The Rump Parliament

The army was going to dissolve parliament, just as had been threatening to do for more than a year. But then a group of friendly m ps went to meet with ireton and convinced him not to dissolve the body, but to simply purge it of its wayward members. In all, forty five members were actually arrested, though most were quickly released. The commons listed 471 members; when it was over, the commons was down to just 200 members. From here on out, we will stop calling the long parliament, the long parliament,. and start calling it the rump parliament. Rump meaning a small or inferior remnant or offshoot - which pretty much sums up the rump Parliament