Shropshire in the English Civil War
This is a timeline for the English Civil War in Shropshire
First English Civil War
1642
On 20 September Charles I issued the Wellington Declaration promising to preserve the Protestant religion, laws, and liberties of his subjects, and the privileges of Parliament. From Wellington he marched to Shrewsbury, where he was joined by his two sons, Charles and James, Prince Rupert, and great numbers of noblemen and gentlemen, and established a mint in the town. He remained there until 12 October, when he marched to Bridgnorth, and from there advanced to Edge Hill, in Warwickshire, where the first pitched battle of the First Civil War was fought.[1]
1644
On 13 March 1644 Hopton Castle was captured by the Royalists. The Parliamentary commander, Colonel More, did not surrender until after the final assault. The Royalist commander Sir Michael Woodhouse, at his at his digression (his prerogative under the laws of war as they were practised at that time), decided not to grant the majority of his prisoners quarter and they were killed by their captors. However the Parliamentary side believed for some months that prior to the surrender terms had been agreed which included the sparing of the lives of the garrison and so the killings were a breach of the law of war. It was not until October that year the Colonel More's account was published, setting the record straight, but not in time to prevent Parliamentary propaganda vilifying the Royalists for their alleged Perfidy.[2]
On 3 April Longford House was captured by the Royalists.[1]
On 6 April Tong Castle was captured by the Royalists under the command of Prince Rupert.[1]
In June Oswestry was taken from the Royalists by the Earl of Denbigh. The inhabitants gave £500 to prevent the Parliamentary soldiers from plundering.[1]
In July Oswestry was besieged by the Royalists under Colonel Marrowe, but it is relieved by Sir Thomas Middleton, who took Lord Newport's eldest son, Francis, and 200 men prisoners.[1]
In early October, Sir William Vaughan, the Royalist governor of Shrawardine Castle, was captured by Mytton while receiving the sacrament in Shrawardine church. He was allowed back into the castle on pretext of negotiating the garrison's surrender, but tricked Mytton by raising the drawbridge and broke his parole.[3] By the winter Vaughan was appointed general of Shropshire, and quartered his regiment around the county, leaving his parson brother James in charge of Shrawardine.[3]
1645
In February Apley House was taken by the Parliamentarians under Sir John Price, when Sir William and Sir Thomas Whitraore, Sir Francis Oatley, and about 60 men, were made prisoners.[1][4]
On 9 February the Royalist garrison in Shrewsbury was surprised. The towns governor, Sir Michael Earnly, is slain, 15 pieces of ordnance, about 60 gentlemen, and 200 soldiers, were taken by Mytton, the Parliamentarian Governor of Wem.[1]
23 February Parliament captures Shrewsbury
On 10 June there is a battle at Stokesay, near Ludlow. The Royalists are defeated, and Sir William Croft is slain by the Parliamentarians.[1]
On 4 and 5 July, Sir William Vaughan won two significant victories, resulting in the relief of the besieged garrison of High Ercall.[3]
In August a Parliamentarian pamphlet lists the royalist garrisons of castles in Shropshire. These include Bridgnorth, Broncroft, Caus, Dawley, Lee, Ludlow, Moreton Corbet, Oswestry, Rowton, Shrawardine, Stokesay and Tong.[5]
1646
After a one month siege the Royalist garrison of Bridgnorth Castle surrendered to the Parliamentarians.[1]
On 28 March the Royalist garrison of High Ercall, under Sir Vincent Corbet, 1st Baronet, capitulated. The articles of surrender allowed the garrison to depart for Worcester, albeit without their weapons.
On 9 July the Royalist garrison of Ludlow surrendered to Sir William Brereton.[1]
Third English Civil War
1651
At 3 o'clock in the morning of 4 September Charles II and the Earl of Derby arrived at White Ladies Priory, flying from the fatal battle of Worcester. Charles had his hair cut off, and was disguised in the clothes of the Pendrills. Hence he was conducted to Boscobel House, where he was concealed during the night, and in the day time he hid himself with Colonel Careless in the Royal Oak. From Boscobel he was conducted by the five faithful brothers, the Pendrills, to Mr. Whitgrave's house, at Moscley, in Staffordshire.[1]
Interregnum
1651
On 15 October 1651 Colonel John Benbow, uncle to the renowned admiral, was shot on the Shrewsbury's Castle green.[1]
1654
Sir Thomas Harries, in an abortive royalist uprising, fails to capture Shrewsbury Castle in a surprise attack.[1]
Notes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8 1.9 1.10 1.11 1.12 Mr. Byro 1821, p. 211.
- ↑ Carlton 2011, pp. 131–132.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Thomas, W. L. "Vaughan, Sir William", ODNB, 1899
- ↑ Neal & Moule 1826, p. 126.
- ↑ Gibbs 2003, Castles in Shropshire.
References
- Mr. Byro (1821). Urban, Sylvanus, ed. "Compendium of county History: Shropshire (Continued from page 112)". The Gentleman's magazine (F. Jefferies) 91 (1): 209–213.
- Carlton, Charles (2011). This Seat of Mars: War and the British Isles, 1485-1746 (illustrated ed.). Yale University Press. pp. 131–132. ISBN 0300139136.
- Gibbs, Natalie (2003). "Castles in Shropshire". Secret Shropshire for Shropshire County Council. Retrieved September 2011.
- Neale, John Preston; Moule, Thomas (1826). Views of the seats of noblemen and Gentlemen, in England, Wales, Scotland, and Ireland 3. herwood, Neely, and Jones. p. 126.
Further reading
- British Museum (1867). The Garrisons of Shropshire During the Civil War, 1642–48. Shrewsbury: Leake and Evans. Notes: "The Extracts are chiefly taken from the collection of Civil War papers in the British Museum."