Viscount Wentworth, born in 1593, was a supporter of royal prerogative and became lord-deputy of Ireland in 1632. He was a firm ruler, instituting economic and political reforms, and made enemies. In 1640 he became the King's chief advisor, and was created Earl of Strafford; he planned to bring the Irish army against the Scots, encouraged despotic actions, and was a threat to the House of Commons.

On November 11 1640 the Commons resolved to accuse him of high treason, and on November 20 produced 10 articles of accusation; on January 28, 1641 the committee handling the affair produced a revised 28-article version, and sent it to the Lords as the basis of a charge of impeachment to be brought by Commons in the Lords against Strafford. On February 23 Strafford gave his answer to each article to the Lords, which returned the answers to Commons.

On March 22, 1641 the trial began in the Lords (Commons attending as a committee of the whole); on April 21 the trial was broken off because of dissension between the Lords and the Commons. The Commons thereupon passed a Bill of Attainder against Strafford, which the Lords passed on May 8; King Charles I assented under pressure on May 10; and Strafford was executed on May 11, 1641.

[Biographical account based on Rushworth's Trial of Stafford, 1680; State Trials, 1776, vol.1 cols 723-753; DNB; Journals of Commons and Lords.]