Shropshire in the English Civil War

This is a timeline for the English Civil War in Shropshire.

Context

Politically, the English county of Shropshire was predominantly Royalist at the start of the civil war. Of the county's twelve Members at the Long Parliament called in 1640, eight would fight on the Royalist side and four for Parliament.[1] Control of the area was important to the King as Shropshire was a gateway to predominantly Royalist Wales as well as to keep in contact with the north-western counties and the western port links with Ireland.[2] Parliamentary control of Shropshire was achieved after the capture of its last Royalist garrison by Parliament in 1646.

First English Civil War

1642

The week after raising his standard at Nottingham, Charles I proceeded into Shropshire, arriving in Wellington on 19 September.

On 20 September he issued the Wellington Declaration promising to preserve the Protestant religion, laws, and liberties of his subjects, and the privileges of Parliament, and inspected his troops below the Wrekin.[1] From Wellington he marched to Shrewsbury, where he was joined by his two sons, the Prince of Wales 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.[3]

1643

In January the king formally appointed Sir Francis Ottley as governor of Shrewsbury.

In counteraction to the king, the Parliamentarians, including some Shropshire gentry, formed their Committee of Association for Warwickshire, Staffordshire and Shropshire in April 1643.[4]

In August Parliament garrisoned Wem. It was threatened by Royalist forces under Lord Capel, who were forced to retreat by a Parliamentary army arriving from Chester.[4]

On 28 December 1643 Tong Castle was captured by Parliamentarian troops from Eccleshall, Staffordshire.[4]

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 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.[5]

On 3 April Longford Hall was captured by the Royalists.[3]

On 6 April Tong Castle was captured by the Royalists under the command of Prince Rupert.[3]

In June the king was in Shrewsbury during the campaign that led to the Battle of Cropredy Bridge.[4] The same month Oswestry was taken from the Royalists by the Earl of Denbigh. The inhabitants gave £500 to prevent the Parliamentary soldiers from plundering.[3]

In July Oswestry was besieged by the Royalists under Colonel Marrowe, but it was relieved by Sir Thomas Middleton, who took Lord Newport's eldest son, Francis, and 200 men prisoners.[3]

By August, Prince Rupert had Sir Francis Ottley replaced as royal governor of Shrewsbury by Sir Fulke Hunckes,[6] who, becoming locally unpopular, was later that year replaced by Sir Michael Earnley.[7]

In early October, Sir William Vaughan, the Royalist governor of Shrawardine Castle, was captured by Major-General Thomas 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.[8] 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.[8]

1645

In February Apley House was taken by the Parliamentarians under Sir John Price, when Sir William and Sir Thomas Whitmore, Sir Francis Ottley, and about 60 men, were made prisoners.[3][9]

On 9 February the Royalist garrison in Shrewsbury Castle was surprised. The town's governor, Sir Michael Earnley, was slain, 15 pieces of ordnance, about 60 gentlemen, and 200 soldiers, were taken by Mytton, the Parliamentarian Governor of Wem.[3] On 23 February Parliament captured Shrewsbury, and in the same month they also captured Benthall Hall from the Royalists.[10]

On 10 June there was a battle at Stokesay, near Ludlow. The Royalists were defeated, and Sir William Croft was slain by the Parliamentarians.[3] Stokesay Castle was captured, and Caus Castle and Shrawardine also fell to Parliament the same month.[10]

On 4 and 5 July, Sir William Vaughan won two significant victories, resulting in the relief of the besieged garrison of High Ercall.[8]

1646

After a one-month siege the Royalist garrison of Bridgnorth Castle surrendered to the Parliamentarians.[3]

On 28 March the Royalist garrison of High Ercall, under Sir Vincent Corbet, 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.[3]

1647

Fear of Royalist uprisings lead to Parliament ordering Shrewsbury re-garrisoned.[11]

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, fleeing from the fatal battle of Worcester. Charles had his hair cut off, and was disguised in the clothes of the resident 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 Moseley, in Staffordshire.[3]

Interregnum

1651

On 15 October 1651 Captain John Benbow, uncle to the renowned admiral, was shot on the Shrewsbury Castle's green following capture at Battle of Worcester.[3]

1654

Sir Thomas Harries, in an abortive royalist uprising, fails to capture Shrewsbury Castle in a surprise attack.[3]

Notes
  1. Trinder, Barrie (1983). A History of Shropshire. Phillimore. p. 53. ISBN 978-0-85033-475-3.
  2. A History of Shropshire. p. 55.
  3. Mr. Byro 1821, p. 211.
  4. A History of Shropshire. p. 56.
  5. Carlton 2011, pp. 131–132.
  6. Phillips (ed), 1896, Ottley Papers, p.245.
  7. Owen, Hugh; Blakeway, John Brickdale (1825). A History of Shrewsbury. London: Harding Leppard. p. 446. Retrieved 1 November 2013.
  8. Thomas, W. L. "Vaughan, Sir William", ODNB, 1899
  9. Neal & Moule 1826, p. 126.
  10. A History of Shropshire. p. 57.
  11. de Saulles, Mary (2012). The Story of Shrewsbury. Logaston Press. p. 105. ISBN 978-1-906663-68-1.

References

Further reading
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