Isaac Dorislaus: Murder, Revenge and the Death of a King

Major Crimes in History

Europe in the 17th century was in turmoil. These turbulent times were marked by political upheaval, civil strife, and a pivotal event that sent shockwaves through England and beyond: the trial and execution of King Charles I.

At the center of this momentous chapter in history was Isaac Dorislaus, a Dutch legal scholar and diplomat whose life became inextricably linked to the fate of the English monarchy. Dorislaus played an instrumental role in the trial of Charles I, something which ultimately cost the king his head.

Not that Dorislaus had long to celebrate. He himself was murdered himself shortly afterward. A coincidence or an act of revenge committed by angry Royalists?

Who Was Isaac Dorislaus?

Born in 1595 in Alkmaar, Holland, Dorislaus was raised in a strongly Calvinist (the Protestant theological system named for its Scottish founder, John Calvin) family. He was educated at Leiden and then moved to England to become Cambridge University’s first-ever history professor.