Against the Lieutenant of Ireland

Thomas Wentworth, earl of Strafford, had ruled Ireland on King Charles's behalf since 1633. Strafford took harsh action to try to prevent the Scottish revolt from spreading among the thousands of Scots settlers in Ulster and elsewhere. During the crisis of 1639-40, Strafford emerged as one of the king's principal advisors, assuming command of the royal army and trying to block negotiations with the rebels. As a result, Strafford received a great deal of the blame for the king's misgovernment. The English Parliament quickly began an investigation into Strafford's conduct, secured his imprisonment and began impeachment proceedings. At the same time, commissioners from the Scots Parliament arrived in London to continue negotiations with their English counterparts. These commissioners filed complaints with the English Parliament against the English politicians they considered responsible for setting the fire of war between Scotland and England. This is the original complaint filed against Strafford by the Scots commissioners. It discusses Strafford's actions against the Scots in Ireland as well as his role in the war. After long debate, Strafford was attainted for treason, condemned and executed on 12 May 1641.