Charles Fleetwood | |
|---|---|
 Portrait by Robert Walker | |
| Commander-in-Chief & Committee of Safety | |
| In office June 1659 – December 1659 | |
| Lord Deputy of Ireland | |
| In office September 1652 – July 1657 | |
| English Council of State | |
| In office February 1651 – July 1652 | |
| Member of Parliament for Marlborough | |
| In office May 1646 – January 1655 (reseated May 1659) | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | c. 1618 Aldwinkle, Northamptonshire, England |
| Died | 4 October 1692 (aged 74) Stoke Newington, London, England |
| Resting place | Bunhill Fields |
| Spouse(s) | (1) Frances Smith (1641–1651) (2) Bridget Cromwell (1652–1662) (3) Mary Coke (1663–1684) |
| Children | (1) Frances (1642–1711); Smith (1644–1708) (2) Cromwell (1653–1688); Ann (1654–1660); Mary (1656–1722) |
| Alma mater | Emmanuel College, Cambridge |
| Occupation | Soldier and politician |
| Military service | |
| Rank | Major General |
| Battles/wars | |
Charles Fleetwood (c. 1618 – 4 October 1692) was an English lawyer from Northamptonshire, who served with the Parliamentarian army during the Wars of the Three Kingdoms. A close associate of Oliver Cromwell, to whom he was related by marriage, Fleetwood held a number of senior political and administrative posts under the Commonwealth, including Lord Deputy of Ireland from 1652 to 1655.
After Cromwell's death in September 1658, Fleetwood initially supported his son Richard Cromwell as Lord Protector, before forcing him from power in April 1659. Together with John Lambert, he dominated government for a little over a year before being outmaneuvered by George Monck.
Following the Stuart Restoration, Fleetwood was excluded from the Act of Indemnity of 1660, but escaped prosecution since he had not been involved in the Execution of Charles I in January 1649. Instead, he was barred from public office, and lived quietly in Stoke Newington, where he died on 4 October 1692.