- John Barkstead
John Barkstead [His name is spelt Barstead in contemporary Parliamentary records (see [http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.asp?compid=47259 Act of Free and Generall Pardon Indempnity and Oblivion] )] (d.1662) was an English
Major-General andRegicide .A
London goldsmith and Congregationalist, Barkstead joined Parliament's army as a captain of foot in Colonel Venn's regiment at the start of theEnglish Civil War . He was governor of Reading from July 1644 until January 1647, when he was appointed colonel of an infantry regiment in theNew Model Army . Barkstead's regiment occupiedWhitehall during the political disturbances of January 1648, and helped secureSouthwark against Royalist insurgents in May. In June 1648, Barkstead marched a brigade of infantry 50 miles fromLondon in 48 hours to join Lord-General Thomas Fairfax at the siege ofColchester . In January 1649, Barkstead was one of the 59 Commisioners who sat in judgement at the trial of King Charles I and signed thedeath warrant .During the 1650s, Barkstead worked closely with
Oliver Cromwell 's spymasterJohn Thurloe in intelligence work and in maintaining London's security. In 1652, he was appointed Lieutenant of theTower of London . Cromwell praised Barkstead's efficiency, but his enemies accused him of treating prisoners in the Tower harshly and of amassing a large fortune by charging extortionate fees. He was electedMember of Parliament for Colchester in theFirst Protectorate Parliament , and in 1655 became military governor ofWestminster andMiddlesex during theRule of the Major-Generals . As deputy toPhilip Skippon , Barkstead was also effectively Major-General for theCity of London . Barkstead was zealous in suppressing immorality and ungodliness in the City and surrounding districts. He was knighted by Cromwell in January 1656, sat as MP for Middlesex in theSecond Protectorate Parliament and was appointed toCromwell's Upper House .Barkstead was elected to the
Third Protectorate Parliament underRichard Cromwell , but came under attack for his conduct as Lieutenant of the Tower. When theRump Parliament was recalled in 1659, Barkstead was dismissed from office.At the Restoration of
Charles II of England , he and the other men who signed the death warrant for Charles I, were in grave danger. Like many of these men, Barkstead fled England. He went toGermany where he was welcomed and given the freedom of theLutheran city ofHanau . However, when he travelled to theNetherlands to meet his wife, he was arrested (just like his fellow regicideJohn Okey ) by the English ambassador SirGeorge Downing . He was returned to England under guard, brought to trial as aRegicide , and condemned. He washanged, drawn and quartered at Tyburn in April 1662.References
* James Caulfield, "The High Court of Justice: Comprising Memoirs of the Principal Persons, who sat in Judgment on King Charles the First and Signed his Death Warrant", John Caulfield, London 1820
* This article contains text under aCreative Commons License by David Plant, the British Civil Wars and Commonwealth website: [http://www.british-civil-wars.co.uk/biog/barkstead.htm John Barkstead, Regicide]Footnotes
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