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Primary sourceBook1826 edition

The History of the Rebellion and Civil Wars in England

Edward Hyde, Earl of Clarendon · 1826 edition

A contemporary account of the English Civil War and Charles I's downfall, written by Edward Hyde, Earl of Clarendon, who served as a close royal adviser.

Clarendon was a close adviser to Charles I and provides a firsthand account of his reign's collapse.

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About this source

What it is

This is a volume from 'The History of the Rebellion and Civil Wars in England', written by Edward Hyde, Earl of Clarendon, a close adviser to Charles I. This 1826 edition claims to faithfully collate the original manuscript, including passages that had been suppressed, along with notes by Bishop Warburton.

Why it matters

Clarendon knew Charles I personally and witnessed the events of his reign and the Civil War firsthand, making this an important primary source despite being written from the royalist perspective of someone who served the king. It shows how someone close to power experienced and interpreted the collapse of Charles's rule.

Look closer

  • Why might an account written by a close royal adviser differ from one written by Charles's opponents?
  • What does it mean that some passages were originally 'suppressed' before this edition restored them?
  • How might Clarendon's personal closeness to Charles affect what he chose to include or leave out?

This book is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Charles I on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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