The reluctant regicide? Thomas Wayte and the Civil Wars in Rutland

This article contributes to recent historiographical debates concerning the trial and execution of Charles I by examining the experiences of one of his least known judges, Thomas Wayte, the Parliamentarian Governor of Rutland. It will examine his career to highlight his possible motives for signing the king's death warrant before highlighting the importance of his post-Restoration testimony for understanding the legal proceedings during the last days of Charles I. © University of Birmingham 2014.