Monck

Name: George Monck, 1st Duke of Albemarle

Achievements: Military command in English Civil War and Protectorate

Brokered restoration of the monarchy

Born: December 6, 1608; Great Potheridge, Devon, England

Died: January 3, 1670; London, England (Aged 62)

Field & Discipline: Military; Politics; Commander; Statesman

Language: English

Father: Sir Thomas Monck

Mother: Elizabeth Smith

Siblings: Unknown

Spouse: Anne Clarges

Children: Christopher

Education: Grammar school

Life & Times:

Monck began his military career at the age of sixteen when he volunteered to join an expedition to attack the Spanish port of Cadiz which left Plymouth in October 1625. Two years later, as a junior officer, he  joined an equally unsuccessful expedition against the French at La Rochelle. During the next few years, Monck fought with the English forces against the French and Spanish in the Netherlands, and in 1637, by now a captain, he

distinguished himself at the siege of Breda.

Back in England, he found employment again, as lieutenant colonel,  when [served under] Charles I* took an army north to fight the Scots.   Two years later Monck  was given command of his own regiment in Ireland.

Civil War broke out in England in 1642 and on his return to England in 1643 Monck was  briefly imprisoned by the Royalists because he had refused to take an oath of allegiance to the king.

He then fought for the king against the Parliamentary forces until he was captured in January 1644. He was imprisoned in the Tower of London for two years,  but was too good a soldier to be ignored and in 1646 he was released and sent by Parliament with the rank of adjutant general to fight against the Irish rebels.

In January 1649, Monck, who had been promoted to major general, agreed to accept an armistice after  being pressured by an alliance of English royalists, Irish nationalists and Scots Ulstermen. At the same time, news arrived of Charles I’s execution.

The Marquis of Ormonde, acting for the Royalists in Ireland, declared [brokered return of] Charles II* king.  Ormonde presumed that Monck would give his allegiance to the new king but he chose to remain in the service of Parliament.

On his return to England, he was criticized for agreeing to an armistice in Ireland and was deprived of his regiment. [commanded army for] Cromwell*, however, thought highly of Monck's ability and in 1650 he recalled him to military service against the Scots. The foot regiment,  which Cromwell formed especially for Monck to command,  later became the Coldstream Guards.

In 1651 Cromwell returned to England and left Monck in Scotland as commander-in-chief of the English army. He took Dundee in September 1651 and completely crushed the Scots rebels with his highly disciplined forces. The following year he was appointed one of three generals-at-sea during the war with the Dutch.

Although he had no naval experience, Monck's reputation as a commander and strategist was considerable. He took part in the three major sea battles which virtually guaranteed an English victory in the war, and in 1653 Parliament voted to strike a medal commemorating his victories.

Cromwell was now Lord Protector of England and he found Monck's professionalism essential. When a new rebellion broke out in the Scottish Highlands Monck was sent north to deal with it.

In 1654 Monck was confronted with a possible mutiny among his own forces. Their pay was months in arrears and some of the non-commissioned officers were conspiring to grab Monck and march the troops south to overthrow Cromwell.  Monck dealt with the threat with his usual energy and thoroughness and imposed such an efficient government on Scotland that the size of the English garrison was able to be reduced.

Cromwell died in 1659  and when his son Richard was declared Lord Protector Monck wrote him a long paper of advice. Influenced by his own experience with radical religious groups such as Anabaptists who had caused agitation among his troops, Monck urged Richard Cromwell to promote moderate Presbyterians and to try and find unity among Freechurchmen.  Parliament distrusted the power of the Army and Monck attempted to mediate between the two while remaining in Scotland himself.

He agreed to the overthrow of the Protectorate at the end of 1659 and to the recall of the Rump Parliament, so-called because it consisted of the remaining members of the Long Parliament of 1640 which had been dismissed by Charles I.

The Rump Parliament was extremely unpopular because it was seen as a small and unrepresentative group,  a view with which Monck concurred.  Monck was also annoyed that Parliament was interfering in army matters but when Major General John Lambert dissolved the Rump by force, Monck told him he must restore Parliament and talked of the "the intolerable slavery of a sword government.”

Monck had many Royalists contacts who knew that Monck was dissatisfied with the way the country was being run. He did not enter into any agreements but in December 1659, on his own authority, he moved to the Army in Scotland to Coldstream on the border with England.

On January 1 1660 he led his men into England and began marching them to London, which he reached at the beginning of February. Lambert's forces had faded away but

there was popular demand for the members excluded from the Long Parliament in 1640 to be restored or replaced. Monck gave his support to this and also recommended that the Rump should then be dissolved and a new Parliament elected.

Only after this was accomplished in March did Monck directly communicate with Charles II. The new Parliament voted to restore the monarchy and when Charles set foot on English soil at Dover on 25 May 1660 it was Monck who greeted him.

Monck was created Duke of Albemarle and a Knight of the Garter; he also became Master of Horse, Lord Lieutenant of Ireland and Captain-General of the Military, although his army, apart from the Coldstream guards, was disbanded.

He remained in London during the Plague in 1665 where his help in organizing the city was much appreciated by the king, who sent for him the following year after the Great Fire.

Monck was at sea again on active service against the Dutch in 1666­67 and finally retired to his estate at the end of 1668.  At his death he was given a state funeral and buried with great ceremony in Westminster Abbey.

Extra Connections: His son’s personal physician was [son’s doctor was] Sloane*

Assessment: Monck was a professional soldier who is remembered for the statesmanship he displayed in brokering the Restoration and securing its success.

Oneliner: General Monck, 17^th-century commander of English forces

Bibliography:

• Ashley, Maurice, General Monck, Jonathan Cape, London, 1977.