Civil War sieges dragged ordinary folk into war, says curator

"Sieges were not only the most common form of war during the English Civil Wars, but quite often the most brutal," said curator Stuart Orme.

This type of warfare will be explored in an exhibition at the Cromwell Museum in Huntingdon, which looks beyond famous 17th Century battles such as Edgehill or Naseby.

Between 1642 and 1648, the First and Second Civil Wars saw 28 major battles in England and 189 places were besieged.

These included Woodcroft Castle, just north of Peterborough, which is still said to be haunted by Charles I's chaplain, who was hacked to death at the battle's end.

Orme, from the museum, said: "Under the rules of war, if the walls were breached, you were fair game, towns were sacked and people treated badly.

"Places all over Britain and Ireland were fortified and then besieged as part of this brutal conflict, dragging many thousands of ordinary people into the front line of the conflict."

Leicester endured one of the most brutal assaults of the conflict in 1645, when Royalist forces stormed the town - and killing and looting wiped out about a fifth of its population.

The atrocity was so severe that Charles's actions there were cited in the indictment against him at his 1649 trial.

Orme said: "There were increasing atrocities on both sides - we know from modern-day examples that civil wars, where you can accommodate yourself to fight countrymen, people from their own community and even your own family, can be the most brutal."

Women were also involved in the sieges, including the Royalist Lady Mary Bankes in 1642, who led a tiny garrison in the defence of Corfe Castle, or the women of Bristol, who helped repair earthworks during Royalist attacks in 1643.

The Cambridgeshire museum owns the world's leading collection of material relating to the life of Oliver Cromwell, who was born and educated in Huntingdon.

Cromwell rose from obscurity to become Lord Protector of England as a result of his unexpected military skills during the civil wars of the 1640s.

More than 1,000 places were fortified around Britain, while forts such as Earith Bulwark were built to defend key positions.

Orme said: "Cromwell didn't really have the patience for sieges.

"At Burghley House [near Peterborough], he arrived outside and offered generous terms to surrender and, when they refused, bombarded it with artillery and stormed the garrison, who were treated very badly."

Cromwell is also infamous for the storming of Drogheda in County Louth, Ireland, in 1649.

"More than 3,000 people died in one night, the majority soldiers killed in the fight, but some executed after, and about 600 civilians killed, although the number is disputed," said the curator.

The exhibition includes what is believed to be the only surviving Civil War siege helmet in the UK, plans of sieges at Newark, Plymouth and Colchester, musket balls recovered from siege sites and a cannon ball from the siege of Sheffield Castle.

Besieged: Sieges of the Civil War Exhibition is free to visit and runs from 3 November to 4 April

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