Civil War- 17th Century
Cannock Chase in the 17th Century
Throughout England's civil troubles in the 1640's, the Cannock Chase area was crossed and re-crossed by military forces vying for control of the local strategic towns: principally Stafford to the north, and Lichfield to the east.
In 1642, as the escalating troubles forced thousands of Englishmen to choose sides, Lord William Paget of Beaudesert, on Cannock Chase, decided to abandon his strong Parliamentary connections and support his King.
In August he received a royal commission to raise troops, and recruited heavily across the local area, as far east as Lichfield and as far south as Walsall. Many of his officers were drawn from the local gentry: the memorial to Richard Bagot - later a Colonel himself - may still be seen in Lichfield Cathedral.
On August 22nd, Charles I raised his Standard at Nottingham, effectively declaring war, and in September Lord Paget's new regiment marched to join him. Paget stayed behind: no fighting man himself, he had given command to a professional soldier. In November, Staffordshire declared itself neutral: thus constrained, Paget's association with his regiment ended. In 1644 he reverted to his natural loyalties, petitioning the Parliament for forgiveness; the regiment itself remained loyal to the King, and was destroyed at Naseby in June 1645. Several of its Staffordshire men petitioned Charles II for financial relief in 1663.
The Chase area saw most action early in 1643. In February Parliamentary forces besieged and captured Lichfield, badly damaging the Cathedral spires; on March 19th the Royalist Earl of Northampton was killed at Hopton Heath near Stafford as he tried to prevent the town falling into enemy hands.
Meanwhile the Queen waited in Yorkshire with vital troops and supplies: Lichfield lay squarely on her route to the south, and Prince Rupert himself was ordered into Staffordshire to relieve it. Sacking and burning Birmingham on the way, he arrived at Lichfield in early April, where the Parliamentarians had garrisoned the Cathedral Close.
The Close walls proved impenetrable to artillery, but a Royalist Colonel wrote to the Prince with an unusual solution, telling him: "I wrote for such miners from Norton or Cannock, or thereabouts ...who are as skilful as any, and fifty in number. I conceive them sufficient, but, if you please, I will send for a hundred more tomorrow night; they are within seven miles of Lichfield, and shall be within a mile of the town by ten o'clock this morning ..."
These skilled Chase men quickly mined beneath the Close: gunpowder was then detonated in the tunnel,, the subsequent collapse of the mine bringing down the walls above. This was the first time gunpowder had been used this way in England", and the breach in the walls immediately gave the Royalists victory.
Thereafter the area remained fairly settled for the duration of the wars. Although Parliamentary troops took Stafford in May - the High House being used to hold Royalist prisoners - Lichfield remained a Royalist garrison until recaptured for the Parliament in 1646.
© S F Jones 2003
In 1642, as the escalating troubles forced thousands of Englishmen to choose sides, Lord William Paget of Beaudesert, on Cannock Chase, decided to abandon his strong Parliamentary connections and support his King.
In August he received a royal commission to raise troops, and recruited heavily across the local area, as far east as Lichfield and as far south as Walsall. Many of his officers were drawn from the local gentry: the memorial to Richard Bagot - later a Colonel himself - may still be seen in Lichfield Cathedral.
On August 22nd, Charles I raised his Standard at Nottingham, effectively declaring war, and in September Lord Paget's new regiment marched to join him. Paget stayed behind: no fighting man himself, he had given command to a professional soldier. In November, Staffordshire declared itself neutral: thus constrained, Paget's association with his regiment ended. In 1644 he reverted to his natural loyalties, petitioning the Parliament for forgiveness; the regiment itself remained loyal to the King, and was destroyed at Naseby in June 1645. Several of its Staffordshire men petitioned Charles II for financial relief in 1663.
The Chase area saw most action early in 1643. In February Parliamentary forces besieged and captured Lichfield, badly damaging the Cathedral spires; on March 19th the Royalist Earl of Northampton was killed at Hopton Heath near Stafford as he tried to prevent the town falling into enemy hands.
Meanwhile the Queen waited in Yorkshire with vital troops and supplies: Lichfield lay squarely on her route to the south, and Prince Rupert himself was ordered into Staffordshire to relieve it. Sacking and burning Birmingham on the way, he arrived at Lichfield in early April, where the Parliamentarians had garrisoned the Cathedral Close.
The Close walls proved impenetrable to artillery, but a Royalist Colonel wrote to the Prince with an unusual solution, telling him: "I wrote for such miners from Norton or Cannock, or thereabouts ...who are as skilful as any, and fifty in number. I conceive them sufficient, but, if you please, I will send for a hundred more tomorrow night; they are within seven miles of Lichfield, and shall be within a mile of the town by ten o'clock this morning ..."
These skilled Chase men quickly mined beneath the Close: gunpowder was then detonated in the tunnel,, the subsequent collapse of the mine bringing down the walls above. This was the first time gunpowder had been used this way in England", and the breach in the walls immediately gave the Royalists victory.
Thereafter the area remained fairly settled for the duration of the wars. Although Parliamentary troops took Stafford in May - the High House being used to hold Royalist prisoners - Lichfield remained a Royalist garrison until recaptured for the Parliament in 1646.
© S F Jones 2003
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