Biography of Frances Cromwell Baroness Russell 1638-1720

Paternal Family Tree: Williams aka Cromwell

Maternal Family Tree: Elizabeth Bourchier 1598-1665

1643 Battle of Gainsborough

1649 Siege of Drogheda

1653 Cromwell becomes Lord Protector

1658 Death and Funeral of Oliver Cromwell

On 22nd August 1620 [her father] Oliver Cromwell (age 21) and [her mother] Elizabeth Bourchier (age 22) were married.

In 1638 Frances Cromwell Baroness Russell was born to [her father] Oliver Cromwell (age 38) and [her mother] Elizabeth Bourchier (age 40).

Battle of Gainsborough

                    On 28th July 1643 the Parliamentary arms commanded by [her father] Oliver Cromwell (age 44) and the Royalist army commanded by Charles Cavendish (age 23) fought at the Battle of Gainsborough at North Scarle.
                
                    Charles Cavendish was killed by James Berry. He was buried at Newark on Trent, Nottinghamshire [Map].
                
                    On 4th August 1643 the Royalist Newdigate Poyntz (age 34) died probably from wounds received at the battle.

Siege of Drogheda

                    Between 3rd September 1649 and 11th September 1649, Drogheda [Map], under the command of the Royalist Arthur Aston (age 59), was besieged by the Parliamentary army commanded by [her father] Oliver Cromwell (age 50). 
                
                    On 11th September 1649 Oliver Cromwell had a letter delivered to Sir Arthur Aston, which proposed his Aston's surrender; Aston refused.
                
                    At 5:00 PM  Cromwell ordered simultaneous assaults on the southern and eastern breaches in the walls of Drogheda. 
                
                    At the southern breach, the defenders counterattacked. The death of their commander, Colonel Wall, caused them to fall back, allowing further Parliamentary reinforcements to be funnelled into the breach. In the fighting at the walls some 150 Parliamentarian troops, including Colonel Castle, were killed.
                
                    After the death of Colonel Wall with more and more Parliamentary soldiers streaming into the breaches, the Royalist resistance at the walls collapsed.
                
                    In Cromwell's words, "In the heat of the action, I forbade them [his soldiers] to spare any that were in arms in the town...and, that night they put to the sword about two thousand men".
                
                    The execution of Royalists constinued as and when they were discovered.
                
                    Around one hundred Royalists were discovered in St Peter's Church - Cromwell ordered the church and those inside to be burned.
                
                    Arthur Aston was killed.

Click to read more ...

Cromwell becomes Lord Protector

On 16th December 1653 [her father] Oliver Cromwell (age 54) was appointed Lord Protector.

In 1654 William Lockhart of Lee (age 33) and Robina Sewster (age 24) were married. She being a niece of [her father] Oliver Cromwell (age 54).

On 30th May 1654 Hugh Wyndham Baron of the Exchequer (age 52) was appointed Justice of the Common Pleas by [her father] Oliver Cromwell (age 55).

Around 1655 Peter Lely (age 36). Portrait of Frances Cromwell Baroness Russell (age 17).

After 1657 Colonel Silius Titus (age 34) was appointed Groom of the Bedchamber by King Charles II of England Scotland and Ireland (age 26) for having published a pamphlet "Killing No Murder" advocating the assassination of [her father] Oliver Cromwell (age 57).

On 11th November 1657 Robert Rich (age 23) and Frances Cromwell Baroness Russell (age 19) were married. He died three months later. She the daughter of Oliver Cromwell (age 58) and Elizabeth Bourchier (age 59). He the son of Robert Rich 3rd Earl Warwick (age 46) and Anne Cavendish Countess Warwick.

On 18th November 1657 [her brother-in-law] Thomas Belasyse 1st Earl Fauconberg (age 30) and [her sister] Mary Cromwell Countess Fauconberg (age 20) were married. She by marriage Viscountess Faunconberg. She the daughter of [her father] Oliver Cromwell (age 58) and [her mother] Elizabeth Bourchier (age 59).

Around 1658 John Michael Wright (age 40). Portrait of Frances Cromwell Baroness Russell (age 20).

Memoires of Jacques du Clercq

This is a translation of the 'Memoires of Jacques du Clercq', published in 1823 in two volumes, edited by Frederic, Baron de Reissenberg. In his introduction Reissenberg writes: 'Jacques du Clercq tells us that he was born in 1424, and that he was a licentiate in law and a counsellor to Philip the Good, Duke of Burgundy, in the castellany of Douai, Lille, and Orchies. It appears that he established his residence at Arras. In 1446, he married the daughter of Baldwin de la Lacherie, a gentleman who lived in Lille. We read in the fifth book of his Memoirs that his father, also named Jacques du Clercq, had married a lady of the Le Camelin family, from Compiègne. His ancestors, always attached to the counts of Flanders, had constantly served them, whether in their councils or in their armies.' The Memoires cover a period of nineteen years beginning in in 1448, ending in in 1467. It appears that the author had intended to extend the Memoirs beyond that date; no doubt illness or death prevented him from carrying out this plan. As Reissenberg writes the 'merit of this work lies in the simplicity of its narrative, in its tone of good faith, and in a certain air of frankness which naturally wins the reader’s confidence.' Du Clercq ranges from events of national and international importance, including events of the Wars of the Roses in England, to simple, everyday local events such as marriages, robberies, murders, trials and deaths, including that of his own father in Book 5; one of his last entries.

Available at Amazon in eBook and Paperback format.

On 16th February 1658 [her husband] Robert Rich (age 24) died of consumption.

Death and Funeral of Oliver Cromwell

On 3rd September 1658 [her father] Oliver Cromwell (age 59) died at Whitehall Palace [Map]. His son [her brother] Richard (age 31) succeeded Lord Protector.

Samuel Pepys' Diary. 19th September 1660. Office Day. I put on my mourning and went to the office. At noon thinking to have found my wife in hers, I found that the tailor had failed her, at which I was vexed because of an invitation that we have to a dinner this day, but after having waited till past one o'clock I went, and left her to put on some other clothes and come after me to the Mitre tavern in Wood-street (a house of the greatest note in London), where I met W. Symons, and D. Scobell, and their wives, Mr. Samford, Luellin, Chetwind, one Mr. Vivion, and Mr. White¹, formerly chaplin to the [her mother] Lady Protectresse (age 62)² (and still so, and one they say that is likely to get my Lady Francess (age 22) for his wife). Here we were very merry and had a very good dinner, my wife coming after me hither to us.

Note 1. According to Noble, Jeremiah White married Lady Frances Cromwell's waiting-woman, in Oliver's lifetime, and they lived together fifty years. Lady Frances had two husbands, [her former husband] Mr. Robert Rich and [her future husband] Sir John Russell of Chippenham (age 20), the last of whom she survived fifty-two years dying 1721-22 The story is, that Oliver found White on his knees to Frances Cromwell, and that, to save himself, he pretended to have been soliciting her interest with her waiting-woman, whom Oliver compelled him to marry. (Noble's "Life of Cromwell", vol. ii. pp. 151, 152.) White was born in 1629 and died 1707.

Note 2. Elizabeth, wife of [her father] Oliver Cromwell.

On 7th May 1663 John Russell 3rd Baronet (age 23) and Frances Cromwell Baroness Russell (age 25) were married. She the daughter of Oliver Cromwell and Elizabeth Bourchier (age 65).

In 1664 [her father-in-law] Francis Russell 2nd Baronet (age 48) died. His son [her husband] John (age 24) succeeded 3rd Baronet Russell of Chippenham in Wiltshire. Frances Cromwell Baroness Russell (age 26) by marriage Lady Russell of Chippenham in Wiltshire.

In 1664 [her daughter] Elizabeth Russell Lady Thirkleby was born to [her husband] John Russell 3rd Baronet (age 24) and Frances Cromwell Baroness Russell (age 26). She married 1683 Thomas Frankland 2nd Baronet, son of William Frankland 1st Baronet and Arabella Belasyse Lady Thirkleby, and had issue.

In or after 1664 [her son] William Russell 4th Baronet was born to [her husband] John Russell 3rd Baronet (age 24) and Frances Cromwell Baroness Russell (age 26).

Samuel Pepys' Diary. 13th October 1664. After being at the office all the morning, I home and dined, and taking leave of my wife with my mind not a little troubled how she would look after herself or house in my absence, especially, too, leaving a considerable sum of money in the office, I by coach to the Red Lyon in Aldersgate Street, and there, by agreement, met W. Joyce and Tom Trice, and mounted, I upon a very fine mare that Sir W. Warren helps me to, and so very merrily rode till it was very darke, I leading the way through the darke to Welling, and there, not being very weary, to supper and to bed. But very bad accommodation at the Swan. In this day's journey I met with Mr. White, Cromwell's chaplin that was, and had a great deale of discourse with him. Among others, he tells me that [her brother] Richard (age 38) is, and hath long been, in France, and is now going into Italy. He owns publiquely that he do correspond, and return him all his money. That Richard hath been in some straits at the beginning; but relieved by his friends. That he goes by another name, but do not disguise himself, nor deny himself to any man that challenges him. He tells me, for certain, that offers had been made to the old man, of marriage between the King (age 34) and his daughter (age 26), to have obliged him, but he would not¹. He thinks (with me) that it never was in his power to bring in the King with the consent of any of his officers about him; and that he scorned to bring him in as Monk (age 55) did, to secure himself and deliver every body else. When I told him of what I found writ in a French book of one Monsieur Sorbiere, that gives an account of his observations herein England; among other things he says, that it is reported that Cromwell did, in his life-time, transpose many of the bodies of the Kings of England from one grave to another, and that by that means it is not known certainly whether the head that is now set up upon a post be that of Cromwell, or of one of the Kings. Mr. White tells me that he believes he never had so poor a low thought in him to trouble himself about it. He says the hand of God is much to be seen; that all his children are in good condition enough as to estate, and that their relations that betrayed their family are all now either hanged or very miserable.

Note 1. The Protector wished the Duke of Buckingham (age 36) to marry his daughter Frances. She married, 1. [her former husband] Robert Rich, grandson and heir to Robert, Earl of Warwick, on November 11th, 1657, who died in the following February; 2. [her husband] Sir John Russell, Bart (age 24). She died January 27th, 1721-22 [Note. Other sources day 1720], aged eighty-four. In T. Morrice's life of Roger, Earl of Orrery (age 43), prefixed to Orrery's "State Letters" (Dublin, 1743, vol. i., p. 40), there is a circumstantial account of an interview between Orrery (then Lord Broghill) and Cromwell, in which the former suggested to the latter that Charles II should marry Frances Cromwell. Cromwell gave great attention to the reasons urged, "but walking two or three turns, and pondering with himself, he told Lord Broghill the King would never forgive him the death of his father. His lordship desired him to employ somebody to sound the King in this matter, to see how he would take it, and offered himself to mediate in it for him. But Cromwell would not consent, but again repeated, 'the King cannot and will not forgive the death of his father;' and so he left his lordship, who durst not tell him he had already dealt with his majesty in that affair. Upon this my Lord withdrew, and meeting Cromwell's wife and daughter, they inquired how he had succeeded; of which having given them an account, he added they must try their interest in him, but none could prevail"..

Click to read more ...

In 1665 [her mother] Elizabeth Bourchier (age 67) died.

Around 1667 [her son] Rich Russell was born to [her husband] John Russell 3rd Baronet (age 27) and Frances Cromwell Baroness Russell (age 29).

In 1669 [her son] Christian Russell died.

Adam Murimuth's Continuation and Robert of Avesbury’s 'The Wonderful Deeds of King Edward III'

This volume brings together two of the most important contemporary chronicles for the reign of Edward III and the opening phases of the Hundred Years’ War. Written in Latin by English clerical observers, these texts provide a vivid and authoritative window into the political, diplomatic, and military history of fourteenth-century England and its continental ambitions. Adam Murimuth Continuatio's Chronicarum continues an earlier chronicle into the mid-fourteenth century, offering concise but valuable notices on royal policy, foreign relations, and ecclesiastical affairs. Its annalistic structure makes it especially useful for establishing chronology and tracing the development of events year by year. Complementing it, Robert of Avesbury’s De gestis mirabilibus regis Edwardi tertii is a rich documentary chronicle preserving letters, treaties, and official records alongside narrative passages. It is an indispensable source for understanding Edward III’s claim to the French crown, the conduct of war, and the mechanisms of medieval diplomacy. Together, these works offer scholars, students, and enthusiasts a reliable and unembellished account of a transformative period in English and European history. Essential for anyone interested in medieval chronicles, the Hundred Years’ War, or the reign of Edward III.

Available at Amazon in eBook and Paperback format.

On 24th March 1669 [her husband] John Russell 3rd Baronet (age 29) died. His son [her son] William (age 5) succeeded 4th Baronet Russell of Chippenham in Wiltshire.

In 1670 [her son] John Russell was born to [her former husband] John Russell 3rd Baronet and Frances Cromwell Baroness Russell (age 32).

In 1683 [her son-in-law] Thomas Frankland 2nd Baronet (age 18) and [her daughter] Elizabeth Russell Lady Thirkleby (age 19) were married. They had ten children.

Before 1691. John Riley (age 44). Portrait of Frances Cromwell Baroness Russell (age 52).

In 1707 [her son] William Russell 4th Baronet (age 42) died. His son [her grandson] William (age 11) succeeded 5th Baronet Russell of Chippenham in Wiltshire.

On 12th July 1712 [her brother] Richard Cromwell Lord Protector (age 85) died.

On 14th March 1713 [her sister] Mary Cromwell Countess Fauconberg (age 76) died.

In 27th January 1720 Frances Cromwell Baroness Russell (age 82) died.

[her son] Christian Russell was born to John Russell 3rd Baronet and Frances Cromwell Baroness Russell.

Biography of Frances Cromwell Baroness Russell 1638-1720

Royal Ancestors of Frances Cromwell Baroness Russell 1638-1720

Ancestors of Frances Cromwell Baroness Russell 1638-1720