Person talk:William Rainsborough (3)

William Rainsborough [5 August 2017]

I believe that the biography badly conflates William with his older brother Thomas.

Thomas Rainborowe was the colonel of a regiment of foot first in the Eastern Association and then in the New Model Army. He is well known as a radical republican with connections to the London Levellers and the agitators in the Army Council. His exchange with Commissary General Henry Ireton at Putney in October 1647 is well know. He was killed, some said murdered or assassinated, on October 28, 1648, at the siege of Pontefract Castle.

William Rainborowe rose to the rank of major in Sheffield's (later Harrison's) regiment of horse. William survived the civil wars and, If anything, William became more radical than his brother as his troop's device after January 1649 depicted an ax cutting off Charles I's head. William was also thought to be a sectary of the Ranter variety. After the Restoration, William returned to the Bay Colony and he is last mentioned by John Winthrop, Jr., in the Winthrop Papers as living in Boston in 1673 and having £1000 and possibly interested in loaning some at interest.

Both Thomas and William were in and out of the Bay Colony between 1638-42.

All this is well set out in "The Rainborowes" (2013) by Adrian Tinniswood.

The biographical information about William given on this site appears to be ultimately based on Bond's History of Watertown (1859) and is not elsewhere supported. But Bond's report that William bought land in Watertown,in the Bay Colony in 1638 is not questioned.--Ek 14:58, 5 August 2017 (UTC)

Thanks for your observations - I don't know that anyone here has gone much beyond associating this page with the corresponding one in English Wikipedia. There seems to be an extensive discussion on that talk page. I would encourage you to contribute there if convenient. --jrm03063 18:14, 7 August 2017 (UTC)