'Becoming a Soldier: Cromwell's First Campaign' - a talk by Stuart Orme

09-06-21 - 09-06-21,
7:30 PM - 9:00 PM

Admission: ££5 Adults, £4 Students/Friends of the Museum

Location: Via Zoom

In 1642 the Civil Wars erupted, and Cambridgeshire MP Oliver Cromwell found himself a junior cavalry officer in Parliament’s army at the age of 43. How did a man with no military experience become one of the most successful soldiers of his time? This talk looks at his first campaign across Cambridgeshire and Lincolnshire, from Peterborough and Crowland, culminating in the battle at Gainsborough in July 1643 and how this experience turned Cromwell into a soldier who could be ruthless, extremely effective and with a talent for self-publicity.

Stuart Orme has a History degree and postgraduate qualifications in Education and Museum Studies. For fourteen years he worked for Peterborough Museum and two years at Peterborough Cathedral, before becoming Curator of the Cromwell Museum in Huntingdon in February 2018, where he curates the world's best collection of objects relating to Oliver Cromwell. He is also well known locally as a writer, lecturer and broadcaster on historical subjects. Stuart has long had an interest in the Civil War period, and has contributed articles to the journal 'Cromwelliana' as well as curating the recent refurbishment of the Cromwell Museum and writing the accompanying book on Cromwell. 

This is part of a 4 part lecture series, discounted Season Tickets for which can be purchased here.

The other talks in this series are:

Wednesday 16 June at 7.30pm - David Flintham on 'Rediscovering London's Lost Civil War Defences'

Wednesday 23 June at 7.30pm - Keith Dowen on 'With Swords by their Sides: Arms and Armour of the Civil Wars'

Wednesday 30 June at 7.30pm - Prof Steve Murdoch on 'History v. Heritage: the Mythology of Marston Moor'

Click on the links for individual tickets to these talks.

PLEASE NOTE: These talks will be held online via Zoom. Joining details will be sent out a few days before the talk. Talks will be recorded and put on a private stream for ticket holders to view after the talk if they miss it or wish to re-watch.

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