England: Presidents of the Council of State: 1649-1653 |
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| Council of State appointed for the one-year term by an act of Parliament passed on 17/27 Feb 1649 | |
| President of the Council of State [1][2] | |
| 12/22 Mar 1649 - 15/25 Feb 1650 | John Bradshaw
appointed: 10/20 Mar 1649; assumed presidency: 12/22 Mar 1649; end of term: 15/25 Feb 1650 (last meeting of the Council) |
| Council of State appointed for the term ending on 17/27 Feb 1651 by an act of Parliament passed on 13/23 Feb 1650 | |
| President of the Council of State [2] | |
| 18/28 Feb 1650 - 15/25 Feb 1651 | John Bradshaw
appointed and assumed presidency: 18/28 Feb 1650; end of term: 15/25 Feb 1651 (last meeting of the Council) |
| Council of State appointed for the term ending on 1/11 Dec 1651 by an act of Parliament passed on 13/23 Feb 1651 | |
| President of the Council of State [2] | |
| 17/27 Feb 1651 - 29 Nov/9 Dec 1651 | John Bradshaw
appointed and assumed presidency: 17/27 Feb 1651; end of term: 29 Nov/9 Dec 1651 (last meeting of the Council) |
| Council of State appointed for the term 30 Nov/10 Dec 1651-1/11 Dec 1652 by an act of Parliament passed on 28 Nov/8 Dec 1651 | |
| President of the Council of State [2] | |
| 1/11 Dec 1651 - 29 Dec 1651/8 Jan 1652 | John Bradshaw
appointed and assumed presidency: 1/11 Dec 1651; end of term: 29 Dec 1651/8 Jan 1652 (successor assumed presidency) |
| 29 Dec 1651/8 Jan 1652 - 26 Jan/5 Feb 1652 | Bulstrode Whitelocke
appointed and assumed presidency: 29 Dec 1651/8 Jan 1652; end of term: 26 Jan/5 Feb 1652 (successor assumed presidency) |
| 26 Jan/5 Feb 1652 - 23 Feb/4 Mar 1652 | Sir Arthur Hesilrig (Hesilrige, Haselrig)
appointed and assumed presidency: 26 Jan/5 Feb 1652; end of term: 23 Feb/4 Mar 1652 (successor assumed presidency) |
| 23 Feb/4 Mar 1652 - 23 Mar/2 Apr 1652 | Philip Sidney Viscount Lisle
appointed and assumed presidency: 23 Feb/4 Mar 1652; end of term: 23 Mar/2 Apr 1652 (successor assumed presidency) |
| 23 Mar/2 Apr 1652 - 19/29 Apr 1652 | John Lisle
appointed: 22 Mar/1 Apr 1652; assumed presidency: 23 Mar/2 Apr 1652; end of term: 19/29 Apr 1652 (successor assumed presidency) |
| 19/29 Apr 1652 - 17/27 May 1652 | Henry Rolle
appointed and assumed presidency: 19/29 Apr 1652; end of term: 17/27 May 1652 (successor assumed presidency) |
| 17/27 May 1652 - 14/24 Jun 1652 | Sir Henry Vane (the Younger) [3]
appointed and assumed presidency: 17/27 May 1652; end of term: 14/24 Jun 1652 (successor assumed presidency) |
| 14/24 Jun 1652 - 12/22 Jul 1652 | Philip Herbert Earl of Pembroke and Montgomery, Baron Herbert of Shurland
appointed and assumed presidency: 14/24 Jun 1652; end of term: 12/22 Jul 1652 (successor assumed presidency) |
| 12/22 Jul 1652 - 9/29 Aug 1652 | Dennis Bond
appointed and assumed presidency: 12/22 Jul 1652; end of term: 9/29 Aug 1652 (successor assumed presidency) |
| 9/29 Aug 1652 - 6/16 Sep 1652 | William Purefoy [4]
appointed and assumed presidency: 9/29 Aug 1652; end of term: 6/16 Sep 1652 (successor is appointed) |
| 7/17 Sep 1652 - 5/15 Oct 1652 | Sir James Harrington
appointed and assumed presidency: 7/17 Sep 1652; end of term: 5/15 Oct 1652 (successor assumed presidency) |
| 5/15 Oct 1652 - 25 Oct/4 Nov 1652 | Sir William Constable [5]
appointed and assumed presidency: 5/15 Oct 1652; end of term: 25 Oct/4 Nov 1652 (successor assumed presidency) |
| 25 Oct/4 Nov 1652 - 22 Nov/2 Dec 1652 | Sir William Masham [5]
appointed and assumed presidency: 25 Oct/4 Nov 1652; end of term: 22 Nov/2 Dec 1652 (successor assumed presidency) |
| 22 Nov/2 Dec 1652 - 30 Nov/10 Dec 1652 | Sir William Constable
appointed and assumed presidency: 22 Nov/2 Dec 1652; end of term: 30 Nov/10 Dec 1652 (last meeting of the Council) |
| Council of State appointed for the term 30 Nov/10 Dec 1652-1/11 Dec 1653 by an act of Parliament passed on 30 Nov/10 Dec 1652 | |
| 1/11 Dec 1652 - 29 Dec 1652/8 Jan 1653 | Bulstrode Whitelock
assumed presidency: 1/11 Dec 1652; end of term: 29 Dec 1652/8 Jan 1653 (successor assumed presidency) |
| 29 Dec 1652/8 Jan 1653 - 26 Jan/5 Feb 1653 | Henry Rolle
appointed and assumed presidency: 29 Dec 1652/8 Jan 1653; end of term: 26 Jan/5 Feb 1653 (successor assumed presidency) |
| 26 Jan/5 Feb 1653 - 23 Feb/5 Mar 1653 | John Bradshaw
appointed and assumed presidency: 26 Jan/5 Feb 1653; end of term: 23 Feb/5 Mar 1653 (successor assumed presidency) |
| 23 Feb/5 Mar 1653 - 23 Mar/2 Apr 1653 | William Cecil Earl of Salisbury
appointed and assumed presidency: 23 Feb/5 Mar 1653; end of term: 23 Mar/2 Apr 1653 (successor assumed presidency) |
| 23 Mar/2 Apr 1653 - 20/30 Apr 1653 | Dennis Bond
appointed and assumed presidency: 23 Mar/2 Apr 1653; end of term: 20/30 Apr 1653 (coup) [6] |
- The Order Books of the Council of State do not contain any information on presiding officers between 17/27 Feb 1649 and 10/20 Mar 1649. The member listed first on the list of attendees is presumed to have been the presiding officer: Oliver Cromwell (17/27 Feb 1649, 22 Feb/4 Mar 1649, 23 Feb/5 Mar 1649, 2/12 Mar 1649, 9/19 Mar 1649), Basil Feilding Earl of Denbigh (19 Feb/1 Mar 1649, 26 Feb/8 Mar 1649, 27 Feb/9 Mar 1649,3/13 Mar 1649, 5/15 Mar 1649, 6/16 Mar 1649, 8/18 Mar 1649), Thomas Grey Lord Grey of Groby (20 Feb/2 Mar 1649, 21 Feb/3 Mar 1649), Philip Herbert Earl of Pembroke (24 Feb/6 Mar 1649, 1/11 Mar 1649 afternoon), Sir William Armine, Baronet (26 Feb/8 Mar 1649, afternoon), Thomas Fairfax (27 Feb/9 Mar 1649, afternoon, 6/16 Mar 1649 afternoon, 7/17 Mar 1649, 10/20 Mar 1649), Sir Henry Vane (28 Feb/10 Mar 1649), Sir Arthur Hesilrig (1/11 Mar 1649), Henry Martin (Marten) (3/13 Mar 1649 afternoon), William Cecil Earl of Salisbury (10/20 Mar 1649 afternoon).
- Also routinely styled in the proceedings of the Council as Lord President.
- Also in Massachusetts.
- The term of Purefoy was deemed to have expired on 6/16 Sep 1652 and Oliver St. John was elected to succeed him, but declined to serve. Sir James Harrington was elected on 7/17 Sep 1652 and assumed the presidency.
- Masham was appointed President of the Council to serve during the illness of Constable (25 Oct/4 Nov 1652). When the one-month term of Constable expired in early November 1652, Masham continued to chair the meetings. On 22 Nov/2 Dec 1652 Constable was again appointed President to serve the remainder of the term of the Council.
- The last meeting of the Council entered into the Order Books is that of 15/25 Apr 1653. The proceedings of the Council between 16/26 Apr 1653 and 20/30 Apr 1653 are not included, but the Council did sit on 19/29 Apr 1653, as proved by several orders passed on that day, of which the originals exist.
Last update: 18 Mar 2024