The Faraway Kingdom

Chapter One - Home Away From Home
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Chapter One - Home Away From Home
January 1645 to May 1646

In the midst of the English Civil War, the pendulum of momentum swung heavily in favor of the Parliamentarian forces led by Lord Fairfax and one Oliver Cromwell. Many of Fairfax's top generals predicted that the war would soon be over by the end of the year, seeing as how the majority of the royalist land was hold up in Northern Wales and Cornwall. However the Parliamentarian forces had learned news that a large portion of King Charles I and his royalist were holed up in the castle of Oxford. The Parliamentarians sat and wait for the perfect opportunity to lay siege to the castle at Oxford. When news hit from a local spy amongst the town that Charles I had sent one of his top generals, Lord Astley to retrieve reinforcements from Wales. Sir William Brereton was given the responsibility to intercept Astley’s forces on the return journey back from Wales. Brereton and his forces routed Astley and his men, then quickly captured him as a prisoner of war. On the 18th of March, the committee in London ordered that 2,000 Parliamentarian troops, led by Colonel Charles Fleetwood, would besiege and take back the castle of Oxford and Charles I who had been holed up in the castle since early November. On the 30th of March Fleetwood and his troops met with Fairfax’s best men, and began to quickly stage skirmishes on the outskirts of the town of Oxford.

It was not until the 4th of April, that Fleetwood and his men began the actual siege of the actual castle of Oxford. The royalist were given extra support from incoming Colonel Henry Ireton to help relieve the pressure from Fairfax and his men in Oxford. For 11 long days, both sides traded blow after blow, neither side able to gain the advantage against one another. Though at around 6:00 PM, cannon shots were heard coming from the Woodstock Manor House, in which Commander Rainsborough and his men were able to finally punch a hole in the castle’s defenses, although he was quickly routed from the defending royalists forces, losing nearly 100 men and his life. On April 26th the House Manor finally surrendered the Governor and his soldiers, without their weapons. However news reached Fleetwood and his officers that the king, the royal family, and his loyalists were able to escape in the early morning of April 27th. Disguised as mere peasants trying to escape the war. On April 29th the House of Commons hearing of the King’s escape, prompted that “no one be allowed in or out of Oxford, and that the former king and his loyal dogs be apprehended as soon as possible.” Though many politicians and even Cromwell himself would not expect the interesting news that would hit them later...

This sudden string of events prompted King Charles I to escape from England entirely. It would take him a long time, and he knew that most would probably consider him a traitor to England itself. However, he believed the entire nation to be tainted beyond fixing, due to the six years of war that had wrecked most of the governmental infrastructure and alliances. He knew he would have to leave, but most places weren’t available for urgent living. He predicted that Scotland would simply let him be seized by Cromwell’s forces if he attempted to go there, and he didn’t believe that his allies in the Rhine would help him and his entire gang of royalists. Most of Europe was inaccessible, due to many nations not wanting to be involved at all with the ordeal. However, in early May, he came up with a risky plan to ensure his survival and the survival of his children. For an entire week he conspired, meeting up with high officials who were loyal to him. He snuck on seven ships with his followers and family, most of which disguised themselves as colonists (some pretended to be rich traders, or captains). A merchant named Ainsley Smith accompanied them on this long trek across the Atlantic, to their new home in the Americas. Eighteen thousand people in Virginia would be there to welcome him, after he finished his journey to America in late June. Over the next few years, the Americas would experience a massive influx of more of his followers due to his rule in the region. This began the reign of the Kingdom of Carolina.

Our homeland has been tainted; we must go find a new one, pure of all corruption and fallacy. - A famous quote by Charles I, as told in one of the autobiographical recountings of his life.

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Charles I, eternal and constant king of England, and ruler of Virginia and the Americas
 
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Oh my. How much 'cleaning up' of religious dissidents (I'm looking at you tasteless Puritans!) would he probably try to do?
 
Well well. This something. Though the sooner Charlie I goes the better for his family i would say. Give him too much time and he will sour this kingdom against his family as well.

Guessing the Puritans in New England will not be be bending the knee.
 
Oh my. How much 'cleaning up' of religious dissidents (I'm looking at you tasteless Puritans!) would he probably try to do?

A lot.

Well well. This something. Though the sooner Charlie I goes the better for his family i would say. Give him too much time and he will sour this kingdom against his family as well.

Guessing the Puritans in New England will not be be bending the knee.

Yep, there will be a conflict there soon enough.
 
No, although it does have American royals. I've seen this idea in a few maps, but never a full TL, so you have my full attention ;).

I did make a map about it back in the day, but it ended up having a different premise than this TL will :p. I got the idea from Mitro's blog, actually.
 
Chapter Two - An Angry Leader, and a Dawning Kingdom
Chapter Two - An Angry Leader, and a Dawning Kingdom
May to September, 1646

When the news finally hit Cromwell and his men in Wales that Charles I, his family, and his most trusted band of loyalists had escaped. He put out an open call and open bounty to both commanding officers and soldiers, to capture those who held information to where the king could possibly be heading. Though, they had no such luck. As the only group who actually held knowledge of Charles’ location and plans, were his most trusted loyalists, who escaped with him the same day. The Parliamentarian forces, continued their search of any information to where Charles could’ve left to. The House of Commons went as far as hiring common peasants to help in their aid to track down Charles and his group. On May 11th, when the Parliamentarian forces were ordered to move out and continue their clean up of the royalists within the region, they came across someone who they believe would know where Charles I would escape to. Prince Rupert of the Rhineland.

Rupert was originally ordered by Charles I, to help escort him to the Scottish border, where he could hopefully seek refuge from the Parliamentarian forces. Rupert’s first sight upon coming to Oxford was the Parliamentarian colors, flying where the royalists’ should’ve been. He still believed Charles I was still held up in Oxford and made a desperate attack on the town and castle to protect his ally. He would soon figure out from captured Parliamentarian soldiers, that Charles had escaped near the end of April, and were currently searching for Charles and his band of escapees. Rupert hearing this would order an immediate retreat from Oxford, to regroup to a more defensible position in the county. While retreating Rupert would sustain a bullet to the upper part of his arm, from a raiding party, sent ahead by Thomas Fairfax to slow down Rupert’s retreat. Thinking he would know where Charles would be. They would get no such opportunity to seize Rupert, as he had split off from his assisting officer, Sir Thomas Glenham, who served as a distraction for Rupert’s get away. Glenham would eventually be captured by Fairfax and his men, meanwhile Sir William Waller, was sent to hopefully track down Rupert, he had no such luck. With no information gathered from Glenham or any of his troops, Fairfax was to send Glenham to be tried in court in front of the House of Commons. On the 17th of May, reports came from a local port town that, a man long brown haired man and his troops boarded a ship, the man seemed to have suffered a sever injury in the upper part of his arm. By the time the House of Commons and Cromwell heard of both Rupert’s escape and no new information about Charles’ location, they were set on ending the war in England first, then finding Charles location.

Cromwell and the Parliamentarian forces made quick work of the remaining royalists, quickly stomping out any resistance in Northern Wales or in Cornwall. After securing the nation from royalists forces, the Parliament and Cromwell immediately set out on hopefully tracking down Charles. The sent diplomats to the two most suspicious nations. The Rhineland, thinking that Rupert may have tricked them and Scotland, thinking that the distraction caused in Oxford would buy Charles time. Both nations denied him hiding out in their kingdoms, they were surprised by Rupert and his kingdom’s denial of harboring him. They then set off diplomats to Normandy, France, and the Irish isles. Both came up negative. It was not until late June, that Cromwell and Parliament learned that Charles had sought passage to their colonies in the Americas from a merchant by the name of Ainsley Smith. To say Cromwell was upset was an understatement…

The decision made by Charles was not without rationalization. For a long time he had considered escaping to Scotland, and only realized later on that it might not be the best idea. The colonies in Virginia, being one of the only places that would accept Charles, was probably the best place for him to spend his time outside of England. On the tenth of July, 1646, in a document known as the “Declaration of Dominance”, Charles declared Virginia the true “place of rule” of England. He didn’t declare independence, since he believed the place of rule was where he lived. He called the place of his new rule the “English Kingdom of Carolina”, symbolizing both the roots of the nation, as well as the person who discovered the land it was built off of. Soon after he did this, he publicly denounced Cromwell’s rule, calling it “fortuitous” and “unconscionable”. He ruled from a small house in Jamestown, but didn’t let the information about the place of his rule get far. News of his residence in Virginia. didn’t get back to Britain until early August, but when it did, Cromwell became quite quite angry.

I had never seen a man get so red and upset over such a piece of news. Cromwell was as red as a ripe radish, sweating, eyes bulged out, his voice even wavered for a bit. I was thinking that Fairfax was going to get up out of his seat and knock him on the floor. Before he hurt anyone… or even himself for that matter. Luckily a little alcohol calmed the man down. It usually does. At least that’s what my Mary says. - From the diary of House of Commons Representative, Neville Hayward.​

After hearing about Cromwell’s reaction, Charles only became more adamant in his claims. People who supported Charles began to flock to Virginia, better known as “Carolina”. By late August, most of the people living in the southern colonies agreed that Charles was a good ruler, especially since he actually lived in the same region that they did, and not across an entire ocean. A high “dissenting” (against Cromwell, anyway) population arose, and any pro-Cromwell person who tried to find Charles’ place of rule was quickly turned back. This early period of Carolinian history was chaotic at best, and caused many small battles and arguments to break out in bars and taverns. The largest of these was on September 13th. In the very small town of Charleston, founded by Carolinian supporters, some of Cromwell’s agents attacked a group of houses, setting fire to the entire main street. However, they were quickly turned back, and two were publicly hanged.

North America in September, 1646
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So there's two main points of focus to start off with here: First is obviously whatever Charles does on virgin soil. Second is what happens to Parliamentary England in the meantime as they no longer have a King to behead, along with any reactions and butterflies that come to affect the mainland. Including the Netherlands (which may in turn affect when Westphalia's signed, etc)

(You might also want an editor)
 
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Hey, I also co-write with Up on this. You may not see me post much in the thread. But it's pretty cool to see people commenting on this TL already. Thanks guys, appreciate it.
 
Virginia appears to be outnumbered by the Mass Puritan colonies up north. Also Cromwell joining forces with Charles' in-law would be absolutely impossible.

In fact, Frederick Henry is still the Statdholder. If he survives past next year the Treaty of Westphalia along with the Treaty of Munster would get signed at least a year early.
 
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Surprised the king hasn't appropriated a manor of some sort.

Will the Dutch support the Puritan colonies or be trying balance of power to limit English influence in the region?
 
Interesting idea that i never seen in a timeline, let's hope it doesn't die before spanning a century or two.
 
So far, so good [and I'm intrigued with how Charles and his family get received by the Virginians who seem to have been more loyal to the Royalists than their New England counterparts].

However; one tiny quibble I need to point out. Tomatoes were still quite rare and almost unheard of as food in England at this point of time [and would be for at least another century] . OTOH, the radish was a very well known red vegetable in English cuisine and would have fit Cromwell's mood perfectly as per that diary entry.
 
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