Thomas
Rainborowe
Stanley
Slaughter's book Thomas Rainborowe -Dangerous Radical is one of the many
forgotten books which litter the study of the English bourgeois revolution. Which
is a shame because it is not a bad book. Unlike many historians, I do not
believe its subject matter Thomas Rainsborough is a forgotten hero of the 17th
century English revolution.
It must be said that Slaughter's job was not
made easy by the scarcity of archival sources. NothingRainsborowe wrote has
survived, and if it were not for his intervention in the discussion at Putney 1647,
which elevated him to one of the foremost radical voices of the English
revolution, he would have remained just another excellent military figure.
The
English revolution produced many fine and brave individuals. Thomas
Rainsborough was one of the best. He was an extraordinarily gifted soldier, and
his expertise was as a siege master. Like many of his generation, he showed reckless
courage in battle. Only
Oliver Cromwell stood above him in military skill.
But
as Slaughter's well-written and interesting biography states, he was best known
for his radical politics. His radical politics were the main reason the Royalists
assassinated him with the collaboration of presbyterian parliamentarians. As
Ian Gentles writes : "Rainborowe
continued to be a thorn in the side of the military grandees. In October and
November he played a leading part in the army general council's debates at
Putney on the Leveller Agreement of the People. He poured scorn on Cromwell and
others who said of the projected constitution, 'Itt's a huge alteration, itt's
a bringing in of New Lawes', commenting, 'if writinges bee true there hath bin
many scufflinges betweene the honest men of England and those that have
tyranniz'd over them' (Clarke Papers, 1.246). When the grandees sought to
prolong the discussion of the army's engagements, Rainborowe insisted that they
move on to address the Agreement of the People. When Ireton attacked the
principle of universal manhood suffrage, Rainborowe took up the challenge in
words that still ring in our ears after more than three-and-a-half centuries."[1]
The
exact circumstances of his murder are still a bit murky, and many wild
conspiracy theories still abound, such as Oliver Cromwell organising the
murder. What is known is that the perpetrators of this murder were given free
rein to carry out their deadly deed. Slaughter draws attention to the relative
ease the royalist assassins were able to assassinate a leading player in the
English revolution and escape unscathed without as much as a scratch back to Pontefract,
passing through the lines of the parliamentary forces who were more hostile to
the radical Ransborowe than they were to the Royalist they were supposed to be
fighting.
It
is perhaps an understatement to say that Rainsborowe was a controversial figure
hated by Royalists and Presbyterians. It was his misfortune to serve in a
parliamentary Navy that was, on the whole, Royalist in its political
persuasion.
Not
only were they hostile to Ransborowe's appointment, they were still politically
loyal to the king and were opposed to Parliament's treatment of Charles Ist.
They sided with the Presbyterians in Parliament in calling for the disbandment
of the New Model Army :
THE
DECLARATION Of the Navie, being THE True Copie of a Letter
from the Officers of the Navie, to the Commissioners: With
their Resolutions upon turning out Colonell RAINSBROUGH from being their
Commander.
28th.May,
1648.
Worshipfull;
THese are to certifie you that wee the
Commanders, and Officers of the Ship Constant Reformation, with the rest of the
Fleet, have secured the Ships for the service of King and Parliament,
and have refused to be under the Command of Colonell Rainsbrough, by
reason wee conceive him to be a man not wel-affected to the King, Parliament
and Kingdome, and we doe hereby declare unto you, that we have unanimously
joyned with the Kentish Gentlemen, in their just Petition to the Parliament,
to this purpose following, videlicet.
First,
that the Kings Majesty with all expedition be admitted in Safety and Honour, to
treat with his two Houses of Parliament.
Secondly,
that the army now under the Command of the Lord Fairfax, to be forthwith
disbanded, their Arrears being paid them.
Thirdly,
That the known Laws of the Kingdome may be Established and continued, whereby
we ought to be Governed and Iudged.
Fourthly,
That the Priviledges of Parliament and the Liberty of the Sub∣jects may be preserved.
And
to this purpose we have sent our loving Friend Captaine Penrose, with a
Letter to the Earle of Warwick, and we are resolved to take in no
Commander whatsoever, but such as shall agree and correspond with us in this
Petition, and shall resolve to live and dye with us, in the behalfe of King and
Parliament, which is the Positive Result of us.[2]
As
Ian Gentles correctly points out, not only was Rainsborowe one of the "most
vivid actors of the English revolution" he was also one of the most
important. It bewilders me that so few biographies exist, the most recent being
Adrian Tinniswood 2013 book.[3]
It is hoped that this will change soon.
