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1159:'s leadership and determination. However, as was common for both sides throughout the war, success was followed by high rates of desertion as individuals took their loot home. The need to replace them prevented the Royalists from taking full advantage of their victory and delayed their attack on the main prize of London until late October.
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Unfortunately the
Cornish attacked from the south prematurely at 3:00 am, forcing Rupert to begin the assault earlier than intended. Split into three columns, the Cornish rolled carts and wagons into the ditch in front of the wall to fill it and allow them to cross but the ditch was too deep and this
1136:
later wrote "his
Majesty’s loss was inestimable, and very hard to be repaired... there were slain...about five hundred common men and many excellent officers, whereof many were of prime command and quality". The loss of Slanning, Trevanion and Buck was especially significant, as the Cornish infantry
1101:
The third brigade under
Colonel Henry Wentworth was more successful. Supported by Washington's dragoons, they penetrated a re-entrant between the Brandon Hill and Windmill Hill forts, into "dead ground" where they were protected from the fire of either fort. After throwing grenades over the wall to
1046:
Rupert argued the northern defences were vulnerable given the weak state of the garrison, while a simultaneous assault from the south would prevent them being reinforced. His view eventually prevailed, and the attack was planned to begin early on 26 July. The signal would be a salvo from a
Royalist
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plus an outer five-mile circuit of walls and forts. To the south and east the outer wall was a continuous barrier consisting of a curtain wall and ditch on low-lying ground; to the north and west, the defences consisted of a chain of forts and batteries resting on the high ground overlooking the
1038:
After investing the city on the morning of 24 July, Rupert formally summoned the garrison to surrender, but when
Fiennes refused he crossed the Avon to confer with Prince Maurice and his officers. The council was divided; since Prince Maurice and his Cornish infantry faced the stronger southern
1117:'s regiment of cavalry. They captured another strongpoint, the "Essex Work", when the defenders panicked. There was severe fighting for two hours around the Frome Gate, part of the inner defences, as some of the townswomen tried to improvise a barricade of woolsacks behind the gate.
1152:. In addition, Bristol's workshops eventually re-equipped the entire Royalist army with muskets, while they secured immense amounts of booty, including £100,000 of cash and war supplies. Eight armed merchant ships were captured, which later formed the nucleus of a Royalist fleet.
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city, linked by a low earthwork. A total of 100 guns were distributed along the defences, mostly taken from ships in the harbour, but the loss of the troops sent to reinforce Waller left
Fiennes unable to properly defend the long perimeter defences.
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Prince Rupert personally led a reconnaissance of the defences to the north of the city on 23 July. There were some clashes between
Royalist outposts on Clifton Hill and Parliamentarian sorties, which were beaten off.
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Fiennes was tried by
Parliament and sentenced to death for "improper surrender"; although reprieved, this temporarily ended his political and military career. The rapid surrender of Bristol by Prince Rupert to the
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The
Royalists quickly realised this presented them with a great opportunity to capture important Parliamentarian-held towns in the south-west of England. Only two days after the battle, Prince Rupert marched from
1129:, which allowed them free passage to the nearest friendly territory and to retain their weapons and personal property, they were plundered by undisciplined Royalists when they marched out on 27 July.
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1001:, the Royalists' wartime capital, with a large army. He also sent orders to the Royalist western army which had been victorious at Roundway Down, now under the command of his younger brother
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vindicated his claims the city was far more vulnerable than was apparent. Fairfax's officers subsequently drew up a certificate exonerating
Fiennes from all blame for capitulating in 1643.
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consisted of 300 cavalry and 1,500 infantry, plus some poorly-armed town militia. The fortifications consisted of an inner wall immediately surrounding the city and resting on the Rivers
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defences, they preferred to undertake a formal siege and bombardment. However, Rupert was conscious of the wider strategic issues; a series of Royalist successes and dissension within
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However, victory secured the second largest city in Britain and a landing point for reinforcements shipped from Ireland following the truce agreed in September with
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control although there were many Royalist sympathisers within the city. In July 1643, the city's garrison was weakened when 1,200 men were sent to reinforce Sir
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The capture of Bristol and Royalist success elsewhere meant by late August the Parliamentarian cause was close to collapse and was saved only by
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1110:. Fiennes's cavalry tried to counter-attack but their horses flinched when faced with "fire-pikes", pikes to which fireworks were attached.
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1098:'s brigade was also unsuccessful at Colston's Mount and Prince Rupert had a horse killed under him while rallying Belasyse's infantry.
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Prince Rupert had sent for the Cornish infantry to reinforce the attack, but about 6 pm Fiennes asked for terms. Although granted the
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attacked the Prior's Hill Fort and a nearby redoubt at Stokes Croft, but was repulsed and Grandison was killed. Sir
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and scaling ladders to continue the attack but suffered heavy casualties. The three column commanders, Sir
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Firth, Charles Harding; Leslie, JH (1925). "The Siege and capture of Bristol by Royalist forces in 1643".
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Parliament in crisis; the disintegration of the Parliamentarian war effort during the summer of 1643
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In the mid-17th century, Bristol was one of the most important cities in England, second only to
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Wentworth's brigade pushed forward towards the inner defences, followed by Belasyse and Colonel
1005:, to march against Bristol from the south while he himself advanced on the city from the north.
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This article is about the storming of 1643. For other sieges and captures of Bristol, see
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meant the West needed to be secured quickly to facilitate an offensive against London.
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and Colonel Brutus Buck, were all killed and the Cornish eventually driven back.
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were among the best troops in the Royalist army but reluctant to serve outside
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1189:
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at Roundway Down, many of their leaders were gone and they now returned home.
109:
1422:
Gentles, Ian (1993). "Why Men Fought in the British Civil Wars, 1639-1652".
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battery facing the Prior's Hill Fort at the northern point of the defences.
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Both sides suffered heavy casualties in the assault. Royalist statesman
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or under "foreign" officers. With the death of the highly popular Sir
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16:
A Battle that took place in 1643 during the First English Civil War
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989:'s Army of the Western Association, which was destroyed at the
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garrison. The city remained under Royalist control until the
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failed to secure it when the war began, leaving it under
1535:
Schwarz, Marc (2004). "Fiennes, Nathaniel (1608-1669)".
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The northern assault force consisted of three infantry
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drive back the defenders, they pulled it down using
1518:
Civil War: The Wars of the Three Kingdoms 1638–1660
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Journal of the Society for Army Historical Research
1219:
Plant, The Sieges of Bristol & Gloucester, 1643
1588:bcw-project.org - Sieges of Bristol and Gloucester
1509:Battles and Generals of the Civil Wars, 1642-1651
1593:World History Encyclopedia - Storming of Bristol
838:took place from 23 to 26 July 1643, during the
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1488:"The Sieges of Bristol & Gloucester, 1643"
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1541:(online ed.). Oxford University Press.
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1393:Robert Blake, admiral and general at sea
1538:Oxford Dictionary of National Biography
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50:Map of Bristol's fortifications in 1644
1562:Young, Peter; Holmes, Richard (2000).
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1613:Battles of the English Civil Wars
1486:Plant, David (27 December 2009).
1086:and some dragoons led by Colonel
1465:Plant, David (1 November 2008).
1067:approach failed. They then used
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1511:. Seeley Service & Co. Ltd.
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850:captured the important port of
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1566:(Wordsworth ed.). Ware.
1555:UK public library membership
1507:Rogers, Col. H.C.B. (1968).
1467:"Nathaniel Fiennes, 1610–69"
1618:Military history of Bristol
1396:. London: Chapman and Hall.
1090:. The brigade commanded by
1013:The garrison under Colonel
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1628:17th century in Bristol
1516:Royle, Trevor (2006) .
1460:(PHD). York University.
1451:Johnson, David (2012).
1388:Dixon, William Hepworth
1372:Firth & Leslie 1925
1312:Young & Holmes 2000
1285:Young & Holmes 2000
1258:Young & Holmes 2000
1231:Young & Holmes 2000
1185:Siege of Bristol (1645)
1121:Surrender and aftermath
991:Battle of Roundway Down
860:second siege of Bristol
840:First English Civil War
209:First English Civil War
38:First English Civil War
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120:Commanders and leaders
1564:The English Civil War
1547:10.1093/ref:odnb/9413
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968:Western Campaign 1643
600:Gunnislake New Bridge
162:Casualties and losses
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1424:The History Teacher
1350:, pp. 172–174.
1150:Confederate Ireland
862:in September 1645.
836:Storming of Bristol
31:Storming of Bristol
1092:Viscount Grandison
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1060:Viscount Grandison
854:from its weakened
674:Scarborough Castle
476:2nd Wardour Castle
376:1st Wardour Castle
62:23 to 26 July 1643
1623:Conflicts in 1643
1553:(Subscription or
1527:978-0-349-11564-1
1272:, pp. 92–93.
1073:Nicholas Slanning
1015:Nathaniel Fiennes
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342:
339:
337:
334:
332:
329:
327:
326:Braddock Down
324:
323:
322:
321:
320:
313:
310:
308:
305:
303:
300:
298:
295:
293:
290:
288:
285:
283:
280:
278:
277:Turnham Green
275:
273:
270:
268:
265:
263:
260:
258:
255:
253:
252:Powick Bridge
250:
248:
245:
243:
240:
238:
235:
233:
230:
228:
225:
224:
223:
222:
216:
211:
201:
196:
194:
189:
187:
182:
181:
178:
169:
166:
165:
160:
152:
145:
144:
139:
136:
133:
131:
127:
126:Prince Rupert
124:
123:
118:
115:
111:
107:
105:
95:
94:
89:
81:
78:
77:
73:
69:
66:
65:
61:
58:
57:
53:
47:
42:
39:
34:
29:
26:
22:
1563:
1536:
1517:
1508:
1496:. Retrieved
1491:
1475:. Retrieved
1470:
1453:
1427:
1423:
1406:
1402:
1392:
1381:Bibliography
1367:
1360:Gentles 1993
1355:
1348:Johnson 2012
1343:
1331:
1324:Gentles 1993
1319:
1292:
1265:
1253:
1226:
1161:
1154:
1147:
1131:
1124:
1115:Arthur Aston
1112:
1100:
1081:
1065:
1045:
1037:
1033:
1012:
995:
993:on 13 July.
972:
929:RoundwayDown
835:
833:
813:2nd Aberdeen
785:
783:
749:Rowton Heath
651:
649:
620:1st Aberdeen
595:Marston Moor
580:Tipton Green
502:
500:
461:Olney Bridge
431:Gainsborough
425:
406:2nd Bradford
371:Sourton Down
361:Ripple Field
341:Hopton Heath
318:
316:
307:1st Bradford
302:Muster Green
287:Piercebridge
257:Kings Norton
247:Babylon Hill
220:
146:4,500 horse
91:Belligerents
36:Part of the
25:
1492:BCW Project
1471:BCW Project
846:army under
793:Bovey Heath
744:2nd Chester
739:Philiphaugh
734:2nd Bristol
689:3rd Taunton
679:2nd Taunton
645:2nd Newbury
635:1st Taunton
630:1st Chester
610:Lostwithiel
530:Boldon Hill
471:Heptonstall
451:1st Newbury
426:1st Bristol
148:6,000 foot
1602:Categories
1557:required.)
1520:. Abacus.
1246:Royle 2006
1190:Fire lance
1167:under Sir
1041:Parliament
943:Gloucester
866:Background
818:Lagganmore
808:3rd Oxford
798:Torrington
764:Annan Moor
694:2nd Oxford
659:Inverlochy
615:Tippermuir
565:1st Oxford
550:Lyme Regis
436:Gloucester
312:Chichester
297:1st Exeter
237:Portsmouth
155:1,500 foot
1498:27 August
1477:27 August
1196:Citations
1134:Clarendon
1108:partisans
979:Royalists
699:Leicester
515:Newcastle
416:Lansdowne
386:Wakefield
356:Lichfield
351:Camp Hill
292:Tadcaster
272:Brentford
267:Aylesbury
153:300 horse
104:Royalists
1415:44227516
1390:(1852).
1179:See also
1157:John Pym
1139:Cornwall
1104:halberds
1084:brigades
1009:Defences
957:Plymouth
844:Royalist
724:Hereford
719:Langport
684:Auldearn
669:Weymouth
640:Carlisle
605:Ormskirk
585:Oswestry
540:Cheriton
510:Nantwich
441:2nd Hull
381:Stratton
262:Edgehill
242:Plymouth
227:1st Hull
157:100 guns
141:Strength
67:Location
1069:faggots
901:Bristol
852:Bristol
729:Kilsyth
560:Lincoln
491:Arundel
456:Winceby
366:Reading
170:Unknown
150:20 guns
72:Bristol
1570:
1551:
1524:
1444:494465
1442:
1413:
1051:Attack
999:Oxford
975:London
915:Oxford
887:London
842:. The
779:Newark
709:Alford
704:Naseby
570:Bolton
525:Newark
79:Result
1458:(PDF)
1440:JSTOR
1411:JSTOR
1023:Frome
545:Selby
481:Alton
331:Leeds
1568:ISBN
1522:ISBN
1500:2008
1479:2008
1106:and
1021:and
1019:Avon
834:The
786:1646
652:1645
555:York
503:1644
319:1643
221:1642
59:Date
1543:doi
1432:doi
1171:in
1604::
1490:.
1469:.
1438:.
1428:26
1426:.
1405:.
1304:^
1277:^
1238:^
1203:^
1075:,
1576:.
1549:.
1545::
1530:.
1502:.
1481:.
1446:.
1434::
1417:.
1407:4
1221:.
199:e
192:t
185:v
23:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
