Barebone's Parliament

Barebone's Parliament came into being on 4 July 1653, and was the last attempt of the English Commonwealth to find a stable political form before the installation of Oliver Cromwell as Lord Protector. It was an assembly entirely nominated by Oliver Cromwell and the Army's Council of Officers. It was made up of Non-conformist churchmen and army officers and was named “Barebones” after one of the members “Praise God Barebones”, a Fleet Street Leather-seller and preacher. After conflict and infighting, on 12 December 1653 the members of the assembly voted to dissolve it. It was succeeded by the First Protectorate Parliament.

Anarchy

In 1793 The first anarchist, the Englishman William Godwin, published a book, Political Justice which argued that authority is unnatural and that social evils arise and exist because people are not free to live their lives according to reason. A Nonconformist minister in his younger days, Godwin gave up preaching in the early 1780s due to his increasing doubts about the Christian faith.