Oliver Cromwell

Oliver Cromwell
A 1656 Samuel Cooper portrait of Cromwell
1st Lord Protector of the Commonwealth of England, Scotland, and Ireland
In office 16 December 1653 – 3 September 1658
Preceded by	Council of State
Succeeded by	Richard Cromwell
Member of Parliament for Cambridge
In office 1640–1649
Monarch	Charles I
Member of Parliament for Huntingdon
In office 1628–1629
Monarch	Charles I
Personal details
Born	(1599-04-25)25 April 1599 Huntingdon, Huntingdonshire, Kingdom of England
Died	3 September 1658(1658-09-03) (aged 59) Whitehall, London, The Protectorate
Resting place	Tyburn, London
Nationality	English
Spouse(s)	Elizabeth Bourchier
Relations	Robert Cromwell (father) Elizabeth Steward (mother)
Children	Robert Cromwell Oliver Cromwell Bridget Cromwell Richard Cromwell, Lord Protector Henry Cromwell, Lord Deputy of Ireland Elizabeth Cromwell James Cromwell Mary Cromwell Frances Cromwell
Alma mater	Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge
Occupation	Farmer, parliamentarian, military commander
Religion	Reformed (an Independent Puritan)
Signature
Military service
Nickname(s)	"Old Ironsides"
Allegiance	Roundhead
Service/branch	Eastern Association (1643–1645); New Model Army (1645–1646)
Years of service	1643–1651
Rank	Colonel (1643 – bef. 1644); Lieutenant-General of Horse (bef. 1644–1645); Lieutenant-General of Cavalry (1645–1646)
Commands	Cambridgeshire Ironsides (1643 – bef. 1644); Eastern Association (bef. 1644–1645); New Model Army (1645–1646)
Battles/wars	English Civil War: Gainsborough Marston Moor Newbury II Naseby Langport Preston Dunbar Worcester

Royal styles of Oliver Cromwell, Lord Protector of the Commonwealth
Reference style	His Highness
Spoken style	Your Highness
Alternative style	Sir

English Civil War:

Oliver Cromwell (25 April 1599 – 3 September 1658) was an English military and political leader and later Lord Protector of the Commonwealth of England, Scotland, and Ireland.

Cromwell was born into the middle gentry, albeit to a family descended from the sister of King Henry VIII's minister Thomas Cromwell. Little is known of the first 40 years of his life as only four of his personal letters survive alongside a summary of a speech he delivered in 1628. He became an Independent Puritan after undergoing a religious conversion in the 1630s, taking a generally tolerant view towards the many Protestant sects of his period. He was an intensely religious man, a self-styled Puritan Moses, and he fervently believed that God was guiding his victories. He was elected Member of Parliament for Huntingdon in 1628 and for Cambridge in the Short (1640) and Long (1640–1649) parliaments. He entered the English Civil War on the side of the "Roundheads" or Parliamentarians. Nicknamed "Old Ironsides", he demonstrated his ability as a commander and was quickly promoted from leading a single cavalry troop to being one of the principal commanders of the New Model Army, playing an important role in the defeat of the royalist forces.