Rare report of Charles I's trial to go on display

A rare centuries-old court report of the infamous trial of King Charles I, which resulted in his execution, will go on display in Leeds later this month.

Documenting one of the defining moments in British history, the report offers a detailed account of the unprecedented week-long trial in 1649.

King Charles I was ultimately convicted of tyranny and treason and sentenced to death at the trial, which took place in the aftermath of the English Civil War.

The report, part of Leeds Central Library's special collection, will be on display to the public at Armley Community Hub on 27 June.

Complete with woodcuts illustrating the monarch in full royal regalia, as he appeared at trial, the document contains day-by-day updates of the legal proceedings - including the King’s regular challenges of the court’s authority and its right to try him.

The King appeared before judges four times during his trial - before his sentence was proclaimed and he was executed on 30 January, 1649.

Also in the same collection as the trial document are first-hand accounts from some of Yorkshire’s bloodiest battles, including detailed descriptions of sieges, naval skirmishes and brutal clashes between warring houses, some of which changed the course of British history.

Among them are a series of reports written shortly after a number of decisive English Civil War clashes in Yorkshire, including the Battle of Leeds, the Siege of Hull and the Battle of Marston Moor.

The trio of battles are considered to mark turning points in the conflict, prompting Royalist forces to largely abandon the north of England.

More than 4,000 soldiers were killed in the Battle of Marston Moor alone.

The documents were produced for news purposes as well as propaganda, and some would have been distributed in Yorkshire cities in order to emphasise and celebrate the victories of the Parliamentarian forces.

Josh Flint, librarian at Leeds Central Library, said Yorkshire played a "pivotal role" in the civil war and the documents gave a "unique insight" into how the battles were reported to the public at the time.

He added: “The ultimate outcome of the war itself was, of course, the trial of King Charles I, which would have been the biggest and most extraordinary news event of its time among the entire population of Britain.

“Seeing how the trial was documented and reported so meticulously shows just how compelling it was, and how huge the public appetite for an account of the proceedings must have been.”

The event at Armley Community Hub is being held as part of the Armed Forces Festival which is taking place throughout June.

The documents are also available to view at Leeds Central Library by request.

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