1653 in England

Events from the year 1653 in England.

Incumbents

18–20 February (28 February–2 March New Style) – First Anglo–Dutch War: Battle of Portland off the Isle of Portland. Both sides claim victory but the English retain control of the Channel.
14 March – First Anglo–Dutch War: Battle of Leghorn: A Dutch fleet defeats the English in the Mediterranean but the Dutch commander, Johan van Galen, later dies of his wounds.
18 April – London–York stagecoach first recorded.
20 April – Oliver Cromwell dissolves the Rump Parliament.
2–3 June (12–13 June New Style) – First Anglo-Dutch War: Battle of the Gabbard off the coast of Suffolk: The English navy defeats the Dutch fleet, which loses 17 ships.^[1]
4 July–12 December – the Barebones Parliament meets in London.
8 July – John Thurloe becomes Cromwell's head of intelligence.^[2]
8–10 August – Battle of Scheveningen: the final naval battle of the First Anglo-Dutch War is fought, between the fleets of the Commonwealth and the United Provinces off the Texel; the English navy gains a tactical victory over the Dutch fleet.
16 December – Instrument of Government: Britain's first written constitution, under which Oliver Cromwell becomes Lord Protector of England, Scotland, and Ireland,^[3]^[4] being advised by a remodelled Council of State. This is the start of The First Protectorate, bringing an end to the first period of republican government in the country, the Commonwealth of England.

Cornelius Vermuyden completes excavation of the Forty Foot Drain and associated works for reclamation of The Fens.
Sir Robert Shirley has a new parish church built at Staunton Harold in Leicestershire.

10 March – John Benbow, admiral (died 1702 in Jamaica)
2 April – Prince George of Denmark, consort of Anne, Queen of Great Britain (died 1708)
5 July – Thomas Pitt, Governor of Madras (died 1726)^[5]
9 August – John Oldham, poet (died 1683)
14 August – Christopher Monck, 2nd Duke of Albemarle, statesman (died 1688)
3 September – Roger North, lawyer and biographer (died 1734)

^ Palmer, Alan; Palmer, Veronica (1992). The Chronology of British History. London: Century Ltd. pp. 185–186. ISBN 0-7126-5616-2.
^ Venning, Timothy (2004). "Thurloe, John (bap. 1616, d. 1668)". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/27405. Retrieved 2012-07-10. (subscription or UK public library membership required)
^ Penguin Pocket On This Day. Penguin Reference Library. 2006. ISBN 0-14-102715-0.
^ "Commonwealth Instrument of Government, 1653". Modern History Sourcebook. New York: Fordham University. August 1998. Retrieved 2012-07-10.
^ "Thomas Pitt | British merchant". Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved 20 September 2021.