Robert Howcott and the Regicides, 1660

King Charles I was executed on 30 January 1648/9 on a scaffold erected outside the Banqueting House in Whitehall, London. Three days earlier, he had been condemned to death for treason following a trial at Westminster Hall before a High Court of Justice that was set up by the House of Commons specially for the purpose.

One week after the execution, the House of Commons passed a bill abolishing the Monarchy. For six of the following eleven years, Oliver Cromwell ruled as Lord Protector, ending with his death in 1658. After a period of political instability, Charles, the eldest son of the executed King was invited back to rule England as Charles II, arriving on 29 May 1660.

Before returning to England, Charles II had issued the Declaration of Breda, which set out the terms on which he proposed to rule. These included a free and general pardon of those who had rebelled against him and his father. However, an exemption was made of unidentified people who were to be chosen by Parliament. After some debate, the Indemnity and Oblivion Act became law on 29 August and pardoned previous treason against the crown, but excluded the men involved in the trial and execution of Charles I. 31 of the 59 Commissioners who had signed the King’s death warrant were still alive at that stage. Efforts had already started to apprehend these people, who are generally known as the “regicides”.

Amongst those arrested were John Downes on 18 June 1660 (1) and Vincent Potter (2), both of whom had signed the death warrant. A petition by Robert Howcott, seeking the reward of an office under the Crown, describes his role in their apprehension.

To the kings most Excellent Majestie

The humble Petition of Robert Howcott

Humbly Sheweth unto your majestie That your Petitioners Grandfather was servant to his late majestie your Father of Blessed memory nere 20 yeres And your petitioners Father alsoe, whoe lost by the Parliamentary Forces at the last siege of Leicester whilst he was in his majesties service under the Lord of Loughborough above the value of £800 in Cattle and household goods and was long imprisoned, And your petitioner his sonne being Allsoe his servant at ye last siege of Pontifrat Castle under Collonell morrice, until it was yielded up, upon condition for the soldiers to march without any molestation, But when your petitioner with diverse others were gott forth about a mile, they were striped by ye perliament forces as naked as they were borne, And your petitioner ere since hath beene your majesties faithfull subject as my providing Armes in Sir George Boothes busines & powder and Bullets which I have still by me will evidence & I can make appeare if your Majestie require, Discovering alsoe and apprehending Collonell Downes of Hampstead one of ye Judges of our Late Soveraigne your Gracious Father and brought him before your majestie by vertue of warrant from Sir Edward Nicholas, and your majestie ordered your petitioner to cary him before the Lord Generall Monke, whoe gave your petitioner a warrant to carry him to the martiall Generall, Sithense which your petitioner discovered and apprehended Collonell Vincent Potter another of those Judges and had him before the Lord Mayor who sent him to ye Serjant at armes, But your petitioner being servant to one Mr Almery whoe was of nere kin to Collonell Downes that very night turned him out of his house and service wherein he gained more £110 per Annum, soe that your petitioner for noe other Reason But for serving your Majestie is undone without your Gracious Benevolence – All which your petitioner was bound in conseyende & Duety to performe

May it therefore please your majestie to grant unto your petitioner, out of your abundant goodness not any Desert of his, The office of a surveighor, waighter or Solicitor in your majesties Custome house in London either by land or water which your gracious Majestie shall please, and which may first become void And emptie, = whoe shall ever pray etc. (3)

The document is not dated but appears to have been submitted to the King about July 1660.

Arresting Downes and Potter were not the only efforts Robert made to help track down the King’s enemies. On 1 August 1660, Robert Howcott appeared before the House of Lords to report "That one Talley told him, that one Tench brought Irons to the Scaffold at the Murder of the King, and dipped his Handkerchief in the Blood of the King." As a result it was ordered that Talley and Tench be summoned to appear before the House of Lords to be examined (4). On 13 October 1660, at the trial of another regicide, Hugh Peters (1598-1660), Richard Nunelly testified on that Peters was present at the execution and had ordered Tench, a joiner of Houndsditch, to drive staples into the block so that Charles’ head could be held in place if he should refuse to submit to the executioner (5). 

People and Events mentioned in the Petition

(in order of appearance, with spelling modernised)

The Petitioner’s Father

It is not certain which son of Robert Howcott (about 1575-1635) was father of the Petitioner. The grandfather had married Katherine Sacheverell at Bruntingthorpe, Leicestershire in 1600 and they had these children christened there:

The only one of these children whose own children have been identified is Robert Howcott (alias Holcott), husband of Jane, who lived at Stoughton Grange, Leicestershire and had these offspring christened at that parish:

The children described as “Alive in 1655” were mentioned in their father’s will, which was written on 4 January 1655 and proved at the Court of Civil Commission on 26 February 1658. Click here to see a transcript of the will.

If the Petitioner were the son of Robert Howcott of Stoughton, he would have been only about 13 years old at the time of the last siege of Pontefract Castle.

Later references

It is feasible, but not certain, that some or all of the following Leicestershire references may be to the Petitioner:

• Mr Robt. Holcott assessed to pay tax for 8 hearths at Shearsby at Lady Day 1666 (8)
• Mr Robert Howcote liable to pay for two hearths at Saddington in Michaelmas 1670 (9).
• Robert Hollcott, gent. buried at Saddington on 21 March 1684/5.

Notes

(1)              “Commons’ Journals, viii, 61, 65, 68”, as cited in “Dictionary of National Biography” edited by Leslie Stephen.

(2)              Oxford Dictionary of National Biography” – entry for Vincent Potter.

(3)              The National Archives (TNA): SP29/9.

(4)              'House of Lords Journal Volume 11: 1 August 1660', Journal of the House of Lords: volume 11: 1660-1666, pp. 113-114.

(5)              “A Complete Collection of State Trials and Proceedings for High Treason etc” by Thomas Bayly Howell & Thomas Jones Howell,  1816, volume V.

(6)              Historical Manuscripts Commission, Various Collections I (Worcestershire).

(7)              TNA: C24/637 (part 2) (case 17)