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Hugh Peters

From the Quicksilver Metaweb.

Hugh Peters, was executed at the Restoration as a ringleader in the so-called Great Rebellion. In Quicksilver, his execution is mentioned by Daniel Waterhouse as an event viewed with his father Drake before starting the day's work.

He was born at Fowey, Cornwall, and educated at Trinity College, Cambridge. Peters became a Puritan and in 1626 moved to Holland and became a pastor of a church in Rotterdam. In 1635 Peters emigrated to America and the following year he became a minister at Salem, Massachusetts. On the outbreak of the Civil War Peters returned to England and became a chaplain to the Parliamentary army. In 1650 he was appointed as chaplain to the Council of State.

On 3rd September 1658, Oliver Cromwell died. Parliament and the leaders of the army now began arguing amongst themselves about how England should be ruled. Richard Cromwell (Tumbledown Dick) (October 4, 1626- July 12, 1712) was the third son of Oliver Cromwell, and was Lord Protector of England, Scotland and Ireland, from September 3, 1658 until May 25, 1659. Richard was an unlikely successor, coming to prominence only because his two elder brothers both died before their father. Having previously sat in parliament, but only having joined the Council of State a year before his appointment as Protector, he had neither the political experience nor the interest required to maintain his position. He gave it up with little hesitation, resigning or "abdicating" after a demand by the Rump Parliament. This was the beginning of a short period of restoration of the Commonwealth of England but led to a state of anarchy that resulted in the return of the exiled King Charles II of England and the English Restoration. Unlike his father, Richard was not held accountable for the death of King Charles I.

General George Monck, in charge of the English army based in Scotland, took action, and in 1660 he marched his army to London. Monck reinstated the House of Lords and the Parliament of 1640. Royalists were now in control of Parliament. Monk now contacted Charles II, who was in Holland. Charles agreed that if he was made king he would pardon all members of the parliamentary army and would continue with the Commonwealth's policy of religious toleration. Charles also accepted that he would share power with Parliament and would not rule as an 'absolute' monarch as his father had tried to do in the 1630s.

Parliament agreed to abolish the Commonwealth and bring back the monarchy. In August 1660, Charles II and Parliament agreed to pass the Act of Indemnity and Oblivion resulting in the granting of a free pardon to anyone who had supported the Commonwealth government. However, the king retained the right to punish those people who had participated in the trial and execution of Charles I.

Samuel Pepys mentioned his capture in his diary. A broadside pamphlet “The Welsh Hubub, or the Unkennelling and earthing of Hugh Peters that crafty Fox,” was printed October 3rd, 1660. Ironic, as he was a pamphleteer himself. A special court was appointed and in October 1660 those Regicides who were still alive and living in Britain were brought to trial. Ten were found guilty and were sentenced to be hung, drawn and quartered. This included Hugh Peters, John Jones and Thomas Harrison.