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Five Members
The Five Members were Members of Parliament whom King Charles I attempted to arrest on 4 January 1642. King Charles I entered the English House of Commons, accompanied by armed soldiers, during a sitting of the Long Parliament, although the Five Members were no longer in the House at the time. The Five Members were:
Charles' attempt to coerce parliament by force failed, turned many against him, and was one of the events leading directly to the outbreak of civil war later in 1642.
The relationship between the House of Commons and Charles I of England had become increasingly fraught during 1641. The king believed that Puritans, encouraged by five vociferous Members of the House of Commons – John Pym, John Hampden, Denzil Holles, Arthur Haselrig and William Strode, together with the peer Edward Montagu, Viscount Mandeville (the future Earl of Manchester) – had encouraged the Scots to invade England in the recent Bishops' Wars, and that they were intent on turning the people against him. When rumours reached the court that they were also planning to impeach the queen, Henrietta Maria of France, for alleged involvement in Catholic plots, Charles made accusations of treason against them in the House of Lords. The Commons met to consider the allegations on 3 January 1642, and held them to be a breach of the House's privilege.
Without agreement from the Commons, Charles faced difficulties in having the Five Members taken into custody. He had been considering decisive action for some time, but became hesitant. Both the queen and Lord Digby advised him to go down to the Commons with an armed guard, and to make the arrest in person. It was alleged that the queen exclaimed, "Go you poltroon. Go and pull those rogues out by the ears, or never see my face again"; the king yielded. To ensure there would be no armed resistance, he first sent a message to the Lord Mayor of London forbidding him from sending men to protect parliament. Then, on 4 January 1642, he set off for the House, accompanied by around four hundred armed men.
The Five Members, who had been expecting the king to strike, took their seats as usual that morning. At about three o'clock, they received word via the French ambassador, Jacques d'Étampes, that Charles was on his way, and they left the House and took a waiting barge to the City of London.
Charles entered the precincts of the House with about eighty men, armed with pistols and swords. They remained in the lobby while Charles entered the Commons chamber accompanied only by his nephew, the Elector Palatine. Roxburghe, one of Charles' retainers, propped the doors open so that the members in the chamber could see the troops making play with their pistols.
Charles removed his hat and walked to the front, saluting some members as he passed. The members stood in silence. Addressing Speaker of the House William Lenthall, he said "Mr Speaker, I must for a time make bold with your chair". Lenthall vacated it. Calling first for one of the members, and then another, he was met with total silence. He asked the speaker where they were. Kneeling, Lenthall responded:
May it please your majesty, I have neither eyes to see nor tongue to speak in this place but as this House is pleased to direct me whose servant I am here; and I humbly beg your majesty's pardon that I cannot give any other answer than this to what your majesty is pleased to demand of me.
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Five Members
The Five Members were Members of Parliament whom King Charles I attempted to arrest on 4 January 1642. King Charles I entered the English House of Commons, accompanied by armed soldiers, during a sitting of the Long Parliament, although the Five Members were no longer in the House at the time. The Five Members were:
Charles' attempt to coerce parliament by force failed, turned many against him, and was one of the events leading directly to the outbreak of civil war later in 1642.
The relationship between the House of Commons and Charles I of England had become increasingly fraught during 1641. The king believed that Puritans, encouraged by five vociferous Members of the House of Commons – John Pym, John Hampden, Denzil Holles, Arthur Haselrig and William Strode, together with the peer Edward Montagu, Viscount Mandeville (the future Earl of Manchester) – had encouraged the Scots to invade England in the recent Bishops' Wars, and that they were intent on turning the people against him. When rumours reached the court that they were also planning to impeach the queen, Henrietta Maria of France, for alleged involvement in Catholic plots, Charles made accusations of treason against them in the House of Lords. The Commons met to consider the allegations on 3 January 1642, and held them to be a breach of the House's privilege.
Without agreement from the Commons, Charles faced difficulties in having the Five Members taken into custody. He had been considering decisive action for some time, but became hesitant. Both the queen and Lord Digby advised him to go down to the Commons with an armed guard, and to make the arrest in person. It was alleged that the queen exclaimed, "Go you poltroon. Go and pull those rogues out by the ears, or never see my face again"; the king yielded. To ensure there would be no armed resistance, he first sent a message to the Lord Mayor of London forbidding him from sending men to protect parliament. Then, on 4 January 1642, he set off for the House, accompanied by around four hundred armed men.
The Five Members, who had been expecting the king to strike, took their seats as usual that morning. At about three o'clock, they received word via the French ambassador, Jacques d'Étampes, that Charles was on his way, and they left the House and took a waiting barge to the City of London.
Charles entered the precincts of the House with about eighty men, armed with pistols and swords. They remained in the lobby while Charles entered the Commons chamber accompanied only by his nephew, the Elector Palatine. Roxburghe, one of Charles' retainers, propped the doors open so that the members in the chamber could see the troops making play with their pistols.
Charles removed his hat and walked to the front, saluting some members as he passed. The members stood in silence. Addressing Speaker of the House William Lenthall, he said "Mr Speaker, I must for a time make bold with your chair". Lenthall vacated it. Calling first for one of the members, and then another, he was met with total silence. He asked the speaker where they were. Kneeling, Lenthall responded:
May it please your majesty, I have neither eyes to see nor tongue to speak in this place but as this House is pleased to direct me whose servant I am here; and I humbly beg your majesty's pardon that I cannot give any other answer than this to what your majesty is pleased to demand of me.