John Lilburne

Timeline

1. 1614–1640Durham · North EastBorn in north-east England, he was whipped and imprisoned in 1638 for distributing unlicensed Puritan pamphlets, becoming a symbolic figure in the struggle for freedom of the press.
2. 1641–1647London · EnglandAfter the Long Parliament convened in 1641 he threw himself into Parliamentarian propaganda, was imprisoned again from 1645 to 1647; after his release he helped draft the Agreement of the People, advocating universal suffrage, religious toleration and regular parliaments, and clashed fiercely with Independent leaders.
3. 1648–1657London · EnglandImprisoned again in 1649 for opposing the execution of Charles I, he continued to criticize Cromwell's Protectorate, briefly took refuge in the Netherlands after 1653, remained under surveillance after returning to England, and died of illness in London in 1657.