- Putney Debates
The Putney Debates were a series of discussions between members of the
New Model Army and theLevellers , concerning the makeup of a newconstitution forEngland . After seizing theCity of London from Presbyterian opponents in August 1647, the New Model Army had set up its headquarters at Putney. The debates began at the Church of St. Mary the Virgin,Putney , in the county ofSurrey (now in South WestLondon ), starting on28 October 1647 but moved to Quartermaster General of Foot Thomas Grosvenor's lodgings (also in Putney) on29 October . The debates lasted until11 November .Background
Earlier that summer
Oliver Cromwell ,Henry Ireton and other officers, known as the "Grandee s", attempted to negotiate a settlement withCharles I of England in the aftermath of the First Civil War. Their proposals, termed theHeads of Proposals included provisions for social justice, but the monarchy andHouse of Lords retained a power of veto over the House of Commons. A further feature of the Heads of Proposals was that the king would be restored before the issues of the soldiers' indemnity and arrears were entrenched in law. This was contrary to theNew Model Army 's Declaration of14 June 1647 and consequently the Heads of Proposals lost the support of the more radical elements among the military and civilian populations.The New Model Army was the first army in history to have some kind of democratic debate in its ranks. Sometime before October 1647, five of the most radical cavalry regiments elected new Agitators – known as the "New Agents" – to represent their views. The New Agents issued a political manifesto: "The Case of the Armie Truly Stated", [http://www.worldcatlibraries.org/wcpa/top3mset/033279ca40f9e661a19afeb4da09e526.html The Case of the Armie Truly Stated] . The fundamental ideas of the Case of the Armie would later be reflected in the constitutional proposals drafted in the "
Agreement of the People ". [ [http://www.strecorsoc.org/docs/agreement.html The Agreement of the People] as presented to the Council of the Army at Putney on28 October 1647 ( [http://www.constitution.org/eng/conpur074.htm alternative site] )] The radicals wanted a constitution based upon manhood suffrage ("one man, one vote"), biennial Parliaments and a reorganisation of parliamentary constituencies. Authority was to be vested in the House of Commons rather than the King and Lords. Certain "native rights" were declared sacrosanct for all Englishmen: freedom of conscience, freedom from impressment into the armed forces and equality before the law.The Putney Debates came about as a result of the publication of the "Case of the Armie". According to the author of a book called "A Cal to all the Soldiers of the Armie" (a work usually ascribed to
John Wildman ), Ireton was so incensed by the "Case of the Armie" that the New Agents were invited to debate the "Case of the Armie" before the General Council of the Army. Fairfax was unwell and could not be present, so Cromwell sat in the chair. Cromwell flatly refused to accept any compromise in which the King was overthrown, whileHenry Ireton (son-in-law ofOliver Cromwell ) pressed the case that his own "The Heads of the Proposals " [ [http://www.constitution.org/eng/conpur071.htm The Heads of the Proposals offered by the Army] ] covered all of the concerns raised by the New Agents in "The Case of the Armie". The New Agents accepted the meeting, sendingRobert Everard (identified on the first day of the Putney Debates as 'Buff Coat') and another New Agent from Col. Whalley's Regiment only identified as 'Bedfordshire Man' (this was possibly Trooper Matthew Weale, a signatory of the "Case of the Armie" and the "Agreement of the People"). Other members of the Army present were ColonelThomas Rainsborough (MP forDroitwich ), his brother Major William Rainsborough, and the AgitatorsEdward Sexby andWilliam Allen . The New Agents also broughtJohn Wildman andMaximillian Petty , two civilian advisors who had been involved with Army affairs since at least July 1647.The debates opened on
28 October and were transcribed by secretary William Clarke and a team ofstenographer s. From2 November however, all recording ceased. The debates were not reported and Clarke's minutes were not published at the time. They were lost until 1890 when they were rediscovered at the library ofWorcester College, Oxford , and subsequently published as part of the Clarke Papers.Cromwell and Ireton's main complaint about the "Agreement" was that it included terms for near universal male
suffrage , which Ireton considered to be anarchy. Instead they suggested suffrage should be limited only to landholders. The Agitators, on the other hand, felt they deserved the rights in payment for their service during the war. Thus Thomas Rainsborough argued:And Ireton, for the Grandees:Eventually Ireton and Petty reached a compromise of sorts whereby the Agitators agreed to exclude servants and beggars and the Grandees agreed that all soldiers of the war were entitled to the vote.The debates concluded with the understanding that a modified version of the "Agreement" approved by a committee chosen mainly from the ranks of the Army's officers would be the basis of any future constitutional settlement and that it would be presented to the Army itself at a mass meeting. However, the Agitators wanted to discuss the future of the king and the Grandees, fearing a complete breakdown of discipline in the Army, proposed on
8 November that the Agitators and New Agents return at once to their regiments to restore order. This was reinforced on11 November when King Charles escaped fromHampton Court , apparently fearing a splinter group from the Agitators, who he termedLevellers would attempt to assassinate him. Charles I's flight brought all debate to an end as the New Model Army were faced with a more immediate threat. A new group then met to draw up amanifesto in the name of Lord-General Fairfax and the Army Council to be presented to the troops in place of the New Agents' "Agreement".The presentation itself was split from one mass meeting to three smaller ones. Those regiments invited to the first meeting on
15 November agreed with the manifesto, but two regiments arrived uninvited and objected, sparking theCorkbush Field mutiny . Cromwell suppressed the mutiny and at the other two meetings the other regiments agreed to the terms in the manifesto.ee also
* The
English Civil War
* TheCorkbush Field mutiny November1647
* TheBishopsgate mutiny April1649
* TheBanbury mutiny May1649 References
* [http://courses.essex.ac.uk/cs/cs101/PUTNEY.HTM Transcript of The Putney Debates]
* [http://www.british-civil-wars.co.uk/glossary/putney-debates.htm British Civil War: The Putney Debates]Footnotes
External links
* [http://www.putneydebates.com/ Website devoted to the debates and details of new permanent exhibition to open on 360th anniversary in St Mary's Church]
* [http://www.guardian.co.uk/g2/story/0,,2199479,00.html Guardian leader article on the anniversary]
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