Illustration depicting Oliver Cromwell (1599 - 1658), English military and political leader. He served as Lord Protector of the Commonwealth of England, Scotland, and Ireland. Cromwell was one of the signatories of King Charles I's death warrant in 1649, and he dominated the short-lived Commonwealth of England as a member of the Rump Parliament (1649-1653). On 20 April 1653, he dismissed the Rump Parliament by force, setting up a short-lived nominated assembly known as Barebones Parliament.