Editing Henry Rich, 1st Earl of Holland (section)

==Career; Wars of the Three Kingdoms==
[[Image:1stEarlOfHolland.jpg|thumb|upright=0.8|right|Henry Rich, 1st Earl of Holland]]

Despite his close links to the court and reputation for extravagance and ambition, [[Edward Conway, 2nd Viscount Conway|Lord Conway]] described Rich and his brother Warwick as the "temporal and spiritual heads of the Puritans".{{sfn|Smut|2004}} This shows the danger of conflating "Roundhead" and "Puritan", which often implied a political outlook as much as a moral one. While the majority supported Parliament during the civil war, men like [[Sir William Savile, 3rd Baronet|Sir William Savile]] were equally opposed to Catholicism but became Royalists out of a sense of personal loyalty.{{sfn|Hardacre|1956|p=10}} 

Rich used his patronage to appoint "Godly" clergy, while opposing [[Laudianism]] and "Popery", causing a breach with Henrietta Maria, who was a devout Catholic.{{sfn|Donagan|1976|p=342}} In addition, he supported two causes central to the Puritan movement, the first being the restoration of Charles' Protestant nephew, [[Charles I Louis, Elector Palatine]], to his hereditary lands in the [[Electoral Palatinate]].{{sfn|Donagan|1976|p=342}} 

The second was participation in the colonial movement, which sought to establish English possessions in the [[West Indies]] and [[North America]], then dominated by Spain. Rich supported colonies in [[Virginia Company|Virginia]] and [[Somers Isles Company|Bermuda]] and from 1630 to 1642 was governor of the [[Providence Island Company]]. While his attendance at company meetings was irregular, he helped secure funding and support for its activities, including [[Privateer]] attacks on Spanish merchant ships.{{sfn|Donagan|1976|p=343}} Many of his colleagues were leaders of the [[Roundhead|Parliamentarian]] opposition in 1641, including [[John Pym]], [[John Hampden]], [[William_Fiennes,_1st_Viscount_Saye_and_Sele|Lord Saye]] and [[Robert Greville, 2nd Baron Brooke|Lord Brooke]].{{sfn|Duinen|2007|p=531}}        

The [[Wars of the Three Kingdoms]] began in 1639 with the first of the two [[Bishops' Wars]] against the Scots [[Covenanters]]; Rich served as General of Horse in a chaotic campaign that ended without significant action. A second defeat in 1640 forced Charles to recall Parliament [[Long Parliament|in November]], which impeached both [[William Laud|Archbishop Laud]] and the [[Thomas Wentworth, 1st Earl of Strafford|Earl of Strafford]]. A long-time opponent of Strafford, Rich gave evidence against him but abstained from the vote which led to his execution in May 1641.{{sfn|Smut|2004}} 

Although Charles appointed him commander of the [[Trained bands|militia]] in [[Northern England]], Rich sided with Parliament at the start of the [[First English Civil War]] in August 1642.{{sfn|Watson|Coates|2010}} Many on both sides expected a short, relatively bloodless conflict and were shocked by the casualties incurred at [[Battle of Edgehill|Edgehill]] in October 1642. In early 1643, Rich tried to persuade his cousin and Army commander [[Robert Devereux, 3rd Earl of Essex]] to force Parliament to make peace; when this failed, he defected to the [[Cavaliers|Royalists]] at [[Oxford]]. Although present at [[First Battle of Newbury|Newbury]] in September, he was treated with indifference by Charles and returned to Westminster in November, reportedly because he opposed the "Cessation" negotiated by Royalists in Ireland with the [[Confederate Ireland|Catholic Confederacy]].{{sfn|BCW}} 

He resumed his seat in the [[House of Lords]], while an attempt to impeach him for treason was blocked by [[Denzil Holles, 1st Baron Holles|Denzil Holles]], head of the "Peace" faction in Parliament.{{sfn|Palmer|1982|pp=24-25}} Rich was one of ten lords appointed to the [[Westminster Assembly]], a body established with Scottish representatives to agree reforms for the Church of England.{{sfn|Dixhoorn|2007}} By the time Charles surrendered in June 1646, his opponents were divided between moderates led by Holles who dominated Parliament and radicals within the [[New Model Army]], headed by [[Oliver Cromwell]]. After negotiations between the king and Parliament broke down in late 1647, the [[Engagers|Scots]], English moderates and Royalists created an alliance to restore Charles to the throne. The [[Second English Civil War]] began in April 1648.{{sfn|Royle|2004|pp=424-425}}

[[File:Coat of arms of Sir Henry Rich, 1st Earl of Holland, KG.png|thumb|left|upright=0.8|Arms of Henry Rich, 1st Earl of Holland, KG]]

On 4 July, a petition was presented to Parliament demanding the resumption of negotiations with Charles, and on the same day, Rich and [[George Villiers, 2nd Duke of Buckingham]] raised 400 cavalry in an attempt to seize London. This was insufficient for the task and the Royalists retreated through [[Surrey]], before being intercepted and scattered outside [[Surbiton]] by Sir [[Michael Livesey]]. Rich and 200 men reached [[St Neots]] on Sunday 9 July, along with Colonel [[John Dalbier]], an experienced German mercenary who served with him in the 1627 Saint-Martin-de-Ré expedition.{{sfn|Porter|2004}}  

The next day, they were attacked by a detachment from the New Model under Colonel [[Adrian Scrope]]; Dalbier was killed, Buckingham escaped to France and Rich taken prisoner to [[Windsor Castle]].{{sfn|Royle|2004|pp=452-453}} The war ended with Parliamentarian victory at [[Battle of Preston (1648)|Preston]] in August, followed by the [[Execution of Charles I]] on 30 January 1649. On 27 February, Rich was taken to London for trial; many felt he should have been punished in 1643 and despite pleas from his brother Warwick, he was executed on 9 March along with [[Arthur Capell, 1st Baron Capell of Hadham|Lord Capell]] and the [[James Hamilton, 1st Duke of Hamilton|Duke of Hamilton]].{{sfn|Royle|2004|p=470}}

Shortly before his death, Rich composed a statement arguing he had always been faithful to Parliament, a "remarkable claim for someone who had deserted them twice".{{sfn|Hopper|2010|p=242}}  However, the suggestion he never changed the "principles that ever I professed" and was more consistent than those [[List of regicides of Charles I|responsible for executing Charles]] was a view shared by many Parliamentarian moderates.{{sfn|Hopper|2010|p=242}}
[[File:New Palace Yard 1647.png|thumb|New Palace Yard, the place of execution, in 1647]]