John Bradshaw (1602-October 31, 1659) was one of the judges to preside over the trial and subsequent death sentence of Charles I of England. In 1649 he was made president of the parliamentary commission to try the king. Other lawyers of greater prominence had refused the position. For a short time, Bradshaw was rewarded with honors and offices and acted (1649–53) as President of the Council of State. He was forced to retire when Oliver Cromwell, as Lord General,later Lord Protector of England, dissolved the council. Bradshaw became an opponent of The Protectorate, was a prominent member of the Commonwealth, and a strong Republican. Bradshaw died in October 1659 and was buried in Westminster Abbey. After Oliver Cromwell died in 1658, his son, Richard Cromwell, succeeded him as Lord Protector. Overwhelmed, Richard resigned this position in 1659, Charles II was restored to power in 1660, and later, during the same year, Bradshaw's body was posthumously hanged and beheaded along with the bodies of Oliver Cromwell and Henry Ireton.
External links
- Biography of John Bradshaw British Civil Wars website
- Biography of John Bradshaw nndb.com
