CHARLES I AND THE CIVIL WAR TRAIL

Northamptonshire was much affected by the Civil War and was the site of one of the most important battles at . Below is set out a chronology with references to the principal sites where significant events took place. For those interested in a guided tour of the sites and buildings associated with this period please contact Mike Ingram at mikeingramhistorian.weebly.com/tours

The trail should start at became a nursery of sends a rabble of Watermen to Northampton HALL which was the seat ‘Independency’ or Congregationalism (the to raid and bring back a of the powerful Knightley family whose initial religion of ). Archbishop Laud considerable number of prisoners including a fortune came from wool and who lived here remarked, “In no other county In lame Rev. Thomas Jones. from 1415 to 1913. Their Tudor house was there probably the same extreme was begun by Richard Knightley defiance of rubrics, order and doctrine, as (d. 1534) and completed by his son Edward was the case of some of the parishes in (d. 1542). Its great hall survives to this day Northants”. whereas the rooms that ran off it were remodelled in the 18th century by Smith In August 1642 The King decided to of Warwick, by Thomas Cundy in 1815 send three troops of horse - about 300 men and finally by Anthony Salvin in the 1860’s. - under the command of Sir John Byron The great hall, with it’s oriel window once (the poet’s ancestor), from Nottingham to contained splendid 16th century armorial the Royalist centre of . Byron’s men 6 May 1643 The governor of Banbury glass which is now Burrell Collection, carried a large sum of money and other garrison - James Compton, 3rd Earl of Glasgow. Fortunately similar fine glass is to valuables which were intended for the launch Northampton, received information that 700 be found in the church here which lies in the of the Royalist effort in the south. Byron’s Parliamentarian infantry with 300 cavalry were middle of a Capability Brown park. route took him through , where he at Culworth northamptonshiresurprise. See Fawsley church for the Knightley tombs arrived on the evening of 28th August. com./organisation/culworth-st-mary- there: northamptonshiresurprise.com/ As supper was prepared, Byron was the-virgin who were preparing to attack organisation/fawsley-st-mary attacked by a force of some five hundred Banbury. The Earl sent a detachment locals wielding pikes, bills and pitchforks - commanded by a Captain Trist to face them the numbers are large enough to suggest a and keep them in action, whilst he advanced planned ambush. Byron and about half his with approximately 500-600 cavalry. men made their escape towards Oxford. The others were caught unprepared and routed. The booty was enormous. Northampton was also attacked from Queen Eleanor’s Cross by a party of Royalists in August 1642, but two pieces of ordnance drove them off with the loss of twenty men.

Fawsley Hall is now a country house hotel: 14 September 1642 Earl of Essex northamptonshiresurprise.com/ reviews the Parliamentarian army which had He found the enemy in close formation in the organisation/fawsley-hall-hotel-spa assembled at Northampton. It was 15,000 ‘Town Field’ of Middleton Cheney (near to the - 20,000 strong. By 22 October, the Royalist present day Moors Drive) where they made a The Hall lay at the heart of the connection army was quartered in the villages around stand - firing their brass cannon and volleys of Puritan nobles and gentlemen from the northamptonshiresurprise. of musket shot in a coordinated movement. Oxford - Norhampton - Warwick border area com/organisation/edgcote-st-james The Earl then charged them from the front, who were leading opponents of Charles I’s and was threatening the Parliamentarian with Captain Trist on his left wing and religious and financial policies. post at Banbury. The garrison of Banbury Sergeant Major Daniel on his right and routed took refuge at Fawsley in 1637. A meeting sent messengers pleading for help to the them. In order to avoid former mistakes by of the Providence Island Company held Parliamentarian garrison at Warwick . too rashly pursuing the fugitive cavalry, the at Preston Copes (adjoining Fawsley, and The first major battle of the Civil War followed Earl immediately followed up by charging also owned by Richard Knightley) saw the just over the county border at Edgehill on their infantry - completely defeating them. formulation of concerted tactics to challenge 23 October 1642. Three hundred prisoners, killed over a the legality of the king’s levy of ship money. hundred and wounded most of the rest, took There were present among others, Lord Saye December 1642 Zouche Tate of Delapre the cannon, all the ammunition, as many and Sele. Lord Brooke, Richard Knightley, Abbey www.northamptonshiresurprise. arms gathered up as four carts could bring. Sir and John Pym. com/organisation/delapre-abbey 2 July 1643 Parliamentarian horse out of forced contributions reckoned at £1000 daily. manor house which was destroyed during Northampton under Captain Samuel, attack Constant skirmishes took place between the the 1643 siege had been built by Henry Vlll. the Rev. William Losse in his church at Lois two sides. On one occasion, a party of the The present manor house, now a residential Weedon, capture him, but he escapes back Newport horse, headed by Colonel Harvey, home, seems to contain some of the original into church and takes refuge in the bell tower. surprised in the night, slew the 16th century fireplaces. Wounded, taken for dead, he is left there. sentinels, killed about 30 men, took 2 colours The soldiers rode up and down the church and 20 prisoners, whom they brought to 21 February 1644 Parliament ‘spurring and twitching their horses purposely without the loss of a single take and fortify Castle Ashby. to endanger the people.’ Weedon Loise man, and only two slightly wounded. northamptonshiresurprise.com/ church, dedicated to St Marys is normally organisation/castle-ashby-gardens open. It dates back to the 14th / 15th century 2nd November 1643 Skirmishes although the crossing beneath the great at Alderton and tower is Norman. Architecturally this is little northamptonshiresurprise.com/ changed since the Rev. Losse escaped up organisation/church-stowe-st- into the bell tower. The unusual name of the michaels-church 15 men were killed, village may be on account of a shrine here 22 were taken prisoners and the Royalist to St Lucien reflecting the fact that the village horses were taken. “A horse fayre was kept belonged to St Lucien Beauvais. at Newport that day, and horses sold cheape for ready money”. 14 October 1643 Prince Rupert with 2000 horse and 700 foot launch a raid Prince Rupert, having made Towcester very 18 April 1644 Some 50ft from towards Northampton via . strong by constructing water filled ditches Northampton occupy Dryden’s house at Parliamentarian cavalry are sent out to meet and using the remains of the Roman walls, Canon’s Ashby northamptonshiresurprise. them at . Advance guards moved to Oxford but left a strong force at com/organisation/canons-ashby/ in order clash at Brampton Bridge. The main Towcester. northamptonshiresurprise. to gather money and supplies from locality. Parliamentarian force retires into the town, com/organisation/towcester The Earl of Northampton’s horse and some chased by Rupert’s cavalry. It is a moonlight 200 foot from Banbury attack, driving them night. The gates are opened to let the cavalry into the church and up the steeple from in, musketeers lining the walls fire on their which they are ejected by threat of burning. pursuers. Exchanges of fire until cannon Whetham offers to exchange prisoners, but are brought to bear. The Royalists move off this was rejected. through Kingsthorpe Hollow and Moulton Park to Billing Bridge and into Bedfordshire. 26 April 1644 A party of horse ride November 1643, Prince Rupert, through the night to rescue the 32 prisoners based at Easton Neston, taken at Canon’s Ashby from a barn next to northamptonshiresurprise.com/ the walls of Banbury Castle the next day and organisation/easton-neston 20 December 1643 Northampton forces defeat a Royalist counter-attack, taking 32 then attacked quarters at Duncote killed 20 men prisoner and returning to Northampton. and returned with 30 prisoners. Skippon, advanced from Newport to Grafton Regis 29th June 1644 Battle of Bridge with two troops of horse and 400 foot joining takes place on both sides of the county border. with Colonel Whitam from Northampton with 1400 horse and foot. November 1644 ransacked for provisions by Northampton’s men from Siege of Grafton Manor - December Banbury and 24 men taken away. The 1643 The siege seemed to have lasted women of Kilsby march on Banbury and sent out a proclamation to all the local about a week and the house finally demand their men, their 200 cattle and 80 villages demanding labourers with shovels to surrendered on Christmas Day 1643. The horses back. They agree to pay the arrears fortify Towcester based around Bury Mount manor at Grafton originally belonged to the of ‘contribution’, £300, and forfeit the horses where two guns are placed. The forces powerful Woodville family and the village was but get the rest. were increased by a further 14 regiments then, in the 15th century, known as Grafton from Oxford. Towcester was mainly cavalry Woodville. It became Royal property through The first ‘self-denying ordinance’ was put whereas Northampton was mainly infantry. the marriage of Elizabeth Woodville to before Parliament on 9 December 1644 300 horse scoured the countryside in all Edward l V. She had been born here in 1437. by of Delapre Abbey. It provided directions for provisions and disrupted the Remaining Royal property and renamed that “no member of either house shall have provisions being taken to Northampton. Grafton Regis it was given by Charles ll to his or execute any office or command...”, etc. in Greater number of horse kept back and 7 natural son Henry Fitzroy, Duke of Grafton the armed forces. It was the beginning of the pieces of ordnance. Value of pillaging and as part of the Wakefield estates. The Tudor . June 1645 The Naseby Campaign Elsemore captured Capt. Robert Haselrig northamptonshiresurprise.com/ who, it appears was trying to get to his father. organisation/naseby-battlefield- Captain Haselrig was freed on parole on project condition that his troop changed sides.

7 June 1645 King Charles stays at the The next morning, 22 April, Easter Wheatsheaf Inn. The Army camps on Sunday, Ingoldsby and his men came Borough Hill. across Lambert, Okey, and Axtell as well as Lt. Col Arthur Young and their small ‘Taxing’ continues as far as Brackley and 19 January 1646 Part of the Ashby army in a field two miles from . garrison marched through northamptonshiresurprise.com/ into Northamptonshire and captured Castle organisation/daventry presumably on the 8 June 1645 Convoy of supplies leaves for Ashby, taking the governor home with them. Banbury Road. Oxford. Parliament claims with 30,000 sheep and 8,000 cattle. Charles I was held prisoner at House for 5 months in early 1647 10 June 1645 King Charles possibly at northamptonshiresurprise.com/ . organisation/holdenby-house

May 1649 The Banbury Mutiny. 400 troopers under the command of Captain William Thompson who were sympathetic to the Levellers set off from Banbury, where they Streater ordered six files of musketeers were billeted, to speak with other regiments to advance. When in range, the first file at Salisbury about their political demands. fired wounding several of the horse. They Major White was sent by Cromwell and continued there advance but were ordered • 700 Horse and Foot at Towcester to mediate with Thompson’s not to fire again until they came to push • Cruelties reported at Greens Norton troops and give assurances that force would of pike. • 300 horse guarding Bridge not be used against them. However, on 13 May Cromwell launched a night attack at Mjr Nelthorpe’s troop joined Haselrig’s 12 June 1645 HQ moved to Kislingbury. Burford. Several mutineers were killed in the and changed sides. The rest very quickly Horse quartered in Rothersthorpe and skirmish. Captain Thompson escaped only to surrendered. Axtel and Okey managed Harpole, 2,000 horse in the meadows. 3,000 be killed a few days later in another skirmish to escape. foot at Collingtree and Hackleton. at . Despite begging to be allowed to go free, Royalists horse taken by surprise at Flore. In April 1660 General tried Lambert was personally taken prisoner by Evening Cromwell arrives, possibly staying at to raise an army against the restoration of Ingoldsby after his Arab charger became Hazelrigg House. The Crown in favour of the Commonwealth bogged down in a muddy field. Cobbett, by issuing a proclamation calling on all Young and the other captains were also Evening of 13 June 1645 Parliamentarian supporters of the “” to rally captured. patrol led by Ireton clashes with a small on the battlefield of Edgehill, Easter Day detachment of Charles’s Life Guard at 1660. With Lambert was colonels John Okey Naseby - Royalists captured playing quoits. and David Axtell and four troops of horse under Capt. Robert Haselrig, Capt. Timothy 14 June 1645 The . Clare, Mjr John Netthorpe, and Col. Matthew Alured.

General George Monck, sent troops led by the Colonel Richard Ingoldsby who hoped to win a pardon after Lambert. The Earl of Essex made a hundred horse available and the Northamptonshire Trained Bands were put on alert. En route, Captain