announced how an American brig Oliver Cromwell (this time smaller, a ship with 15 cannons) had taken a British ship The Fly with its crew.187 In the spring 1780, the Oliver Cromwell that was taken by the British, was ironically named as a Restoration.188 The Americans had three “Oliver Cromwells” during the war, two of them were taken by the British, and one was destroyed on the reef.189 After the war, in 1788, the Americans were constructing two new frigates that they were about to name as Oliver Cromwell.190 Well, maybe the almanac truly existed. If the Americans were naïve (at least on our modern perspective) with their admiration for Cromwell, so were the British. In some history writings the positivity went overboard: The History of Cheshire (1778) mentions that Oliver Cromwell was: [a] character the most extraordinary, perhaps that was ever exhibited on the stage of the world… What can be more wonderful than that a person of private birth, common education, no fortune, no eminent qualities of body, with have sometimes, nor shining talents, which have often, raised men to highest dignities.191
Oliver was not so person of private birth, and with a common education, as the writer of this acclaims. His family was lower noble that had its success in 16th century, and lost it in the beginning of the 17th, thus very poor. Oliver had studied in Cambridge, albeit on one year.
192
Unlike this “history” says, he had indeed had the fortune and the eminent
qualities (not on the body though) especially during the Civil War.193 And these “eminent qualities” are well revealed in the book Administration dissected. In which the Grand National culprits, are laid open for the public inspection (1779), where anonymous writers told about political dignitaries of England. One writer tells about the Cromwell’s career as an officer and its advancements in very objective manner. Other writing and other writer on that same book compares Oliver Cromwell’s military leadership to Julius Caesar and Timur (or Tamerlane), mentioning them as the most perfect heroes that he can use as an examples. The writer mentions that Oliver was lack of the military skills, albeit being yet courageous and noble military genius.194 As I had previously mentioned that Caesar was used in negative connotation, in this context it means military abilities par excellence. 187
Reading Mercury and Oxford Gazette, Nr. 834, 5.1.1778. London Courant and Westminster Chronicle, 11.3.1780. 189 Public Advertiser, Nr. 15 336, 23.7.1783. 190 Public Advertiser, Nr. 16 779, 29.4.1788. 191 The History of Cheshire 1778, 630. 192 GAUNT 1996, 31-2. 193 E.g. ROOSEVELT 1919, passim. 194 Administration dissected 1779, 139, 166-9. 188