Pride’s Purge

British history

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July 13, 2026

Quick Summary

Pride's Purge refers to the 1648 expulsion of members from the English House of Commons who opposed the Parliamentary army's actions. Colonel Thomas Pride, acting on behalf of the army's generals, prevented over half of the members from entering the House. This action effectively put the Independents, who supported the army, in control of the government and led to the formation of the Rump Parliament. The Rump Parliament subsequently tried and executed King Charles I in January 1649. Pride was a Parliamentary soldier during the English Civil Wars and played a role in key battles before the Purge.1234

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Long Parliament
…the army had done at Pride’s Purge. The surviving group, known to historians as the Rump, brought Charles I to trial and execution in January 1649; it was forcibly ejected in 1653. After the Protectorate of Oliver Cromwell, the Rump was restored in May 1659 and expelled in October. It…
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…the army had done at Pride’s Purge. The surviving group, known to historians as the Rump, brought Charles I to trial and execution in January 1649; it was forcibly ejected in 1653. After the Protectorate of Oliver Cromwell, the Rump was restored in May 1659 and expelled in October. It…
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Sir Thomas Pride
“Pride’s Purge,” as the incident is called, put the Independents in control of the government.
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“Pride’s Purge,” as the incident is called, put the Independents in control of the government.
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United Kingdom
Civil war and revolution
Pride’s Purge was a last-minute compromise made to prevent absolute military rule. With Cromwell deliberately absent in the north, Ireton was left to stave off the argument, made by the Levelers, that Parliament was hopelessly corrupt and should be dissolved. The decision to proceed by…
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Pride’s Purge was a last-minute compromise made to prevent absolute military rule. With Cromwell deliberately absent in the north, Ireton was left to stave off the argument, made by the Levelers, that Parliament was hopelessly corrupt and should be dissolved. The decision to proceed by…
Read More