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After the execution of the King there was a revival of left-wing agitation by the Levellers, who considered that the struggles of the past decade had merely resulted in the transfer of power from the King to ‘Grandees’ such as Fairfax and Cromwell. In the spring of 1649 the Levellers organised revolts which caused the Government some alarm. A revolt at Banbury was easily suppressed, but one at Salisbury proved more difficult. Over 1,000 strong, the malcontents marched to Wantage in Berkshire where they received reinforcements, after which they made their way into Oxfordshire and halted at Burford. Fairfax and Cromwell, with loyal units including Okey and the dragoons, hastened in pursuit, and after a brilliant forced march reached Burford at midnight. Okey drew up a party of the dragoons which forced the mutineers’ outposts to retreat; and, after a brief resistance with sniping from windows, the loyal forces became masters of the town, the mutineers yielding upon quarter.
The victorious officers returned to Oxford, where they were quartered at All Souls College and were visited by Dr. Christopher Rogers and the heads of the colleges, and proctors, in university habits. During their stay at Oxford the officers were entertained to dinner by Dr. Wilkinson, President of Magdalen College, and subsequently adjourned to the Convocation House, where they were severally presented to Dr. Rogers and honorary degrees conferred on many of them. Fairfax and Cromwell were made Doctors of Law, and Okey and several others were made Masters of Arts.
During 1649 there were further changes in the regiment. On 20 April lots were drawn for the Irish service and five troops of the dragoons were chosen to go : these were those of Major Abbott, Captain Mercer, Captain Fulcher, Captain Garland and Captain Bolton; and in June it was reported that they were ready to be shipped. In September there were more disorders in Oxfordshire, and on 10th the Council of State ordered that several units including the dragoons should “march to Oxford to quiet the distempers there,” and resolved that 500 men should be added to the dragoon regiment, depleted by the loss of the five troops for the Irish service.
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