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The National Archives
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Civil War
Civil War > Why did Britain become a republic? > New government > Source 2
An account of the setting up of the Commonwealth in 1649
(By permission of Taylor & Francis: Memoirs of the Life of Colonel Hutchinson, by his widow Lucy, published by George Routledge, 1906, pp. 272-3)
This comes from the Memoirs of the life of Colonel Hutchinson written by his wife. Her account was written in the 1660s. It describes his life and career.
Her husband was a senior commander in the army and a trusted ally of Cromwell. He also signed Charles I’s death warrant. However, as time went on Colonel Hutchinson became concerned about Cromwell’s actions.
England in 1649 was a republic, a state that was not ruled by a monarch. The new state was known as the Commonwealth of England.
When the Second Civil War ended in 1648, Charles I was put on trial and executed in January 1649. After this, MPs and the army had to decide on a new way for the country to be ruled.
There were huge challenges facing the new republic when it was formed in 1649.
