ABSTRACT
This book concludes with a compelling case for why Skippon should be restored to his rightful place at the heart of the history of the British Civil Wars. Contemporaries naturally varied in how far they accepted that the persona of the “Christian Centurion”, with all its associations of godliness and modesty, was an accurate reflection of Skippon’s character. To demonstrate this, this chapter draws upon contemporary opinions, both flattering and critical, from memoirs, newspapers, pamphlets and other print propaganda. However, these sources were united in their view that Skippon was pivotal to the events of the Civil War and after. This chapter also brings together the wider historical themes that have been discussed throughout the book to explain how this study of Skippon’s life and career has provided a challenging reassessment of the military, cultural and social history of revolutionary Britain in the mid-seventeenth century. This acts as a reminder that by focusing on other central figures in the Civil Wars as well as Oliver Cromwell, we might have a clearer and more nuanced understanding of the complex issued that drove and surrounded the conflict and its aftermath.
