Civil War military actions in Cornwall and the South West Cornwall in the English Civil War

1 civil war military actions in cornwall , south west

1.1 1642
1.2 1643

1.2.1 battle of braddock down
1.2.2 battle of stratton


1.3 1644

1.3.1 siege of plymouth
1.3.2 battle of lostwithiel


1.4 1645
1.5 1646
1.6 1648

1.6.1 gear rout

civil war military actions in cornwall , south west

the english civil war lasted 9 years, having begun battle of edgehill, in warwickshire, on sunday, 23 october 1642, , ended battle of worcester, on 3 september 1651. principal events in cornwall happened in following order.

1642

in october 1642, cornwall secured king when 10,000 men rose under command of local royalist gentry , drove out small force of cornish parliamentarians had gathered @ launceston. cornish-royalist army formed ralph hopton, 1st baron hopton in 1642 , although first invasion of devon in november – december 1642 ended in failure army secured cornish side of plymouth sound marked serious reverse parliamentarian forces.

1643

sir bevil grenville s memorial, @ kilkhampton church


the battle of braddock down

the battle of braddock down near boconnoc on 19 january 1643 resulted parliamentarian counter-invasion of cornwall. ended in defeat col. ruthin s parliamentarian troops sir ralph hopton. hopton s victory secured cornwall king , royalists resumed siege of plymouth forces occupying surrounding towns seal off city land.

the battle of stratton

the battle of stratton occurred on 15 may 1643. earl of stamford s parliamentarian force repelled hopton s men after day-long fighting, 300 men killed , 1700 captured, , retreated bideford. victories hopton 5 old cornish regiments provided impetus campaigns in devon , somerset. taunton , bridgwater taken cornish army, sir bevil grenville killed in moment of victory @ battle of lansdown in somerset , hopton wounded. bristol fell hopton s royalist troops, followed exeter.

on december 13, royalists began heavy bombardment of northern defences of plymouth little effect. sir richard grenville, 1st baronet, having declared parliament, invited troops follow him king s service , parliament proclaimed him traitor.

1644
siege of plymouth

sir richard grenville arrived in plymouth in march 1644 maintain blockade, resulted in stalemate inhabitants obtained enough provisions survive. robert devereux, 3rd earl of essex, arrived in command of roundhead army of 8000 men , forced grenville retreat cornwall across river tamar.

the battle of lostwithiel

after relieving plymouth, essex advanced cornwall, reaching bodmin on 28 july. king charles meanwhile led main royalist army against him, blocking line of retreat. caught between charles , grenville, essex took positions @ lostwithiel , fowey, hoping support or evacuation parliamentarian fleet. royalists cut off escape routes land , on 13 august charles began attack. on 21 august, royalists took restormel castle , beacon hill, lostwithiel. after further sporadic fighting pushed parliamentarians castle dore above fowey river on 31 august. night parliamentarian cavalry broke through encircling royalists , escaped plymouth. on 1 september royalists took castle dore , essex escaped sea, leaving 6000 infantry, artillery , baggage train under command of sir philip skippon, surrendered following day. royalists confiscated parliamentarians weapons , allowed them return portsmouth. afflicted bad weather, hunger, disease , attacks local people, 1000 of disarmed soldiers died along way. time in lostwithiel saw vandalism of lostwithiel stannary palace, jonathan rashleigh s menabilly house, destruction of constitutional charters , stannary records placed in luxulyan church safety. ensuing debate in london unsatisfactory manner of war led passage of self-denying ordinance. prompt professional english army unified command, new model army.

1645

in 1645 sir thomas fairfax appointed commander of new model army. royalist army reorganised prince charles becoming commander-in-chief. royalists suffered notable loss @ naseby in northamptonshire , there further parliamentarian gains in south , west of england. prince charles, war being in eastern counties, spent great part of autumn , winter in cornwall, principally @ launceston , truro. sir richard grenville committed prince launceston prison, refusing obey lord hopton: had quarrelled general george goring.

1646

in 1646 prince gave lord hopton command of royalist forces, william wentworth, 2nd earl of strafford command horse , grenville foot. grenville refused , imprisoned on st michael s mount. hopton advanced stratton towards exeter, reaching torrington confronted fairfax s men, , fell stratton. roundheads proceeded cornwall reaching launceston on 25 february 1646 , bodmin on 2 march. hopton s army in disarray refused surrender. news @ bodmin of imminent irish invasion further damaged royalist cause locally , fairfax offered hopton terms. surrender took place @ tresillian bridge, truro, on 15 march 1646.

1648
the gear rout

the gear rout cornish insurrection of 1648 following end of first english civil war. killing of 70 cornish royalists in penzance on 16 may 1648 prompted failed rebellion 500 cornish rebels fought against parliamentarian forces of sir hardress waller @ site near helford river.