A Plague on both your Houses

When we watch films such as ‘Cromwell’, staring Richard Harris or think back to our school days, we see the English Civil Wars as a war of two distinct sides.

We have visions of the Parliamentarians wearing black, wanting to remove the Monarchy! A group wanting a simple life and cropping their hair, leading to the nickname - The Roundheads! On the other hand we visualise the Royalists as dashing Cavaliers in expensive lacy collars, long flowing locks and feathered hats!

Unfortunately, this was not the case at all. This was a country fighting with itself and therefore very confusing when it came to recognising the opposing sides. There was even a third faction, which was proud to have no allegiances, but to itself. This organisation began in 1645 and became very big in Worcestershire. Sadly this group is often forgotten. It was known as the Clubmen Movement.

Britain had no standing Army when the Civil Wars began in 1642. Both sides had to raise their forces quickly and this was done using official letters. ‘Commissions of Array’, were letters that came from the King. Parliament sent out their ‘Militia Ordnances’. These letters ordered troops to be raised under the command of the local gentry. Traditionally people were loyal to their Landlords, rather than any cause. In a way your personal allegiance depended on that of your lord! Worcestershire received both orders in the summer of 1642!

The High Constable from Worcestershire was described as being ‘very active for pressing men...’. Henry Alexander, the Constable of Droitwich spent fifteen Shilling paying for soldiers to guard his ‘pressed men.’ By the end of the war in 1651, thousands had died or were very badly injured as a result of the conflict. People we will never know the name off. People who have no marked grave or war memorial.

The war affected many things! Homes and churches were used to house soldiers, bridges were dismantled to make them defensible and great houses and castles reduced to ruins by cannon fire! Money, horses, plough oxen and other livestock were all taken and used! Tons of food was taken and in some cases paid for using ‘useless’ Promissory Notes! Notes that promised to pay out at the end of the war!

The County also suffered, in that the traders and businesses were either put out of business or forced to supply goods without any idea of when they would be paid! A year into the war, the Worcestershire Quarter Sessions record at least 130 trades working. Stourbridge manufactured Cannon Balls, Cannons were cast in Dudley. Salt for preserving the soldier’s rations came from Droitwich, woollen hats from Bewdley, cloth for uniforms woven in Kidderminster and shoes made in Evesham.

Evesham was forced to supply 1,000 pairs of shoes for Royalist recruits. Worcester, being the County Town had to supply many things, including 3,000 Bushels of Wheat, 500 pickaxes, shovels and spades, hay, oats and beans.

Plundering Armies from both sides scoured the County like hungry locust, seeking out and making use of all resources! Sir Rowland Bartlett’s home in Castlemorton was plundered twice at the start of the conflict and a further three times as the war dragged on! This was by both sides too!

In Worcester, the Mayor, Edward Solley, received a petition expressing how people felt in the area. ‘Cavaliers and soldiers in divers parts of the kingdom have plundered the towns, bloodily killing the kings peaceable subjects, rifling their houses and violently taking away their goods and in some places de-flowered women.’ In 1645 the civilian population had reached their limit! On the 5th March, 1,000 people stood on Woodbury Hill, under the Command of Charles Nott of Shelsley Walsh. They stood with Cudgels, Billhooks, Scythes, Pitch forks and Clubs. They declared that they would defend land and property or take back stolen goods from any army, no matter what their cause.

A month later the ‘Weekly Intelligencer’ described the reality of their declaration. A skirmish that erupted in the County was described having been caused by ‘the inhabitants of Worcestershire... the reason of the restoring of their cattell.’

By the autumn of 1645 3,000 Clubmen had met on Bredon Hill and further meetings began to show the fighting armies that the people of Worcestershire would give battle to anyone who stole and damaged property. Similar groups met across Britain.

As the long summer of 1646 dragged on, the Royalists were losing the war. The neutral Clubmen had succeeded in expressing that land and property was not to be taken by anyone, no matter what their cause.

This year marks the 380th Anniversary of the start of the English Civil Wars and we must never forget how it affected the civilian population as much as the combatants. This was a major war that began with a small engagement at Powick Bridge near Worcester in 1642. n

By Paul Harding Discover History Facebook and YouTube - Discover History Instagram and Twitter -DiscoverHISTPH www.discover-history.co.uk

Discover History is an award winning education and Living History Performance Company based in Worcester. They specialise in the local history of Worcestershire and deliver school workshops and history days, living history performances and talks across Britain.

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