Col. Francis Hacker

Wikipedia

Francis Hacker was an English soldier and one of the Regicides of King Charles I of England.

Hacker was a Parliamentarian Army officer from Nottinghamshire. His family were Royalists — one of his brothers died fighting for the King, another lost a hand in his service. Colonel Hacker commanded the soldiers who guarded King Charles during his trial and controlled access to him. He signed the order to the executioner when Colonel Huncks refused to do so and supervised the guard on the scaffold when the King was beheaded. Brought to trial as a regicide in October 1660, Hacker pleaded that he was only following orders. He was found guilty of treason and sentenced to death. He was hanged at Tyburn on 19 October 1660. He was probably spared the full horror of a traitor's death (to be hanged, drawn, and quartered) because of his brothers' loyal service to the Crown.

[edit] References

• James Caulfield, The High Court of Justice: Comprising Memoirs of the Principal Persons, who sat in Judgment on King Charles the First and Signed his Death Warrant, John Caulfield, London 1820
• This article contains text under a Creative Commons License by David Plant, the British Civil Wars and Commonwealth website http://www.british-civil-wars.co.uk/biog/index_h.htm

1. ^ Caulfield, op.cit.

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Annotations

• N Paul Miller on Sun 19 Oct 2003, 01:15am

  Presbyterian Army officer from Nottinghamshire. His family were Royalists - one of his brothers died fighting for the King, another lost a hand. Colonel Hacker commanded the soldiers who guarded the King during his trial and controlled access to him. He signed the order to the executioner when Colonel Huncks refused to do so and supervised the guard on the scaffold. At his own trial Hacker pleaded that he was only following orders, but was sentenced to death.

  
  

• N vincent on Mon 20 Oct 2003, 04:38am

  Is there a defence lawyer in the house? From Paul Miller on Sun 19 Oct 2003, 1:26 am
  

• N Nick Addington on Thu 1 Apr 2004, 04:43am

  Col. Francis Hacker was my Great Great Great Great Great Great Great Great Grandfather

References in the diary

1660

Oct: 18, 19