Colonel Daniel Axtell, Sr.

Colonel Daniel Axtell, Sr.

Daniel AXTELL 113 was born 26 May 1622 of Berkhamstead, Herts, Engl, was baptized 26 May 1622 in St. Peters, Gr.Berkhampstead, Hertford, England, and died 19 Oct 1660 in Tyburn, England at age 38.

Axtell Genealogy--Beginnings

WHO. Thomas (christened 1619) and Mary ___ Axtell, with two children, immigrated from England and are the progenitors of almost all American Axtells (except the Nez Perce line and some much-later arrivals). Thomas and Mary had only one son, Henry, so he and his wife, Hannah Merriam, are also progenitors of most American Axtells. The early Axtells were frontier subsistence farmers.

WHEN. Sometime in 1642. (Some sources say 1643.)

WHERE. They settled in the wilderness of Sudbury, Massachusetts, about 20 miles west of Boston, along with some other settlers from their hometown in England. (To: Sudbury's History Page). Their only son, Henry, was one of the first settlers in Marlborough. (To: Marlborough's History Page). Henry's children settled in Taunton and Grafton MA (where Joseph Axtell Aldrich still lives on the farm that has been in the family since 1736). In generation 4, some descendants moved to central New Jersey. In Generation 5, some moved to western Pennsylvania and Vermont and. In Generation 6, some moved to central New York, Ohio, and as far west as Illinois and Michigan. Generation 7 (mid 1800's) saw settlement in Kansas and Oregon. In each migration, Axtells scratched out a living as frontier farmers. See the Early Axtell Migration Map for a better view.

WHY. Thomas and Mary's reasons for immigration are not recorded, but religious/political refuge seems likely. In 1642, a civil war broke out in England pitting the Puritans and the merchant class (supporting the Parliamentary Army under Oliver Cromwell) against the nobility, gentry, and clergy (supporting King Charles I). Thomas and Mary were of Puritanical leanings. Thomas's younger brother, Daniel rose to Major in Cromwell's army before being executed in 1660 as one of the 13 most-guilty regicides of Charles I. But the New World did nothing for longevity. Thomas died, apparently from the rigors of pioneer life, at 27. Daniel lasted until age 38 before his one-way trip in a hangman's cart up Tyburn Hill. Even so, some of Daniel's children emigrated to the New World about 1678, to South Carolina where the name Axtell died out in 1692 (See Carolina Colony Axtells).

HOW. Nothing is recorded about the ship, sailing dates, or ports for Thomas, Mary and their two babies, Mary and Henry. (from the Axtell Family Organization Website 2008)

Committed Regicide against King Charles - Was drawn and quartered

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Daniel Axtell was a colonel under Cromwell, and he was executed for his share in the death of Charles 1st. He was hanged at Tyburn by Charles II and drawn and quartered.

Portrait is of Daniel Axtell 1622-1660

A transcript of selections from the Trial and Execution of Col. Daniel Axtell in October 1660. An Exact and Impartial Accompt Of the Indictment, Arraignment, Tryal, and Judgment (according to Law) of Twenty Nine Regicides, The Murtherers of His Late Sacred Majesty Of Most Glorious Memory...; London: Andrew Crook & Edward Powel, 1660. 329 pages.

The entire transcript of his trial and conviction are available at www.axtellfamily.org/axfamous/regicide/DanielAxtellTrial1660.htm

The following, from the transciption describes the last days events.

Tuesday following, being the sixteenth of October, Master John Cook, and Mr. Hugh Peters, were about the same hour carried on two Hurdles to the same place, and executed in the same manner, and their Quarters returned in like manner to the place whence they came. The Head of John Cook is since set on a Pole on the North-East end of Westminster-Hall (on the left of Mr. Harrison's) looking towards London; and the head of Mr. Peters on London-Bridg. Their Quarters are exposed in like manner upon the tops of some of the City Gates.

Wednesday, October 17, about the hour of nine in the morning, Mr. Thomas Scot, and Mr. Gregory Clemen, were brought in several Hurdles; and about one hour after Master Adrian Scroop and Mr. John Jones together in one Hurdle were carried to the same place, and suffered the same death, and were returned and disposed of in the like manner.

Mr. Francis Hacker, and Mr. Daniel Axtel, were on Friday the 19th of October, about the same time of the morning, drawn on one Hurdle from Newgate to Tiburn, and there both Hanged; Mr. Axtel was Quartered, and returned back, and disposed as the former; but the Body of Mr. Hacker was, by his Majesties great favour, given entire to his Friends, and buried.

Axtell went to his execution unrepentant declaring "If I had a thousand lives, I could lay them all down for the [Good Old] Cause

Family links:

Parents:

 William Axtell (1587 - 1638)

 Thomasine Cutler (1591 - 1675)

Burial: Unknown

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_Axtell

Colonel Daniel Axtell (1622 – 19 October 1660) was Captain of the Parliamentary Guard at the trial of King Charles I at Westminster Hall in 1649. Shortly after the Restoration he was hanged, drawn and quartered as a regicide.

He was a Baptist from Berkhamsted in Hertfordshire who apprenticed as a grocer. He joined the New Model Army, serving in John Pickering's regiment of Foote and rose to the Rank of Colonel. Apart from his participation in the regicide, he is best remembered for his participation in Pride's Purge of the Long Parliament. His defence at his trial as a Regicide, that he was only obeying orders at the trial of the King, was refuted by several witnesses who testified that Axtell had behaved discourteously towards the King encouraging his men to jeer at or shout-out the King when he tried to speak in his own defence. He was executed by being hanged, drawn and quartered. His commanding officer Colonel Francis Hacker who had also been condemned as a Regicide was also executed. Axtell went to his execution unrepentant declaring "If I had a thousand lives, I could lay them all down for the [Good Old] Cause".

The Civil War

Axtell played a big part in the Civil War after being recruited by Parliament in 1643. He fought as an infantry man and was present at the siege of Lindon (1644, May), the siege of York (1644, June) and was at the battle of Marston Moor and many other sieges and battles. Axtell was a keen puritan and in 1646 he and some other puritan soldiers started preaching in churches in Oxford. At that time it was illegal to preach unless you were a qualified clergyman so he had to force the clergymen to give way.

Ireland

Axtell was a figure of some prominence in the Cromwellian conquest of Ireland. In October 1650 Axtell led the Parliamentarian army to victory at the battle of Meelick Island (a Crannog on the Shannon, on which the Connaught Irish army was camped) after launching a sudden attack on the Irish army on October 25 under cover of darkness. After fierce hand to hand fighting, the Parliamentarians were victorious, killing several hundred of the Irish soldiers and capturing their weapons and equipment. After the conflict however it was alleged that many of the Irish had been killed after the promise of quarter. Axtell was court-martialled for this by Henry Ireton and sent back to England. It is possible that Axtell was a scapegoat: Cromwell had committed similar atrocities a year earlier at Drogheda and at Wexford, in the sense that no quarter had been offered. It is possible that the leaders of the Parliamentarian forces in Ireland (if not the Parliamentarian leadership in Britain) felt that 'shock' tactics initially adopted in Ireland were counter-productive. For example, Ireton's request for lenient surrender terms to be made known by Parliament were refused. Axtell's actions may have run counter to a less ruthless strategy putatively adopted by Ireton in the field.

Granny Castle

Granny Castle beside the river Nore is an imposing ruin. Its early history is identified with that of its founders and proprietors the earls of Ormond. "In the civil wars" writes Grosse "it was strongly garrisoned for the King and commanded by Captain Butler, Colonel Axtell the famous regicide who was governor of Kilkenny dispatched a party to reduce it, but they returned without accomplishing their orders; upon which Axtell himself marched out with two cannon and summoned the castle to surrender on pain of military execution. Without any hope of relief it is no wonder the garrison submitted."(Grose Antiquities Vol. II p. 79)

Miscellaneous

In 1678 Daniel Axtell, the son of the regicide, fled to Carolina after his house in Stoke Newington was searched for seditious libels. He died in 1687.
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