of Britain
Fuller publishes The Church-History of Britain.
Commander of Western Counties
Appointed commander over the Western counties under the Rule of the Major-Generals
De Corpore
Hobbes publishes De Corpore.
Decimation Tax
Uses a tax on Royalists to fund militia and security under the major-generals
Interregnum
Desborough governed several counties under the military system of major-generals.
Interregnum
Worsley administered northern districts during the rule of the major-generals.
Launch of Naseby
Launches the large warship Naseby during the naval expansion of the Protectorate
Major-General for Bedfordshire
Serves as a regional major-general during Cromwell's experiment in military rule
Major-General for East Anglia
Given command responsibilities in eastern England during the Rule of the Major-Generals
Major-General for Herefordshire
Acts as major-general in western England and Wales border districts
Major-General for Kent
Administers Kent and nearby counties under Cromwell's major-general system
Major-General for Lancashire
Appointed major-general over Lancashire, Cheshire and Staffordshire
Major-General for London
Takes a leading role in military administration around London
Major-General for Middlesex
Serves in the Protectorate security system around London and Middlesex
Major-General for Nottinghamshire
Administers Midland counties as one of Cromwell's major-generals
Major-General for Sussex
Serves as a major-general in southern England under Cromwell's military rule
Major-General for Wales
Associated with major-general administration in Wales and western districts
Major-General for West Country
Helps enforce Protectorate authority in the West Country after Penruddock's rising
Mediterranean Squadron
Commands English naval power in the Mediterranean during mounting conflict with Spain
Protectorate Intelligence
Coordinates intelligence and security after royalist conspiracies against the Protectorate
Scottish Administration
Maintains order in Scotland for the Protectorate through military government and local administration.
Western Design Commissioner
Serves as a commissioner with the Western Design fleet
Western Design Commissioner
Serves as a civilian commissioner on Cromwell's Caribbean expedition
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.