Henry Cromwell

Henry Cromwell (born January 20, 1628, Huntingdon, Huntingdonshire, England—died March 23, 1674, Spinney Abbey, Cambridgeshire) was the fourth son of Oliver Cromwell and the British ruler of Ireland from 1657 to 1659.

Cromwell studied at the University of Cambridge and Gray’s Inn, London. During part of the English Civil Wars he served under his father in the Parliamentary army in England and Ireland. Henry became major general of the English forces in Ireland in August 1654, and, upon the departure of Lord Deputy Charles Fleetwood in September 1655, he was left in charge of the country. The title of lord deputy was not conferred on him until November 1657. In contrast to Fleetwood’s brutal treatment of the Irish, Henry governed with moderation. He continued the policy of forcing Irish Roman Catholics to relinquish areas to be colonized by English Protestant soldiers, but he ended the oppression of older English settlers by sectarian military leaders. When his brother Richard succeeded to the office of lord protector in September 1658, Henry became lieutenant and governor-general of Ireland. But after Richard was deposed by a group of army officers (May 1659), Henry was recalled to England. He resigned at once and retired to his estate in Cambridgeshire.