The Civil War 1642-49
he Civil War came as the result of a mounting tide of disagreement between King Charles I and Parliament on many fronts; political, religious, military and economic. Central to the dispute was Parliament's growing opposition to the King's unshakeable belief in his own divine right to rule. Following a misjudged attempt to arrest the five leaders of the Puritan party for treason, the citizens of London revolted. When four thousand "free-holders" rode to London pledging to defend Parliament, Charles withdrew to the North of England. As both sides prepared for war, the final spark came when Parliament demanded the right to appoint the commanding officers of both the army and the navy. On the 22nd August 1642, Charles raised his standard at Nottingham with 36 peers having rallied to his cause.
Cavaliers & Roundheads
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| King Charles I |
The King's support lay mainly in the north and west. Accordingly Charles made his headquarters at Oxford. Parliament's was firmly in the south and east. Although set piece battles occurred at historic sites such as Edgehill and Naseby, much of the conflict was in the form of small sieges and skirmishes throughout the realm. The opposing sides, those of Royalist and Parliamentarian, known to later generations as "Cavaliers" and "Roundheads", fought ruthlessly "up hill and down dale" for seven terrible years. Almost nowhere escaped incident and atrocities committed by both sides were widespread.
The City lay at the centre of a largely Royalist county. The River Wye was part of a vital supply route from South Wales. Consequently Hereford became an important prize for the Parliamentarian forces. A thousand infantrymen under the Earl of Stamford and a hundred mounted troopers under Sir Robert Harley appeared at the gates of the city on 30th September 1642. Although there were 300 soldiers inside the walls, the defences were in disrepair and the powder magazine nearly empty. The Royalists fled and Hereford was taken and plundered. Thus offended, the citizens remained unhelpful and, having no "money, credit, bread or provender", the Roundheads were forced to leave for Gloucester.
Cavaliers return
The Royalists returned with Sir Richard Cave, but on 25th April, the following year, Hereford was again assaulted by Parliamentarian forces. Their commander, General Waller, found little opposition and was soon able to demand the surrender of the City, and a £3000 ransom, with fines upon the citizens instead of plunder. Having duly punished the city, Waller left almost immediately for Gloucester in order to "re-provision".
Governor court-marshalled
Sir Richard was court-marshalled for his hasty surrender of the City but was acquitted when he explained how reluctant the citizenry had been to assist with the defence. He stated that, "notwithstanding the ringing of the common bell .... very few or none came to perform the intended service .... for the other places which were destitute of defence, the officers could not get any to work."
Governor Barnabas Scudamore
The demoralised city was placed under the command of Colonel Barnabas Scudamore. Over the next two years he encouraged the citizens and together they worked hard on the defences. A wonderfully detailed picture of life in the city is recorded in the surviving account book of Mrs Joyce Jeffries, of Widemarsh Street, from 1638 to 1647. She records payments towards the defences and the costs of billeting soldiers. The poor woman even has her house pulled down in the scorched earth clearances of the suburbs, as orchards, gardens and trees beyond the walls, are destroyed in the expectation of siege. However, Mrs Jeffries prudently has her window glass buried in two large chests in the garden. Six months later she pays one David Williams, sixpence to dig them up again!
The Seige of 1645
Alongside fifteen hundred soldiers, about four thousand civilians inside the walled city, waited in preparation for the expected assault. On 31st July, 1645, Lord Leven and the Scottish Army of some 14,000 men surrounded the city and demanded its surrender. Scudamore replied in the following manner:
"My Lord, I am not to give up the King's garrison upon any summons or letter; neither shall it be in the power of the Mayor or other to condescend to any such proposition made unto him. I was set here by the King's command and I shall not quit it, but by special order from his Majesty or the Prince, and with this resolution I shall persist in Hereford."
Rescued by the King
For five weeks Scudamore held the City in spite of the destruction of an arch of the Wye Bridge, the churches of St Martin and St Owen: even the Chapter House roof was stripped of lead for shot. Finally, King Charles with 3000 horse was reported to be travelling from Worcester. Lord Levin and the Scottish Army retreated and on September 4th, Charles entered the City. Colonel Scudamore was knighted immediately and the city was given a new Coat of Arms.
The ten silver saltires or crosses, depict the Scottish Army encircling the City and the buckles on the collars of the supporters are taken from the arms of the Lord Leven. The motto "Invictae fidelitatis praemium", The Reward of Invincible Loyalty, can be seen in today's Coat of Arms.
A Cunning Plan
Jubilation at the relief of the City turned to sorrow only three months later when Hereford was captured again by the Parliamentarians led by Colonel John Birch. At 6 o' clock on the morning of 18th December, 1645. six Roundheads, disguised as the labourers who came every morning to break the ice on the city moat, strode boldly up to Bysters Gate. As the sentries opened the wicket and came out to check the men's identities, they were quickly overcome by the impostors. A hat was waved as a signal and 150 men rushed from their hiding places in the ruins of St Guthlag's Priory, More, hidden in the woods on Aylestone Hill, followed quickly. The gates were thrown open and, after a short struggle, by this cunning ruse the City fell.
Martial Law
The captors seized eleven pieces of ordnance, forty barrels of powder and £40,000 in coin and plate. Colonel Birch was appointed Governor and granted £6000 in back pay for his men. He quartered himself in the Bishop's Palace and imposed Marshal Law. This did not prevent the desecration of the Cathedral by "sacriligious hands", in the form of damage to monuments and the removal of about 170 brasses (ornately engraved brass tomb covers), many dating from the 12th century. Dean Croft preached strongly against this outrage, at great risk to his own safety. Many of the Parliamentarian troops were fervently Puritan, believing all church decoration to be an abomination. Colonel Birch was forced to intervene personally to prevent a squad of musketeers from shooting the Dean.
The City was held in the grip of Parliamentary Committees until the Restoration in 1660. During the war, Hereford changed hands four times until permanently occupied by Parliament. Five Governors held it for the King, two were captured and two died with their swords drawn. The last Royalist Governor, Sir Barnabas Scudamore, escaped across the frozen River Wye and lived to fight another day.
Text by kind permission of Hereford City Council