CROMWELL

Cromwell is made Lieutenant-General of the Eastern Association Army - Battle of Marston Moor, 2 July - Battle of Newbury, 27 October... Robert Cromwell and Elizabeth had ten children (three sons and seven daughters). Their eldest son was called Henry, presumably in honour of Robert's own father, but he died soon after birth in 1595. Thus when their second son was born in 1599 and was christened Oliver, presumably in honour of Robert's eldest brother Sir Oliver, he became the eldest surviving son and heir of Robert. A younger brother, Robert junior, was born in 1609 but he, too, quickly died. Thus in practice Oliver was effectively an only son, as he was the one son of Robert and Elizabeth to survive infancy. Young Oliver grew to manhood in a female-dominated environment, for while he had no surviving brothers and his father died quite young in 1617, his widowed mother (who lived on until the mid 1650s, but never remarried) became for a time head of a household which included seven..

Also known as: Cromwell Association, Oliver Cromwell

Registration numbers: 1132954 (W)