Hello all!

It's me again.If you read my last post, you'll be aware that I'm writing a novel set during the English Civil War. In the last post, I imparted a few bits about the Sieges of Lichfield. Now I'd like to pass on a little bit more about the background to my novel, mainly the Siege of Manchester.

Keep that aim steady.

Parlimentary harquebusier

Primarily, there is a wonderful book called Massacre: The Storming of Bolton by David Casserly and published by Amberley. Its name is actually a bit of a misnomer as it covers so much! From the build up to the war proper, we find that the first death of the Civil War was actually in Manchester more than a month before the war officially started with King Charles I raising his standard over Nottingham Castle, through the Siege of Manchester, the Seige of Lathom House - the defense being led by Lord Strange the Royalist commander's wife - through action in Wigan and the separate stormings of Bolton proper. This book, I found to be invaluable. David Casserly has done his research, and done it properly. you get a real feeling for what the people were going through, the surprise that the folk of the era felt at the war going ahead, the personal politicking of the gentry as well as being able to get your head around all the military positions with the lovely descriptions, maps and the very useful period illustrations. You get a real feel for the progression of the war, step by step as it unfolded, a sense that similar events of uncertain portents were unfolding across the nations of England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland.

Massacre:The Storming of Bolton

It's from this book that I decided that I needed to end my novel there in spectacular fashion. With the Royalists attacking the city that at that time had a population of around 3000. Their commanders, Lord Strange and Lord Molyneux attacked from three separate angles. As the battle unfolded, they eventually failed to take the city, leaving it in Parliamentary hands. This was mainly down to the efforts of a German engineer by the name of Major Johan Rosworm. He was a real character, almost as if he was from a pulp style story. He was a military engineer of some repute. being close at hand, he was invited to fortify the unwalled city of Manchester for a fair sum of £30 for a six month period. Lord Strange soon offered to pay him three times what the Parliamentarians were paying him so that he'd change sides. Rosworm refused, but while building the banks and ditches necessary for Manchester's defence, he would take any chance, be it criticism, the questioning of his methods or even just a local passing him in the street to set him off into a tirade. He would tell them, probably while foaming at the mouth, that he despised the town and he thought that every single inhabitant was an idiot, then bawling at the top of his voice that he should have taken Lord Strange's offer of turning coat and joining the Royalists. The irony being, he would re-new his contract with the Roundheads and serve them, leading regiments and building defences for the remainder of the war, only retiring a decade later when the war finally ended. Unfortunately, history doesn't record what happened to him afterwards. He lived and then died in utter obscurity, none knowing where and when he died. Of that, there is no trace.

Pikeman

Form on me!

During the Siege of Manchester itself, Major Johan Rosworm had taken up a position at Salford Bridge in the city's north east, near the Collegiate Church with a large block of musketeers. While the Royalist commander, Lord Strange would repeatedly charge his pike blocks and musketeers along the south side of Manchester, along Deansgate and cavalry charged in from the east to make a foothold in the town, Rosworm managed to defend his position well against the Royalist forces of Lord Molyneux, even when the took up positions on his side of the river in a house that they'd forced their way into. With few casualties, and reinforcements from the formations successfully defending against the advances of Lord Strange spared to join Rosworm, he gained a reputation as a fearless and thoroughly efficient commander. The only real problem that Rosworm had was from desertion. Several of his troops fled at his first order to prepare for an attck at the first sight of Lord Molyneux's troops. Rosworm threatened his remaining Parliamentary Musketeers to remain where they were or that he would personally shoot them. From his behaviour while he supervised the building of Manchester's defences, I can only presume that the deserters were more afraid of Rosworm's actions during combat than they were of the men that they were about to fight against.

Well, that's my brief overview of the Siege of Manchester over. I think I'll have a lot of fun writing the finale around the events that unfolded in Manchester. Keep yourselves safe and soldier forth!

Defend the lines!

At ease while the barrel cools... and remove that casualty. Quick!

A matchlock musketeer

Hello all.

I thought I might tell you a little more about the novel that I'm planning. I've a little more information to push through the old grey cells, but I'll be starting the writing process once I'm fully sure on where the plot is taking me.

One of the main reasons that I wanted to write an English Civil War novel was because there just plain aren't that many around. The ones out there are great. I particularly like the pair of novels by Giles Kristian - Brother's Fury and The Bleeding Land. But beyond that, there are only the text books to rely on, and I do realise, that those aren't always everyone's cup of tea.

The Bleeding Land, Giles Kristian

Brother's Fury, Giles Kristian

I mentioned in the last post that I had joined the Sealed Knot, a brilliant organisation that really brings the period to life, with not only battles filled with gunpowder smoke and the push of pike, but also camps and living history exhibits where the good folk sell equipment and show aspects of 17th century lifestyle. And because of the fun and action that happens on and off the battle field, coupled with the short selection of novels on the period, I wanted to write a novel and an accompanying set of short stories that really showed the nitty gritty stuff that happened during the conflict. I wanted to write a series that would engage people; that was fun, action packed and brought in all the lesser known struggles that happened on a day to day basis. In short, I wanted to start writing a set of stories that could introduce people to the period. After all, it is a period of massive reforms in the way Christianity is worshipped, civil rights, the way the legal system works, the way parliament is run, and also how much power the monarchy can hold over the people.

Musket versus Musket, only one will win.

Holding the line.

What happens in camp, stays in camp.

But, more about the novel that I'm planning.

I don't want to give too much away about the plot, but I was extremely taken by the Siege of Lichfield in Staffordshire. There were three of them in fact. the first siege saw Lichfield in the hands of the Royalist. Under the command of Sir Richard Pagot, the gentry had decided to give him their support and had fortified the Cathedral, turning two lakes around the edifice into a moat. When the Parliamentarians arrived, there were running skirmishes, filling the streets with gun smoke; the general populace having sided with the newly arrived Roundheads, under the command of Lord Brooke. Early on, once the Parlimentarians had set up lines around the Cathedral, preparing for the imminent struggle to take the Cathedral - dedicated to St Chad - when Lord Brooke took a musket shot through the eye from a deaf and dumb sniper and son of a local land owner, affectionately known as Dumb Dyott while under the bombardment of one incarnation of Roaring Meg, the over-sized mortar. The irony being that this single act, greatly disordering the Parliamentarians, happened on St Chad's day, shortly after Lord Brooke - a staunch Puritan - had declared that churches were the refuge of the anti-christ. But, much to the Royalist's chagrin, Parliamentary reinforcements were quickly on their way, under the command of a very efficient career soldier named John Gell, who had fought on the continent during the 30 Years War - see The Three Musketeers - and soon, weighed down by the force of superior numbers of troops, the Royalists surrender the cathedral and its fortifications to the Parliamentarians.

Off to war. Defend the house at all costs.

Get that saker loaded!

In the living history section.

This would only last a couple of weeks though. After the Battle of Hopton Heath - an act of  inconsequential retribution for the loss of Lichfield, led by Prince Rupert of the Rhine that saw the death of Spencer Compton, Ealr of Northampton - the Royalists returned to Lichfield, still under the command of Prince Rupert of the Rhine. Prince Rupert had brought in miners from nearby Cannock Chase who preceded to burrow under he moat, draining it and carrying on to then plant petards - massive placable bombs - under a defensive wall around the Cathedral. With a good portion of the defenses blown away and the bulk of he Parliamentary troops trying to plug the gap, it wasn't long before the town of Lichfield was back in the hands of the Royalists after a second siege.

The town of Lichfield would change hands a few more times during the decade long conflict, but these two sieges are perhaps the most well known. But, that is just the setting for the novel. Three troops from opposing sides meet after regaining consciousness after the first seige and flee north east together, wanting to escape the horrors of war. But their luck is out.

Blessings before battle.

For King and Country!

At Burton on Trent, they arrive in time to meet Queen Henrietta Maria, wife of King Charles I returning to Oxford with weapons bought in France. Burton saw one of the most brutal dragoon charges of the war and after the dragoons escorting Queen Henrietta Maria had set up camp once the Parliamentarians had been routed, they went about raping and pillaging their way through the town. Even at the time, the actions of the Royalists were noted as being particularly barbaric, even if you take into account the way the Royalists were portrayed in Parliamentarian propaganda - another new concept that was invented during the English Civil War. On meeting up with Queen Henriatta Maria after the taking of Burton on Trent, the three survivors of Lichfield are assigned a mission to meet up with James Stanley of Lancashire, who held not only the title of Earl of Derby, but also the marvellous name of Lord Strange - any relation to Dr Strange of Marvel comics fame?

From there, the three survivors of Lichfield make their way north and west to meet up with Lord Strange at the Siege of Manchester, But, of course, you'll have to stay tuned to find out more...

A Parliamentary defensive line