In Lord John and the Brotherhood of the Blade Chapter 17, Olivia Stubbs gives birth to her son. She ends up naming the boy Cromwell Percival John Malcolm Stubbs. The name Cromwell comes from the name of a traitor.
The name Cromwell comes up when Percy notes that the baby’s head looks like that of Oliver Cromwell’s. Percy thinks the name Oliver would be a good one, but Olivia ends up choosing the name Cromwell.
It has led to questions about why she would even consider opting for this name. It does seem out of the ordinary, considering the man was considered a traitor by so many.
Who was Oliver Cromwell in history?
Cromwell is the name of a man from real history. Oliver Cromwell led the Roundheads in the English Civil War. It would lead to the capture and execution of King Charles I of England and Scotland. Oliver took over as Lord Protector of the Commonwealth, creating a Parliamentarian state.
That didn’t last long, though. Charles’s son, Charles II, was still viewed as the King of England and Scotland by many. He gained support to be able to take down the Parliamentarian government, and he eventually got the throne back. It took seven years for this to happen, which is why he’s not always considered as a traitor depending on who you speak to.
Oliver suffered of a sudden bout of malarial fever, and that led to what was likely a kidney or urinary infection. He died in September 1658, and his son took over as Lord Protector of the Commonwealth. However, he was so weak that it led for an opening for King Charles II to take back the Crown.
Oliver was originally buried in Westminster Abbey. After Charles got the throne back for his family, he ordered for Oliver’s body to be exhumed and his head was placed on a spike outside the Tower of London. For Charles and many others, he became a traitor.
Why would Olivia name her son after a traitor in Lord John and the Brotherhood of the Blade?
With all this in mind, it begs the question over why Olivia would name her son this. Sure, we’re looking at the events in Lord John and the Brotherhood of the Blade taking place around 100 years after the events of Oliver Cromwell. His story may have just become some sort of scary bedtime story. But we have to consider the fact that the Jacobite rebellion of 1745 wasn’t that long ago in the time of the story.
We also have to think about everything that is going on in this book. John and his family are getting journal pages from Gerald Grey’s journal. This man was considered a traitor, joining the Jacobites. Would it really have been wise of Olivia to choose to honor another traitor in history?
I’ve never really got my head around this, but it’s just part of the story. It just doesn’t really make sense considering everything about Oliver Cromwell and what the Grey family are dealing with right now.