Robert Lockyer
Encyclopedia
Robert Lockyer (1625–1649) was an English
soldier in Oliver Cromwell
's New Model Army
. A Leveller, he was the only soldier executed for his involvement in the Bishopsgate mutiny
.
Lockyer has been identified with the son of Mary Lockyer, a resident of St. Botulph Bishopsgate
who, with her son, was known to have been a Strict Baptist
by 1642. In the same year, Lockyer certainly joined the Parliamentary Army. He served in the regiment of Edward Whalley
during the turmoil at the end of the decade; by this time he was already deeply committed to Leveller ideas. When some of the troops under Captain John Savage were removed to Essex
(apparently in order to remove them from Leveller agitation in central London
), Lockyer helped incite a brief mutiny. On 26 April 1649, he and some other soldiers took the regimental colors
and barricaded themselves inside a Leveller meeting-place in Bishopsgate. The soldiers' complaints were more practical than ideological: they refused to leave unless paid overdue wages.
The arrival of Thomas Fairfax
and Cromwell on the scene put an end to the brief insurrection. Fairfax singled out Lockyer for punishment, as the presumed ringleader. On 27 April he was executed by firing squad in the yard of St Paul's Cathedral
. His funeral procession was reportedly attended by more than four thousand people, many wearing green ribbons to signal their allegiance to Leveller ideas. The affair crystallized popular discontent with Cromwell's martial law
, and Lockyer's memory was invoked by the mutineers at Banbury
later the same year.
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
soldier in Oliver Cromwell
Oliver Cromwell
Oliver Cromwell was an English military and political leader who overthrew the English monarchy and temporarily turned England into a republican Commonwealth, and served as Lord Protector of England, Scotland, and Ireland....
's New Model Army
New Model Army
The New Model Army of England was formed in 1645 by the Parliamentarians in the English Civil War, and was disbanded in 1660 after the Restoration...
. A Leveller, he was the only soldier executed for his involvement in the Bishopsgate mutiny
Bishopsgate mutiny
The Bishopsgate mutiny occurred in April 1649 when soldiers of Colonel Edward Whalley's regiment of the New Model Army refused to obey orders and leave London. At the end of the mutiny one soldier, a supporter of the Levellers, Robert Lockyer, was executed by firing squad.In January 1649 Charles I...
.
Lockyer has been identified with the son of Mary Lockyer, a resident of St. Botulph Bishopsgate
Bishopsgate
Bishopsgate is a road and ward in the northeast part of the City of London, extending north from Gracechurch Street to Norton Folgate. It is named after one of the original seven gates in London Wall...
who, with her son, was known to have been a Strict Baptist
Strict Baptist
Strict Baptists, also known as Particular Baptists, are Baptists who believe in a Calvinist or Reformed interpretation of Christian soteriology. The Particular Baptists arose in England in the 17th century and took their namesake from the doctrine of particular redemption.-Further reading:*History...
by 1642. In the same year, Lockyer certainly joined the Parliamentary Army. He served in the regiment of Edward Whalley
Edward Whalley
Edward Whalley was an English military leader during the English Civil War, and was one of the regicides who signed the death warrant of King Charles I of England.-Early career:The exact dates of his birth and death are unknown...
during the turmoil at the end of the decade; by this time he was already deeply committed to Leveller ideas. When some of the troops under Captain John Savage were removed to Essex
Essex
Essex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England, and one of the home counties. It is located to the northeast of Greater London. It borders with Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent to the South and London to the south west...
(apparently in order to remove them from Leveller agitation in central London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
), Lockyer helped incite a brief mutiny. On 26 April 1649, he and some other soldiers took the regimental colors
Colours, standards and guidons
In military organizations, the practice of carrying colours, standards or Guidons, both to act as a rallying point for troops and to mark the location of the commander, is thought to have originated in Ancient Egypt some 5,000 years ago...
and barricaded themselves inside a Leveller meeting-place in Bishopsgate. The soldiers' complaints were more practical than ideological: they refused to leave unless paid overdue wages.
The arrival of Thomas Fairfax
Thomas Fairfax, 3rd Lord Fairfax of Cameron
Thomas Fairfax, 3rd Lord Fairfax of Cameron was a general and parliamentary commander-in-chief during the English Civil War...
and Cromwell on the scene put an end to the brief insurrection. Fairfax singled out Lockyer for punishment, as the presumed ringleader. On 27 April he was executed by firing squad in the yard of St Paul's Cathedral
St Paul's Cathedral
St Paul's Cathedral, London, is a Church of England cathedral and seat of the Bishop of London. Its dedication to Paul the Apostle dates back to the original church on this site, founded in AD 604. St Paul's sits at the top of Ludgate Hill, the highest point in the City of London, and is the mother...
. His funeral procession was reportedly attended by more than four thousand people, many wearing green ribbons to signal their allegiance to Leveller ideas. The affair crystallized popular discontent with Cromwell's martial law
Martial law
Martial law is the imposition of military rule by military authorities over designated regions on an emergency basis— only temporary—when the civilian government or civilian authorities fail to function effectively , when there are extensive riots and protests, or when the disobedience of the law...
, and Lockyer's memory was invoked by the mutineers at Banbury
Banbury
Banbury is a market town and civil parish on the River Cherwell in the Cherwell District of Oxfordshire. It is northwest of London, southeast of Birmingham, south of Coventry and north northwest of the county town of Oxford...
later the same year.
Further reading
- Robert Lockyer Oxford Dictionary of National Biography