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George Monck, also spelled Monk (December 6, 1608 – January 3, 1701), later the 1st Duke of Albemarle, overnighted in Barnet on his long march from the north to London in the run-up to the restoration of Charles II. Despite being close to Oliver Cromwell, Monck, who had commanded the army in Scotland under the Commonwealth, emerged as a decisive figure in the wake of his friend’s death. Cromwell’s passing sparked political chaos in England. The former Parliamentarian moved south with his forces to restore order and ultimately pave the way for the monarchy’s return. According to the Barnet Council website, he stayed at the Mitre, while his 5,000 troops camped on Finchley Common. This brief stop on February 3, 1660, was significant in the sense that it was one of his final halts before entering London. Recording the stay, John Price, open of his chaplains, noted that the general, “took up quarters only for himself and his domestique retinue…much business was here dispacht; orders were distributed for our next day’s march into town [ie London], and that our soldiers should demean themselves civily in their quarters, and pay for them; for our money held out still”. From here, he proceeded to Finchley and then into the city, where his arrival gave him the leverage to dissolve the Rump Parliament, recall the Long Parliament’s excluded members, and clear the path for Charles II’s restoration. Barnet thus served as a momentary pause on a march that would change the course of English political history. Monck’s actions were appreciated by the newly crowned King, who immediately rewarded him with honours and titles. Monck was raised to the peerage as Baron Monck of Potheridge, Devon; Baron Beauchamp of Beauchamp, Devon; Baron of Teyes, Devon; Earl of Torrington, Devon; and Duke of Albemarle. In 1663, Charles II also named him one of eight Lords Proprietors, granting him the title to a vast tract of land in North America, which became the Province of Carolina. Albemarle Sound in North Carolina is named after him.
