TRUMPTONSHIRE IN THE GREAT CIVIL WAR

 

TRUMPTONSHIRE IN THE GREAT CIVIL WAR

A STORY OF SIEGES

a tribute to the creation of the late Gordon Murray and Brian Cant

Trumptonshire played a small, but significant role in the Civil War years and from the available sources we are able to piece together a lively narrative of events.

 Trumptonshire on the eve of war

BACKGROUND AND CAMPAIGN PHASE 1

This seat of Mars

Trumpton

The county, in the Midlands (and remote from London) was influenced by many of the forces that were shaping early modern Britain.  The key county town of Trumpton had a booming cloth trade, helped by immigration from Flanders. The architectural style has strong German influences, and the hand of Christian Hausser, and his sons Otto and Max is very evident.

It is recorded that ‘Trumpotn’ returned two members of Parliament from the 15 voting Burgesses – of whom three voted.  The Puritan minded ‘Chippy’ Minton would be a staunch supporter of Parliament, whilst Mr Platt was moderate in his Royalist sympathy. 

At the outbreak of hostilities the majority of the population sided with the Mayor and Mr Troop (the town Clerke) and declared for Parliament.  This was in part in response to the Trained Band declaring for Parliament – the surviving roll call of Captain Philibertius Flack, Serjeants’ Pugh & Pugh, and soldiers Barney, Magrew, Cuthbert, Dibble and Grubb showing the influence of the small merchants and apprentices in the town. 

The Mayor and Reverend Munnings call the Trained Band to arms

At the Guild and Parish Church of St Brian Canto, the preaching of the Reverend Munnings, a known Puritan and pamphleteer, has attracted considerable support among the Burgesses and men of quality.  He has been supported by Nick Fisher the bill sticker – the Martin Luther of Trumpton. ‘Raggy Dan’ is a radical, and will later be known as a man of Leveller sentiments - which he will spreading among the soldiery from his particular reading of the Prophet Daniel.

The town itself had most of the medieval wall intact – with the Water and Camberwick gates running east to west, and the Mill gate running north east and and the Fosse gate north west.  Mr Bolt, the town engineer has been summoned to consider how earthworks may be built and the walls strengthened.

Mrs Cobbit and Miss Lovelace are among the leading women of Trumpton and are thought to prophesy the coming end of the world and the Fifth Monarchy.  Mr Antonio is a noted resident from far away Venice, and runs a small merchant house.  He has no desire to be involved in ‘troubles’, and is ‘quiet’ in matters of religion.

The road west leads to nearby Camberwick Green – and thence north to Chigley and the seat of Lord Bleborough, Winkstead Hall.  To the east lies Treddles Wharf; and the river Trump that eventually joins the Great Ouse.