Author: Alf Thompson, the Earl of Northampton's Regiment

Orders of the day, Volume 32, Issue 2, April 2000

A Chronicle of events of the Royalist counter-rebellion during the spring and summer of 1648 known as the Second Civil War, in particular the events relating to Colchester.

A Winter of Discontent

The Great Civil War had ended in 1646 and the King had been held captive for almost two years. Charles I languishing in captivity on the Isle of Wight was buying time with a victorious Parliament.

Whilst he pondered and refused to accept proposals that infringed his powers and divine right he plotted a counter-rebellion that would overthrow his victors and place him firmly back on the throne. In December 1647 he had made an agreement with the Scots to cast out the Independents, debase the Anglican Church and make Presbyterianism the Church of the State. The Scots made the 'engagement' known to Parliament and insisted the King be freed from captivity and returned to his rightful throne. This insistence was made under threat of force should Parliament refuse to comply. In turn the victorious Parliament were in no mood to be dictated to by a King who was a vanquished foe and in their view in no position to make demands. Parliament retaliated by withdrawing negotiations with the King, which not only consolidated the Scots’ position, but brought about a Royalist revival in England and Wales.

The Backcloth to the Events

Between December 1647 and March 1648 the seeds of the insurrection against Parliament were sown as a rebellion gathered strength in the wake of zealous Independent control and the growing political power of the Army. This unrest developed into a second bloody Civil War. The complexities that contributed to the conflict were both individual and national and no one factor was absolute.

Clearly there were primary causes that were political, social and religious, while imminent Scottish intervention fired up the ardent Royalists who, licking their wounds from the first civil strife, were waiting their chance for revenge. The treatment of the King appeared to anger elements of the less radical populace, in particular the conservative fringe of the Parliamentary gentry. The Presbyterians were angry about the political and religious marginalisation suffered at the hands of the Independents. There were major concerns about the Army not standing down and the perceived absolute power of the Army Commanders. Yet in the army the rank and file as well as senior officers were bitter about the treatment of the soldiery, especially in relation to massive arrears of pay. There were personal jealousies evolving in relation to the distribution of power, position and wealth and a growing tide of unrest that no social reforms had been undertaken. Furthermore there was a simmering fear of the potential radical extremism that had emerged in Parliament which united Royalists and disaffected Parliamentarians. Not only had the Scots changed side, a cohort of Parliamentarians were about to thrown in their lot with the Royalist cause.

The Revolt

To understand the nature of the Siege of Colchester it is worthwhile considering the series of events that culminated in the Royalist defenders’ presence in the town, and why it was that the Parliamentarian besiegers under the command of Lord Fairfax could only confront the Royalists with a fraction of the New Model Army. Certainly the Royalists did not want to be there, nor did Fairfax want to throw a limited force against them. Colchester emerged as a result of circumstances brought about by the number of fronts upon which the Second Civil War was fought. The actions in the South East can only be understood in relation to conflicts taking place elsewhere.

The first shots of the insurrection were fired in South Wales during March 1648. Disaffected Parliamentarians declared for the King. The Governor of Pembroke Castle Col. Poyer threw out the Parliamentary garrison and raised South Wales for the King. Col. Rice Powell and Sir Nicholas Kerneys in support of Poyer took Tenby and Chepstow Castles. Rowland Laugharne, another ex-Parliamentarian raised an ill-equipped Royalist field army, but enabled enough force to secure Cardiff, Swansea, Neath and Carmarthen. In North Wales Sir John Owen had rallied traditional Royalist support and Wales was ablaze with rebellion. Fairfax immediately responded and sent the able Col. Horton into South Wales to crush the rebellion with 3,000 well-trained seasoned veterans of the New Model Army. As Fairfax responded to the Royalist Welsh front Sir Marmaduke Langdale opened up a front in the North of England taking Berwick on 28th April and Sir Philip Musgrave took Carlisle on 29th April, leaving the route into England free for the Scottish invasion.

Fortunately for Fairfax the Scots were slow to respond which enabled him to face one threat at a time. Col. Horton defeated the Royalist field army of Laugharne at St. Fagans on 8th May and made haste to lay siege to Tenby. By this time Fairfax had sent Cromwell in support of Horton with a further 3,000 men with the goal of securing South Wales as soon as possible so that he could meet the threat from the North of England. On 25th May Col. Ewer stormed Chepstow Castle and re-garrisoned it for Parliament. In bitter fighting Sir Nicholas Kerneys was killed. On 31st May Col. Horton forced the surrender of Tenby and Col. Rice Powell was taken prisoner. Meanwhile Cromwell was besieging the mighty fortress of Pembroke Castle. He took the surrender on llth July and Poyer and Laugharne were taken prisoner. In North Wales Sir John Owen had been defeated by the Parliamentary forces of Mytton and Myddleton and order was restored to Wales. This now allowed Fairfax to send Cromwell and his very able colonels northwards to face Langdale’s rebellion and the Scottish threat.

Hamilton had crossed the border on 8th July to link up with Langdale’s Northern Royalists. The New Model Army in the North of England, commanded by Colonel Lambert, was now awaiting the support of Cromwell who was leading 6,000 well-equipped and experienced soldiers to his aid. In turn the Scots were forcing their way south with the ultimate goal of joining the English Royalists who were fighting in the South East against Fairfax.

The South East Front

The timing of the rebellious fronts to say the least was poor from a Royalist perspective, while the lack of Royalist co-ordination proved fatal for the King's cause and very fortunate for Parliament. However it has to be stated that what Fairfax achieved with the assistance of Cromwell and the New Model Army high command was a strategic piece of excellence as well as good fortune. Just as The New Model Army was managing to restore order to Wales the South East of England broke out in open rebellion. At the same time during mid-May the English Fleet experienced a Royalist insurrection and half the fleet was led to mutiny by Presbyterian officers. Robert Rich Earl of Warwick was sent by Parliament to quell the mutiny, whilst ironically his brother Henry Rich Earl of Holland was appointed commander of the Royalist forces in the South of England. Although the Royalist faction of the fleet, now joined and led by the Prince of Wales and Prince Rupert, was a constant threat throughout the rebellion, storms at sea and circumstances on the mainland gave the Royalists little hope of securing a naval advantage, in particular the inability to establish a beachhead and a safe port to maintain ongoing provisions. Had the Royalists timed the rebellion to erupt within a couple of weeks or even a month on all fronts then events might have proved different as the New Model Army would have been stretched to breaking point.

During May the South East front of the rebellion centred on Essex and Kent. These counties became a source of concern for Fairfax. Having sent major forces into Wales and with the peril of the Scots on the horizon he took it upon himself to lead the Parliamentary assault on the Royalists of the South of England. Such a strange paradox that the bastions of Parliamentary allegiance South Wales, (Pembroke in particular) and the South East (Essex in particular), were now the focus of Royalist counter-rebellion.

In Kent the Earl of Norwich (Lord Goring) and Lord Loughborough had raised the county for the King. In Essex Colonel Farre had changed sides and had encouraged the trained bands to support the Royalist cause. Having ardent Royalists such as Lord Capel and Colonel William Compton rallying to the cause, the Essex Royalists appointed competent veterans Sir Charles Lucas and Sir George Lisle to command the cavalry and the infantry. Having seduced the trained bands of Colchester to the Royalist cause and with the support of important members of the Town Council they made Colchester their base. It has to be understood that Colchester was throughout the First Civil War constant for Parliament and that the vast majority of the Council and the general populace maintained their allegiance to Parliament during the insurrection and throughout the three month siege. The civilian population, essentially Parliamentarian, suffered the siege and the town was effectively destroyed by its own army.

It has to be understood that Colchester was throughout the First Civil War constant for Parliament and that the vast majority of the Council and the general populace maintained their allegiance to Parliament during the insurrection and throughout the three month siege.

Whilst the Earl of Holland and the Duke of Buckingham were fuelling discontent and recruiting Royalist forces in the Home Counties, the Kent Royalists seized Rochester on 21 May, then Dartford and Deptford. On 27 May Fairfax mustered 4,000 of the New Model Army on Hounslow Heath and set off in pursuit of the Kent Royalists.

Marching quickly via Eltham and Gravesend Fairfax bypassed Rochester and defeated Royalist forces at Farleigh Bridge before storming Maidstone. Although the Royalists were double the number of Fairfax’s forces the main body was ill-equipped and inexperienced. The Royalists were scattered and suffered major losses. However the main body, approximately 3,000 strong under the command of Norwich, marched towards London in the hope of harnessing the mood of Royalist support in the capital. On 3rd June Norwich arrived at Blackheath and captured Bow Bridge. Regardless of the tide of Royalist sympathy in London Philip Skippon and the London Trained Bands remained resolute for Parliament. The gates of London were closed to Norwich and without a mutiny in the ranks of the Trained Bands he had no hope of victory. Furthermore Fairfax, having recovered the ground the Royalists had won, was in hot pursuit.

Norwich, having failed to achieve his goal, retreated into Essex to find sanctuary at Colchester with Lucas, Lisle, Capel and the Essex Royalists. He left the outskirts of London on 4th June and reached Colchester on the 9th. Fairfax was but two or three days behind him, crossing the Thames at Tilbury and arriving outside Colchester on 13 June. Fairfax then attempted another Maidstone and stormed the town on 14 June, but to his great surprise was firmly defeated by a formidable foe. Colchester in 1648 was a walled town with a castle and a harbour on the River Colne (The Hyth). Outside the walls lay the suburbs which contained St Bidolph’s Priory, St John's Abbey and the mansion house of Sir Charles Lucas. Fairfax committed three cavalry assaults into the suburbs, each one repelled by the Royalists. Eventually Fairfax put the Trained Bands of Farre to flight and pursued them off the field of battle, through the suburbs and into the town. The Parliamentarians raced into the town after their foe, only to find that strategically placed traps of concentrated musket fire played upon them. The Parliamentarians experienced severe losses - estimates range between 500 and 1000, while it was recorded that the Royalists lost only 30 men and 2 officers.

Fairfax had lost his attempt to storm the town and retreated to Lexden to plan a siege. It is suggested that his impromptu storming was fired by the indignant response he received from Norwich when the Royalists were invited to surrender. Norwich mischievously inquired about the state of Fairfax’s gout and suggested that he had the ultimate cure should Fairfax persist. Numbers at this point were about equal, Fairfax commanding his own regiments with the support of regiments of the London Trained Bands. Both sides were awaiting reinforcements; for Norwich it was a forlorn hope whilst it became a reality for Fairfax. The Parliamentarians were in no mood for siege tactics as their position was dubious whilst the threat from the North existed. The Royalists ultimately had two goals, one of which was a non-starter: to break out and join the Scots and Langdale. The other goal was forced upon them: to tie up Fairfax in order to reduce the Parliamentary potential in the North.

The Siege (Diary of Significant Events)

• June 15 - Fairfax begins the construction of forts around the perimeter of the town. The Royalists re-garrison the suburbs and fortify St John's Abbey and the house of Sir John Lucas. In the town they fortify St Mary's Church and place a large cannon on the roof which was to be masterly fired by the renowned ‘One-Eyed Jack Thompson'.

• June 18 - Fairfax is reinforced by the arrival of Cols. Ewer and Scroope, who having achieved their success in Wales provide an extra six companies of horse and dragoons.

Having achieved success in Wales, the bulk of the Parliamentary forces under Cromwell join Lambert. However the dubious position of Fairfax requires some reinforcements to deal with the siege as well as keep one eye on his back, because of the threat of Lord Holland who is attempting to muster a relief force.

• June 19 - Negotiations are conducted regarding the mutual release of prisoners. Fairfax wants the release of certain Parliamentary committee men, in particular Sir William Masham. He offers Norwich a list of Royalist captives and the deal of a one-for-one release of prisoners. Norwich refuses on the grounds that not one name is known to him - i.e. he is expected to deliver important Parliamentarians whilst in turn he would have low ranking men released.

• June 19 - Fairfax retaliates by issuing an order that one in every 15 unmarried men from the Essex captives would be shot. In addition one in every 10 married men and from the Kent captives one in 5 would also be shot. The captives draw lots and Fairfax’s order is carried out. The Royalists do not retaliate, but are aware of the atrocity.

• June 24 - Norwich, who had been communicating with the Suffolk Trained Bands, is bitterly disappointed when they arrive with 1,000 men, only to join Fairfax and set up siege at the East Gate.

Throughout July Fairfax continues his construction work on the forts and edges his cannon placements closer and closer to the walls so that range would effect more damage. His reinforcements continually weaken the Royalists’ opportunities to sally out for provisions.

• July 5 - In an attempt to break Fairfax’s stranglehold, Lucas with 400 cavalry and Lisle with 600 infantry rush out of the East Gate and take the Suffolk Trained Bands by surprise. The Royalists scatter the Suffolk men and inflicted many casualties. Unfortunately in their zeal they sally too far and run out of powder. Col. Whalley sees the plight of the Suffolk men and cuts off the Royalist retreat into the town. The Royalists, suffering severe losses, manage to get back into the town, but lose all the cannon and provisions they had taken. In this action Lisle is captured and then rescued. It is recorded that 20 Royalists were slain in one spot, 'mostly gentlemen; they could be none else, from their white skins and goodly apparel'.

• Following this isolated conflict it was recorded that the Parliamentarians cut off the hands and fingers of the dying and the dead to obtain rings, and that having offered quarter they proceeded to both kill and maim prisoners. On hearing of this Norwich bitterly complained to Fairfax, who did not deny the actions, but rather suggested it was in retaliation for the Royalists firing 'poisoned bullets'. Norwich in turn denied this claim, but did accept his men fired roughcast ball, as they had none other.

• July 9 - Parliament take The Hyth and St. Leonard’s Church with little resistance. The warehouses around the dock have already been emptied and there is no chance of supplies via the River Colne, because five Parliamentary ships have blockaded the river. Parliament are now encroaching closer to the walls.

• July 14/15 - By now the Royalists have received the news that Lord Holland has been defeated during a night attack by Scroope at St Neots. Fired by their good fortune Fairfax decides to storm the suburbs and take all the Royalist out-works and clear the suburbs of the Royalist fortifications. Scaling ladders of 24ft high by 6ft wide have been made. Fairfax makes a feint to attack the East Gate, then pours his regiments forward into the southern fortifications. After bitter fighting and heroic resistance by the Royalists holding St John's Abbey and the house of Sir John Lucas they retreat back behind the walls of the town. During this conflict Fairfax’s cannon batteries inflict havoc on the town walls and as each breach is made the Royalists fill the gaps with wool sacks. The defenders throw down the scaling-ladders and bombard the attackers with rocks and grenados. However the Royalist fort within the walls at St Mary's church is blown to pieces and their main cannon battery destroyed.

As the Royalists retreat from the suburbs to make their last stand behind the walls of Colchester they burn down anything that the Parliamentarians have not already put to the torch. This is done partly as a scorched earth policy as well as retaliation for the burning of Sir John Lucas's house. This was after all a Parliamentary township.

Before the Parliamentarian soldiers burned down the Lucas mansion they committed gross desecration. They broke into the Lucas family vault and smashed coffins, threw about the bones of the dead and scattered the head and limbs of recently-buried family members, in particular the body of Lady Elizabeth Lucas. They ripped out the hair from corpses and wore the long hair of the ladies as favours in their hats. These disgusting actions were known to Sir Charles Lucas who, according to records, maintained dignity and calm.

• July 16 - Following the absolute success and clearing of the suburbs Fairfax moves his HQ to The Hyth, now in Parliamentary hands. Knowing the Royalist fort and major cannon battery at St Mary's Church was destroyed he sends a trumpeter to summon a further surrender. The response given by Sir Charles Lucas from the town walls is that if the trumpeter ventures forth again with similar messages he would have him hanged. The Royalists have lost the suburbs, but they still have over 3,000 men behind secure walls.

• July 18 - The Royalists having lost all potential for foraging out for provisions realise their desperate plight. Although they have access to water from the town wells, food is becoming very scarce. Fairfax’s forces are being strengthened daily and he now has a force of over 6,000 besieging troops. Lucas now attempts what is to be the final major sally of the Royalists, but the perimeter is too strong. The attempt fails and his horse is shot from under him.

• July 19 - Norwich attempts to sneak out a small boy with a secret message, but he is caught and tortured, match being used to burn his fingers. The secret is never revealed for the boy tells his persecutors that he has been instructed to be hanged rather than reveal the message.

• July 21 - Parliament troops fire volleys of arrows into the town with messages attached that offer pardon to all who would desert. It is recorded that at least one Royalist responded by wrapping a turd in a note that said ‘smell my answer'.

• July 28 - Fairfax sends Scroope to Yarmouth in response to a rumour that Princes Charles and Rupert are about to dock. Threats from the Royalist fleet never became a practical reality throughout the Second Civil War. The fleet could have only emerged as a real threat had the Royalists successfully won one of the fronts on land.

• July 30 - The release of Sir William Masham is secured following some distasteful deliberations. Fairfax had taken prisoner the sixteen year old son of Lord Capel who was sitting out the hostilities at the family home of Hadham Hall in Herts. Fairfax offers the boy in exchange for Masham. The Royalists refuse and remind Fairfax that this dishonourable action was taken against a boy who had not taken up arms against Parliament. Masham is eventually released when Fairfax offers in exchange Sir John Ashburnham, who had helped the King in his escape from Hampton Court.

• As July turns into August provisions in Colchester have all but run out. There is no fodder for the horses so they use thatch to feed them. In turn the horses become the staple diet of the besieged. Cats and dogs are fair game for the cooking pot and it is recorded that soldiers were paying six shillings for the carcass of half a small dog. Norwich, with some sense of honour, makes sure the townspeople are fed what little they have at the expense of his garrison. Petitions are continually being sent to Fairfax to let the townspeople go or at least send in food for them. They are after all essentially Parliamentarian and victims of the rising. Fairfax however refuses.

• August 7 - A letter is sneaked into the town that gives hope to the besieged. It is from Marmaduke Langdale, who praises their resolute stance and encourages good heart for help would be on its way within two weeks - a promise that he perhaps rightly expects to keep. To keep Fairfax pinned down at all costs gives ambition over suffering, yet suffer they do as sickness is spreading and women and children are forced into starvation.

• August 10 - One of the few honourable acts of this shameful episode takes place. Lady Catherine Scott, the daughter of Norwich, appears with news that Lady Norwich has died. She is escorted to the gates of the town and Norwich comes out to speak to her. They spend two hours together and she is fed horse meat stewed in wine.

• August 20/23 - Norwich and the Town Council repeatedly petitioned Fairfax to show mercy on the starving. Women and children appear at the gates begging, only to be sent back empty-handed.

• August 24 - Disaster for the Royalists, for all the suffering has been in vain. Fairfax receives news that Cromwell has destroyed the Northern Royalists and the Scots at Preston on 18 August. All the Royalist infantry have been captured and the cavalry scattered across Northern England. Fairfax flies kites into the town carrying the message as Parliamentary gunners fire cannonades in celebration of victory. That same day negotiations begin to bring an end to the siege. Fairfax will not listen to any terms or demands from the Royalists and will only negotiate on his own terms which effectively result in none but fair quarter.

• August 28 - The Royalists lay down their arms and open the gates. At about 10.00 am Fairfax enters the town at the head of his victorious regiments. The Royalist forces are humiliated in front of their own ruined fort. Fairfax sets up his H.Q. at the Moot Hall and has all the Royalist high command secured in the King’s Head Inn. All Royalist soldiers are instructed to place weapons, saddles and bridles in heaps outside St John's Church; instruments of war are placed around the drums and colours.

During the morning the captives at the King’s Head are told that Colonels Lucas, Lisle, Farre and Sir Bernard Gascoigne are to be executed for treason that day. The Royalist high command are shocked by this dishonourable action, believing that fair quarter would mean that everyone concerned would be fairly treated. When Fairfax is asked on what grounds this inconsistent treatment is being meted out, the justification is highly dubious. Various reasons are offered including that the four named had broken solemn pledges to Parliament and that Lucas in particular was guilty of breaking his own oaths of fair quarter, indeed a soldier is brought forth to testify as such. Debate takes place throughout the day, but it is decided by the Army Council that the sentence should be carried out the following day.

A number of authorities have considered the dilemma that Fairfax was in and how honour and vengeance were ill-suited bedfellows. History suggests the motives were more inclined to be revenge. The executions that took place at Colchester and those later of Capel, Holland, Hamilton and Poyer and others who took part in the 1648 rebellion were a Parliamentary statement that their power was once and for all absolute. Warning precedents had to be established so that others would not take up arms against Parliament. Furthermore the precedents set at Colchester in relation to treason were the prelude to the execution for ‘treason’ of 'that Man of Blood', the King himself. Within six months of Colchester Colonel Pride had purged Parliament of any who would want to return to the status quo.

• August 29 - At 7.00 am the prisoners are taken out to be shot, however Farre had managed to escape and Sir Bernard Gascoigne, who had commanded a troop of Walloons (Flemish), is pardoned at the last minute due to his Italian citizenship. Sir Charles Lucas was first to face the firing squad and after long deliberations opened his shirt and encouraged, , “Now rebels, do your worst”. Lisle was next, and having kissed his dead comrade invited the firing squad to come closer. The officer in charge exclaimed, “Sir, I warrant we will hit you”. Sir George smiled and replied, “I have been nearer to you, friend, when you missed me”. After short prayers he rose from his knees, opened his shirt and he too invited the enemy to ‘do their worst’. So ended the lives of two brave men who set a precedent by being shot for treason whilst serving in arms for a rightful sovereign.

The victorious Fairfax, greeted and praised by the Mayor and Aldermen of Colchester, must have had the words of his own chaplain ringing in his ears as he looked about the ruined and smouldering town: ‘fire and faggot are not good grounds for reform’. How that must have haunted him when invited to sign the King's death warrant.

References

• The Siege of Colchester, 1874 Rev G F Townsend
• A True Relation of That Unfortunate as Gallant Expedition of Kent and Colchester, 1759, 2nd Edition, M Carter
• Our Fall Our Fame - The Life And Times of Sir Charles Lucas, 1996, D Appleby, Jacobus Publications
• The History of The Civil War in Pembrokeshire, 1937, A L Leach