Daily entries from the 17th century London diary
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Wikipedia
John Okey (1606–1662) was an English soldier, member of Parliament, and one of the regicides of King Charles I.
In January 1649, as a commissioner of the High Court of Justice at the trial of King Charles, he was 6th of the 59 signatories on the death warrant of the King. In 1659, Okey was elected MP for Bedfordshire in the third Rump Parliament.
After the Restoration of Charles II of England in 1660, all the 59 men who had signed the death warrant for Charles I were in grave danger as they were considered regicides. Okey, like many of the 59, fled England. First he went to Germany and then to the Netherlands. However, in the Netherlands he was arrested by the English ambassador to the Netherlands Sir George Downing and returned to England under guard. After a brief trial, he was tried found, guilty, and then hanged, drawn and quartered in 1662.
Ironically, Downing had been to New England to study at Harvard on Okey's sponsorship, and had served as chaplain in Okey's regiment.
[edit] References
- Biography of John Okey British Civil Wars website
 John Okey |
Annotations
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John Okey was a chandler and drayman who joined the New Model Army, rising to the rank of Colonel. He was one of the 59 signers of the Death Warrant of Charles I.
Ironically, he opposed the elevation of Cromwell to the position of Lord Protector. A short bio at: http://www.british-civil-wars.co.uk/biog/index_no.htm#okey
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from L&M Companion
Republican and regicide. A parliamentary colonel, he opposed the Protectorate both of Oliver and of Richard Cromwell. After taking part in Lambert’s attempted rising in the spring of 1660, he fled to Germany. In 1662 he was arrested at Delft and executed at Tyburn. -
here is his appointmentarmy appointments
john okey colonel of horse
Isaack okey lieutnent of troop
http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.asp?compid=24801&strquery=downing#s6
john colonel and cqaptain Isaac be lt http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.asp?
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here is his commission papers
Army Commissions. note date :
The House being informed, That divers Officers of the Army were at the Door, to receive their Commissions;
They were called in: And, being come up to the Clerk’s Table, in usual manner; Mr. Speaker acquainted them with the great Trust reposed in them by the Parliament; and that the Parliament and Commonwealth expected Faithfulness from them, accordingly: And thereupon Mr. Speaker delivered,
To Colonel Okey, his Commission to be Colonel of a Regiment of HorseFrom: British History Online
Source: House of Commons Journal Volume 7: 20 January 1660. Journal of the House of Commons: volume 7, (1802).