Attempt on the Five Members
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| Attempt on the Five Members | |
|---|---|
| Name | Attempt on the Five Members |
| Date | January 1642 |
| Location | Palace of Westminster, London |
| Type | Political arrest attempt |
| Participants | Charles I of England, Sir John Hotham, John Pym, Henry Vane the Younger |
| Outcome | Failure to arrest; escalation toward English Civil War |
Attempt on the Five Members
The Attempt on the Five Members was a 1642 incident in which Charles I of England sought to arrest five leading English Parliamentarians, precipitating confrontation between royal authority and parliamentary leaders and contributing to the outbreak of the First English Civil War. The episode involved key figures from the Long Parliament and intersected with disputes among factions aligned with Royalists and Parliamentarians, touching on constitutional crises that traced back to the reign of James I of England and policies of the Stuart dynasty.
Background
Tensions before January 1642 grew from controversies over taxation under Ship Money, conflicts in Scotland including the Bishops' Wars, and legislative struggles in the Short Parliament and Long Parliament. Prominent disputes featured leaders such as John Pym, Edward Coke's legacy, and advisors like Thomas Wentworth, 1st Earl of Strafford whose impeachment and execution during the Trial of Strafford polarized House of Commons and House of Lords. Religious disputes involved figures like William Laud and issues stemming from the Book of Common Prayer and the Root and Branch petition. Key military and political maneuvers included the seizure of the Tower of London and militia control debates involving the Trained Bands and nobles such as Robert Devereux, 3rd Earl of Essex and Edward Montagu, 2nd Earl of Manchester.
The Incident (January 1642)
On a January day, Charles I of England entered the chamber of the House of Commons at the Palace of Westminster with an armed retinue intending to arrest five members of the House of Commons accused of treasonous counsel and breach of royal authority. The king's action followed failed attempts at negotiation with parliamentary leaders like John Pym, Denzil Holles, William Strode, Henry Vane the Younger, and Edward Whalley who had organized opposition to the crown's policies. The monarch's visible presence in the Commons broke precedent established after the Magna Carta controversies and the development of parliamentary privilege associated with speakers such as William Lenthall and with institutional voices shaped during sessions of the English Parliament.
Participants and Targets
Primary participants included Charles I of England and his advisers such as George Villiers, 1st Duke of Buckingham's legacy figures and military officers like Sir John Hotham and Sir John Byron. Targets identified by contemporaries were leading Parliamentarian figures: John Pym, John Hampden, Denzil Holles, William Strode, and Sir Arthur Haselrig—though historical lists vary and names such as Henry Vane the Younger appear in related documents. Supporters of the king included courtiers from households linked to Queen Henrietta Maria and royalists like Prince Rupert of the Rhine; opposition voices rallied around militia leaders including Earl of Essex and regional magnates from Yorkshire and Lincolnshire.
Political and Military Consequences
The failed arrest precipitated a breakdown of trust that accelerated military mobilization across England and Wales, influencing alignments that led to the First English Civil War. Parliament's subsequent measures included militia commissions contested against royal commissions, involving actors like Robert Devereux, 3rd Earl of Essex, Edward Montagu, 2nd Earl of Manchester, and regional commanders such as Sir Thomas Fairfax. International observers in France and the Dutch Republic monitored the crisis, and alliances were affected with figures like Oliver Cromwell emerging as critical in militia organization. The crisis also affected sieges and engagements that followed, including the raising of regiments that fought in battles such as Edgehill and later campaigns involving commanders like James II's forebears.
Legal and Parliamentary Aftermath
Parliament invoked privileges and produced proclamations condemning the king's breach of customary protections for members, relying on parliamentary spokesmen including William Lenthall and legal precedents linked to judges influenced by the legacies of Edward Coke and statutes affirmed under Henry VIII. The Commons debated charges against royal advisors, leading to impeachment efforts and escalations that included sequestering royalist estates and passing ordinances without royal assent. These measures contributed to constitutional arguments later rehearsed at the Trial of Charles I and in documents produced by political theorists influenced by events such as the Petition of Right.
Historical Interpretations and Legacy
Historians have interpreted the incident as a turning point in the erosion of royal prerogative and as a catalyst for open warfare between factions represented by Parliamentarians and Royalists. Scholars link the episode to the political careers of John Pym, Oliver Cromwell, and William Laud's prior policies, and to structural crises dating to the Stuart dynasty and Elizabethan precedents. Cultural memory of the event appears in contemporary pamphlets, diaries like those of Samuel Pepys' predecessors, and later histories by writers such as Edward Hyde, 1st Earl of Clarendon and Thomas Hobbes's political theory contexts. The event remains central in studies of constitutional change, militia authority, and the eventual realignment leading to Commonwealth of England experiments and debates about sovereignty.