The Sealed Knot was a secret
Royalist
A royalist supports a particular monarch as head of state for a particular kingdom, or of a particular dynastic claim. In the abstract, this position is royalism. It is distinct from monarchism, which advocates a monarchical system of gove ...
association which plotted for the
Restoration of the monarchy during the
English Interregnum
The Interregnum was the period between the execution of Charles I on 30 January 1649 and the arrival of his son Charles II of England, Charles II in London on 29 May 1660, which marked the start of the Stuart Restoration, Restoration. During the ...
.
The group was commissioned by
King Charles II between November 1653 and February 1654 from his exile in Paris for the purpose of coordinating underground Royalist activity in England and preparing for a general uprising against
the Protectorate
The Protectorate, officially the Commonwealth of England, Scotland and Ireland, was the English form of government lasting from 16 December 1653 to 25 May 1659, under which the kingdoms of Kingdom of England, England, Kingdom of Scotland, Scotl ...
.
[ ]
Members
Its original founding members were:
*
John Belasyse, 1st Baron Belasyse
John Belasyse, 1st Baron Belasyse (or Bellasis) (24 June 1614 – 10 September 1689) was an English nobleman, Cavalier, Royalist officer and Member of Parliament, notable for his role during and after the English Civil War, Civil War. He suff ...
(1614–1689)
* Sir
William Compton (1625–1663; third son of
Spencer Compton, 2nd Earl of Northampton
Spencer Compton, 2nd Earl of Northampton (May 160119 March 1643), styled Lord Compton from 1618 to 1630, was an England, English soldier and politician who sat in the House of Commons of England, House of Commons from 1621 to 1622. He became a ...
)
*
Henry Hastings, 1st Baron Loughborough (1610–1666)
* Col.
John Russell (1620–1687)
* Col. Sir
Edward Villiers (1620–1689; father of
Edward Villiers, 1st Earl of Jersey)
* Sir
Richard Willis (sometimes spelt 'Willys') (1613/14–1690)
Additional members include:
*
Susan Hyde ( 1607 – 1656)
*
Elizabeth Maitland, Lady Tollemache (unclear)
*
William Maynard, 2nd Baron Maynard
Uprisings
The Sealed Knot made ten attempts between 1652 and 1659 to bring about the Restoration.
The largest uprisings were staged in 1655 and 1659:
*
Penruddock uprising (1655), named after one of the leaders of the revolt,
John Penruddock. The revolt was easily put down by forces loyal to the
Lord Protector
Lord Protector (plural: ''Lords Protector'') is a title that has been used in British constitutional law for the head of state. It was also a particular title for the British heads of state in respect to the established church. It was sometime ...
Oliver Cromwell
Oliver Cromwell (25 April 15993 September 1658) was an English statesman, politician and soldier, widely regarded as one of the most important figures in British history. He came to prominence during the Wars of the Three Kingdoms, initially ...
, and for his part in the rebellion Penruddock was beheaded in May 1655.
The conspiracy was ultimately ineffective, partly because of an abundance of caution, but not least due to the treachery of Willis, who was feeding information to Cromwell's spymaster
John Thurloe
John Thurloe (June 1616 – 21 February 1668) was an English politician who served as secretary to the council of state in The Protectorate, Protectorate England and spymaster for Oliver Cromwell and held the position of Postmaster General betw ...
from at least 1656, for reasons which remain unknown.
*
Booth's uprising
Booth's Uprising, also known as Booth's Rebellion or the Cheshire Rising of 1659, was an unsuccessful attempt in August 1659 to restore Charles II of England. Centred on North West England and led by George Booth, 1st Baron Delamer, George Booth, ...
(1659) occurred after the death of Oliver Cromwell. The conspiracy was known to Thurloe and the Royalists under the command of
Sir George Booth, and was militarily defeated on 19 August at the
Battle of Winnington Bridge
The Battle of Winnington Bridge, often described as the last battle of the English Civil War, took place on 19 August 1659 during Booth's Uprising, a Royalist rebellion in north-west England and Wales.
During the battle a Parliamentary army of ar ...
by a
New Model Army
The New Model Army or New Modelled Army was a standing army formed in 1645 by the Parliamentarians during the First English Civil War, then disbanded after the Stuart Restoration in 1660. It differed from other armies employed in the 1639 t ...
contingent under the command of General
John Lambert.
See also
*
Secret society
A secret society is an organization about which the activities, events, inner functioning, or membership are concealed. The society may or may not attempt to conceal its existence. The term usually excludes covert groups, such as intelligence ag ...
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sealed Knot
English Civil War
Cavaliers
Plots, conspiracies and insurrections during the Interregnum (England)
Secret societies in the United Kingdom