Tag Archives: Cromwell

Killers of the King by Charles Spencer

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I decided to read Killers of the King by Charles Spencer when it was mentioned by the author S.G. MacLean as one of the books that she had found interesting when she was doing her research for one of her Seeker books. Luckily I was able to borrow it from the library. I was slightly disappointed when I got my hands on it as I had imagined it to be a sumptuous glossy hardback, but it is a normal format paperback, with just eight pages of photographs/illustrations. No doubt there is a similar hardback edition. However, it’s a really interesting book and is well-written.

There were fifty-nine men who were mad or crazy enough to put their name to King Charles I ‘s death warrant and with the eventual restoration of the monarchy it was open season on them all. Almost half of them had died in the intervening twelve years, but almost immediately the hunt was on for the survivors, with one of them being murdered just three weeks later.

They had had some warning because with the unexpected death of Cromwell who had named his son Richard as his successor, it must have been obvious to everyone who knew Richard that he would never be up to the job. Soon there was talk of bringing Charles II home from his exile, and he was obviously going to punish the regicides. Most of them left the country, but some of them were persuaded to go back home, with promises of mercy, which turned out to be lies.

Charles Spencer decided to write this book because he thought that Charles I was an execrable ruler in his final years. However, I don’t think he came close to being as bad as Cromwell was, and he obviously intended to take over as king himself from the beginning.

“It is striking how many fascinating and notable figures colluded to end his life. They deserve in my view to be remembered with respect for their sacrifices: this book is my tribute to them.”

I think they never wanted a Stuart dynasty in the first place – too Scottish or should I say not English enough,  and  too close to Catholics for their liking. There were just too many greedy men who resented their family not being top dogs, but with Cromwell the whole country suffered. Well, that’s my opinion anyway.

You can see a Wiki image of his death warrant here.

The House of Lamentations by S.G. MacLean

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The House of Lamentations by S.G. MacLean is the fifth book in her Captain Damien Seeker series which ranges over the whole of the Cromwellian era.

It’s widely thought that Captain Damien Seeker had died at the end of the previous Seeker book, but in reality he has moved to Bruges where he has returned to his previous work as a carpenter. It’s a great cover for him as he is able to gain access to places he wouldn’t otherwise have reached.

Bruges has always been a popular place for the Royalist supporters to congregate. King Charles Stuart ( he had been crowned in Scotland after his father’s execution) hasn’t been welcomed elsewhere due to the politics of the time. His Royalist supporters have made themselves very unwelcome in the town as they’ve been spending a lot of their time gambling, drinking and causing trouble. A lot of the exploits centre around the House of Lamentations, a brothel.

Seeker is particularly interested in four of the Royalists, he has been sent information from England that one of them is a traitor to their cause, that puts Seeker himself in danger, but which of them is the turncoat?

Seeker, like many people had been becoming disillusioned with Cromwell’s regime which is as corrupt and nepotistic as the Stuarts’ had been, Cromwell’s cause certainly isn’t worth dying for.

The plot involves nuns and a Jesuit priest who even gives the nuns the creeps. The Jesuits always seem to be the bad guys, even nowadays, especially among old boys who had been taught by them!

I must say that at the beginning of the book there’s a description of a man being hanged drawn and quartered which for me was the most graphic that I had read, but maybe I’ve led a sheltered life.

There’s an author’s note at the back of this book, MacLean explains that she has used a lot of locations in Bruges which can be visited now by tourists, I wish I had known that when we visited the town some years ago, we just did a canal boat trip and walked around admiring the buildings.