Pitts Quick Links
Pardon of Sir Gilbert Pickering, 1660 (MSS 109)
Gilbert Pickering (1613-1668) was a member of Parliament for the county of Northampton. When Charles raised his standard at Nottingham on August 22, 1642, Pickering abandoned the king for the parliamentary cause. He was appointed to the parliamentary committee and, in 1648, was appointed one of the judges in the trial of Charles I.
Pickering remained the representative for Northampton through the Interregnum (1648-1660) and was appointed lord chamberlain to Oliver Cromwell, the Protector, in 1657. His public career ended with the restoration of the Stuarts in 1660. His brother-in-law, Edward Montagu, earl of Sandwich, influenced Pickering's removal from the list of Cromwellian supporters who would be punished by the Act of Indemnity and Oblivion (1660) and helped obtain his pardon from Charles II. Pickering was barred from holding public office for the remainer of his life. He died on October 21, 1668.
This collection consists of one hand-written, oversized document on vellum. It is a pardon written in Latin and granted to Sir Gilbert Pickering by Charles II. Pickering was pardoned for his support of Oliver Cromwell prior to the Restoration of 1660.
Use your mouse to zoom sections of the following image
Details from the pardon
Detail of Charles II:
Detail of the lion:
Detail of the crown and insignia:
Detail of the unicorn:
Detail of the text in the bottom-left flap:
For more information on this collection, please refer to the finding aid.