Editing Pride's Purge (section)

==Pride's Purge==
[[File:General Thomas Fairfax (1612-1671) by Robert Walker and studio.jpg|thumb|right|upright=0.8|[[Thomas Fairfax|Sir Thomas Fairfax]], commander of the [[New Model Army]]]]
On 1 December, Fairfax ordered Charles be taken from his Parliamentary guards on the [[Isle of Wight]], and moved to [[Hurst Castle]] on the mainland. The next day, the New Model Army occupied key positions in London, to prevent interference from Presbyterian elements of the London [[Trained Bands]]; Fairfax established his headquarters in [[Whitehall]], near the Houses of Parliament.{{sfn|Royle|2004|p=483}}

After an all-day meeting on 5 December, Parliament voted by 129 to 83 to continue negotiating with the king. Next morning, acting under orders from Ireton,{{efn|Other sources claim the decision was taken by a sub-committee of six, including Ireton, Pride, and Grey.{{sfn|Gentles|2004}}}} a detachment under Colonel [[Thomas Pride]] and Sir [[Hardress Waller]] ordered the Trained Bands who normally guarded the House to withdraw. They then took up position on the stairs leading into the chamber, supported by cavalry from colonel [[Nathaniel Rich (soldier)|Nathaniel Rich's]] Regiment of Horse.{{sfn|Gentles|2004}}

As the [[Member of parliament|MPs]] arrived, Pride checked their names against a list of those considered enemies of the Army, assisted by [[Thomas Grey, Lord Grey of Groby|Lord Grey of Groby]], who helped identify them.{{sfn|Kelsey|2008}}{{sfn|Bradley|1890|p=206}} The list contained the names of 180 of the 470 eligible members, including all 129 who the day before had voted to continue negotiations with the King. Some prominent opponents, such as [[Denzil Holles, 1st Baron Holles|Denzil Holles]], fled the city.{{sfn|Pride's Purge}}

A total of 140 MPs were refused entry by Pride, 45 of whom were arrested, and held in two inns in the [[Strand, London|Strand]]. Many later complained of rough treatment from their New Model guards, who blamed them for their arrears of pay. Most were released in late December, but former Parliamentarian generals [[William Waller]] and [[Sir Richard Browne, 1st Baronet, of London|Richard Browne]] were held for nearly three years.{{sfn|Royle|2004|p=484}}

This left around 156 members present in London, with another 40 or so absent elsewhere, which became known as the [[Rump Parliament]].{{efn|"The indispensable work on the Purge and the number of members affected by it is Underdown, ''Pride's Purge''. Equally essential on the Rump and its membership is Blair Worden, ''The Rump Parliament'' (Cambridge, 1974), esp. Appendix A, pp. 387–391; on pp. 391–92 he convincingly revises Underdown's estimate of the number of members physically excluded by the army."{{sfn|Woolrych|2002|p=428}}}}{{sfn|Woolrych|2002|p=428}} While assumed to be supportive of the Army, this was not necessarily the case; many were horrified by Pride's actions, and more than 80 of those who remained in London refused to attend. The vote to end negotiations with Charles was taken by only 83 MPs.{{sfn|Royle|2004|p=484}}