Thomas Rainborowe (1610-1648) – Romantic radical hero

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		If the Putney Debates have a romantic hero, it is Thomas Rainsborowe. Rainsborowe’s powerful contributions during the proceedings were not as original as once thought but their resonance and emotional power is undeniable. He acted as a rallying point for fellow radicals at the debate, resisting the lengthy and sometime vituperative assaults made by Henry Ireton on the Agreement of the People. Rainsborowe’s upbringing provided him with connections with puritan networks, mariners and merchant communities in London. His father, Captain William Rainborowe, was a naval officer and trader in the Levant (the Eastern Mediterranean) and Thomas followed his father into this trade. Rainsborowe’s sisters were married into the Winthrop family which dominated seventeenth-century Massachusetts. His mother was the daughter of a mariner from Wapping. Rainsborowe’s father died in 1642, leaving Thomas to inherit his considerable wealth, as well as his property in Southwark. At the outbreak of the civil war, Thomas enlisted in Parliament’s navy, then under the command of the earl of Warwick. In the summer of 1643, however, Rainsborowe joined Parliament’s war on land, joining Fairfax in the defence of Hull. As an officer in the army of the Eastern Association, Rainsborowe’s New England connections came in useful as he recruited a foot regiment largely consisting of returning emigres as officers. At the formation of the New Model Army, Rainsborowe was appointed colonel of foot and scored a number of notable victories. Cromwell, later a fierce rival, paid tribute to the bravery of Rainsborowe’s men at the storming of Bristol. The first civil war for Rainsborowe culminated with his appointment as governor of Worcester. Rainsborowe was part of the army delegation that presented Charles with the New Model’s peace terms. Offended by the king’s high-handed response to the ‘Heads of Proposals’, Rainsborowe quit the negotiations and instead spread reports of Charles’ intransigence among his troops. Rainsborowe was also increasingly at odds with Cromwell, who was intent on blocking Rainsborowe’s aspiration to become Vice-Admiral of Parliament’s navy. Rainsborowe would nonetheless secure this appointment in September 1647. Evidence suggests that Rainsborowe was part of the same radical grouping around the republican MP Henry Marten as the leading civilian participants at Putney, Maximilian Petty and John Wildman. Petty and Wildman followed Rainsborowe’s lead at Putney in defending the principle of manhood suffrage, though neither could match the rousing language in which Rainsborowe countered Ireton’s arguments. He continued to show his support for the Agreement after Putney, attempting to present Fairfax with a copy of the text at the rendezvous at Ware, only to be rebuffed. Rainsborowe’s support for the civilian radicals and agitators almost cost him his position as Vice-Admiral but, in the end, it was the sailors themselves, rather than Parliament who removed Rainsborowe from his command. Royalist support was strong within the Navy and Rainsborowe’s radicalism sat very uneasily with this sentiment. At the outbreak of the Second Civil War, as Royalist revolts broke out in Kent in May, the men of Rainsborowe’s own ship, the Constant Reformation, mutinied and put their commander on a small boat to London. Rainsborowe naval career was over but he returned to his position as colonel in the army In October of 1648, with most Royalist resistance suppressed, Rainsborowe was dispatched north by Fairfax to take command of the siege of the garrison at Pontefract. However, the then commander of the besieging forces, Sir Henry Cholmley, objected to being replaced, leading Rainsborowe to stay in Doncaster while waiting for Parliament to resolve the impasse. It was here that a party of Cavaliers attempted to seize Rainsborowe, hoping to ransom him for the captured Royalist commander, Marmaduke Langdale. Rainsborowe resisted this attempt to him hostage, leading to a bloody and ultimately fatal struggle. Rainsborowe’s death at the hands of these Royalists was almost immediately viewed as suspicious – it was reported that as he died from his wounds in the street, he complained that he had been ‘betrayed’. It was noted that despite Rainsborowe’s calls for aid, no one had appeared ‘either for his rescue or to revenge him on them’. Suspicions were further raised by reports made to Parliament that Rainsborowe’s killers had approached him claiming they had a letter from Cromwell. Demands were made for an inquiry into his death and these were followed by petitions which not only called for justice against leading Royalists but also against those who had conspired in the colonel’s killing. Two weeks after his murder, Rainsborowe’s body was brought back to London for his funeral. The event was widely trailed in the radical press. The newsbook The Moderate described Rainsborowe as an ‘English champion’ and urged all the ‘well-affected’ to accompany the funeral procession. Even the Royalist press was forced to acknowledge that this call met with a remarkable response, stating that ‘thousands of the Levelling faction’ went to pay their respects to their fallen hero. Rainsborowe’s fellow commanders, however, were notable by their absence. Rainsborowe did not have the intellectual acumen or influence of John Wildman. However, unlike the elusive Wildman, his courage, undoubted military acumen and plain speaking, made him the most popular advocate of the radical programme. In this respect, as a standard bearer for what became known as the Leveller movement, he was as influential in death as he had been in life.

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Title

Content

If the Putney Debates have a romantic hero, it is Thomas Rainsborowe. Rainsborowe’s powerful contributions during the proceedings were not as original as once thought but their resonance and emotional power is undeniable. He acted as a rallying point for fellow radicals at the debate, resisting the lengthy and sometime vituperative assaults made by Henry Ireton on the Agreement of the People.

Rainsborowe’s upbringing provided him with connections with puritan networks, mariners and merchant communities in London. His father, Captain William Rainborowe, was a naval officer and trader in the Levant (the Eastern Mediterranean) and Thomas followed his father into this trade. Rainsborowe’s sisters were married into the Winthrop family which dominated seventeenth-century Massachusetts. His mother was the daughter of a mariner from Wapping.

Rainsborowe’s father died in 1642, leaving Thomas to inherit his considerable wealth, as well as his property in Southwark. At the outbreak of the civil war, Thomas enlisted in Parliament’s navy, then under the command of the earl of Warwick. In the summer of 1643, however, Rainsborowe joined Parliament’s war on land, joining Fairfax in the defence of Hull. As an officer in the army of the Eastern Association, Rainsborowe’s New England connections came in useful as he recruited a foot regiment largely consisting of returning emigres as officers. At the formation of the New Model Army, Rainsborowe was appointed colonel of foot and scored a number of notable victories. Cromwell, later a fierce rival, paid tribute to the bravery of Rainsborowe’s men at the storming of Bristol. The first civil war for Rainsborowe culminated with his appointment as governor of Worcester.

Rainsborowe was part of the army delegation that presented Charles with the New Model’s peace terms. Offended by the king’s high-handed response to the ‘Heads of Proposals’, Rainsborowe quit the negotiations and instead spread reports of Charles’ intransigence among his troops. Rainsborowe was also increasingly at odds with Cromwell, who was intent on blocking Rainsborowe’s aspiration to become Vice-Admiral of Parliament’s navy. Rainsborowe would nonetheless secure this appointment in September 1647.

Evidence suggests that Rainsborowe was part of the same radical grouping around the republican MP Henry Marten as the leading civilian participants at Putney, Maximilian Petty and John Wildman. Petty and Wildman followed Rainsborowe’s lead at Putney in defending the principle of manhood suffrage, though neither could match the rousing language in which Rainsborowe countered Ireton’s arguments. He continued to show his support for the Agreement after Putney, attempting to present Fairfax with a copy of the text at the rendezvous at Ware, only to be rebuffed.

Rainsborowe’s support for the civilian radicals and agitators almost cost him his position as Vice-Admiral but, in the end, it was the sailors themselves, rather than Parliament who removed Rainsborowe from his command. Royalist support was strong within the Navy and Rainsborowe’s radicalism sat very uneasily with this sentiment. At the outbreak of the Second Civil War, as Royalist revolts broke out in Kent in May, the men of Rainsborowe’s own ship, the Constant Reformation, mutinied and put their commander on a small boat to London. Rainsborowe naval career was over but he returned to his position as colonel in the army

In October of 1648, with most Royalist resistance suppressed, Rainsborowe was dispatched north by Fairfax to take command of the siege of the garrison at Pontefract. However, the then commander of the besieging forces, Sir Henry Cholmley, objected to being replaced, leading Rainsborowe to stay in Doncaster while waiting for Parliament to resolve the impasse. It was here that a party of Cavaliers attempted to seize Rainsborowe, hoping to ransom him for the captured Royalist commander, Marmaduke Langdale. Rainsborowe resisted this attempt to him hostage, leading to a bloody and ultimately fatal struggle.

Rainsborowe’s death at the hands of these Royalists was almost immediately viewed as suspicious – it was reported that as he died from his wounds in the street, he complained that he had been ‘betrayed’. It was noted that despite Rainsborowe’s calls for aid, no one had appeared ‘either for his rescue or to revenge him on them’. Suspicions were further raised by reports made to Parliament that Rainsborowe’s killers had approached him claiming they had a letter from Cromwell. Demands were made for an inquiry into his death and these were followed by petitions which not only called for justice against leading Royalists but also against those who had conspired in the colonel’s killing. Two weeks after his murder, Rainsborowe’s body was brought back to London for his funeral. The event was widely trailed in the radical press. The newsbook The Moderate described Rainsborowe as an ‘English champion’ and urged all the ‘well-affected’ to accompany the funeral procession. Even the Royalist press was forced to acknowledge that this call met with a remarkable response, stating that ‘thousands of the Levelling faction’ went to pay their respects to their fallen hero. Rainsborowe’s fellow commanders, however, were notable by their absence.

Rainsborowe did not have the intellectual acumen or influence of John Wildman. However, unlike the elusive Wildman, his courage, undoubted military acumen and plain speaking, made him the most popular advocate of the radical programme. In this respect, as a standard bearer for what became known as the Leveller movement, he was as influential in death as he had been in life.