Transcript Aston Hall and the Civil War

Aston Hall and the Civil War
Written and compiled by Ailyse Hancock for Schools Liaison,
Birmingham Museums and Art Gallery.
Line drawings by Brian Byron
Reconstruction of Aston Hall after the attack by Pat Hughes
The first few slides of this presentation provide background
information on events leading up to the siege of Aston Hall
in December 1643. Further slides provide some information
on weapons and tactics used in the Civil War, details of the
attack and the resulting damage to the house.
Background Information
Aston Hall in Stuart Times

Aston Hall was a newly built
mansion in the early 17th
century.

Sir Thomas Holte had had the
house built as a prestigious
home for himself, his second
wife, and a few of his 16
children. Sir Thomas also had a
household of some 40 servants
making up the household

He had only moved in just two
or three years before the
deteriorating situation between
King Charles and his
Parliament led to Civil War.
Background Information
Edward Holte and Elizabeth King
These portraits
of Edward and
Elizabeth hang
in Aston Hall.
 Sir Thomas secured a prestigious
post in the king’s household for his
eldest living son, Edward.
 Whilst at court Edward met and fell in
love with the Bishop of London’s
daughter, Elizabeth King.
 Sir Thomas disapproved of the
match. They married and Edward was
disinherited.
 The king tried to make Sir Thomas
change his mind but to no avail.
 The quarrel continued for 20 years
until Edward’s death in 1643.
It is thought that King Charles
may have stopped off at Aston
Hall in October 1642 to persuade
Sir Thomas to acknowledge his
eldest son.
Background Information
The Gathering Storm
In August 1642 King
Charles I raised his
standard
(flag)
at
Nottingham and declared
his subjects in rebellion or at least those who
supported Parliament.
Parliament didn’t like
Charles taking the advice
of his Catholic Queen
and his insistence on the
Divine Right of Kings to
rule.
Aston Hall was affected
twice during this war.
The King fell out with his
Parliament over his foreign,
domestic
and
religious
policies.
This picture of Charles I in
armour hangs in what was
the best lodging chamber
at Aston Hall.
Background Information
The Road to Edgehill
King Charles visited Aston Hall in
October 1642. He had travelled
from Nottingham to Shrewsbury,
where he oversaw the enlisting of
7000 Welsh troops .
King Charles is recorded as staying
at Aston Hall for one night on, or
near, the 18th October 1642.
Shrewsbury
The King’s baggage
train was attacked by
Parliamentarians
from Birmingham.
Aston Hall
Birmingham
Three or four days later the Royalist
advance on London was blocked by
the Parliamentarian army moving
swiftly across the Midlands under the
command of the Earl of Essex. The
two armies engaged in the first major
battle of the Civil War – the Battle of
Edgehill
Battle of
Edgehill
The King then
intended to lead his
army in a march on
London to take the
capital from the
Parliamentarians.
London
Background Information
Welcome the King!
We can guess that lords like Lord Wilmot,
Sir Jacob Astley and Sir Edmund Verney,
who fought for the King at Edgehill, must
also have been at Aston Hall a few days
before. Prince Charles and Prince James
must have visited too, with their tutor
William Harvey.
The best lodging chamber is
still called King Charles’
Bedroom in honour of the
king’s visit.
The army camped near the
present day Kingstanding.
The King is thought to have
addressed his troops here
before they moved off the
following day.
Background Information
The Battle of Edgehill
Sir Jacob Astley was put in charge of
the King’s infantry. He was an old
soldier with much experience of
fighting in the 30 years war on the
continent. He was heard to say before
the battle,‘O Lord, Thou knowest how
busy I must be this day. If I forget
Thee, do not forget me’
On the Parliamentarian
side was a cavalry
officer who was to rise
to great fame as the Civil
War progressed. His
name was Oliver
Cromwell.
Both sides suffered appalling casualties during
this first major battle. King Charles was so
appalled by the terrible carnage, and the moans
and screams of dying men as dusk fell that he
remained on the battlefield all night in a shocked
daze.
Background Information
The Wounded at Edgehill
Those injured during the fighting
were dragged unceremoniously
off the battlefield.
The surgeons were at the rear of
the fighting men. Four or five
were attached to the
headquarters and treated the
nobility.
The rest were regimental
surgeons assisted by
surgeon’s mates. Few were
qualified!
Most were totally inexpert in
the use of their crude
instruments.
Background Information
The Battle of Birmingham
3 April 1643

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Rupert was sent from Oxford to
ensure a safe route for the
Queen’s convoy - on its way
south from Bridlington.
He had not forgotten how
Birmingham, ‘this incurably
Parliamentarian town’ had
attacked the king’s baggage
train in 1642.
On hearing of Rupert’s approach
earthworks were thrown up and
streets barricaded.
The townsfolk put up a spirited
defence even after the Royalists
had entered the town.
The ‘Birmingham Butcheries’
were reviled by both sides.
Events leading to the siege
After the ‘Birmingham Butcheries’
The people of Birmingham were keen for
revenge. During the summer of 1643 a
Parliamentarian gang, with a leader called
‘Tinker’ Fox, attacked the homes of known
Royalist supporters. They looted and
burned and caused fear amongst the
Midland Royalist nobility.
By the autumn Sir Thomas Holte was very
worried about the safety of his home. He asked
Colonel Leveson, Governor of Dudley Castle, for
40 musketeers to help defend Aston Hall. Earth
banks were thrown up around the house (there is
a record of Sir Thomas complaining about trees
being cut down during this operation).
By fortifying his house Sir Thomas gave cause
for concern on the Parliamentarian side. Around
Christmas 1643 a force was sent from Coventry
to take Aston Hall.
An eye witness account
A Parliamentarian version of events
Report to Parliament by the Warwick County Committee
on the Assault on Aston Hall - January 1644
The Royalist
soldiers said
they were
not letting
the
Parliament’s
troops take
the house.
The earth
banks thrown
up around
Aston Hall
The Royalists
did not honour
their surrender
The attacking
soldiers felt
tricked and
drew their
swords in a
frenzied attack
before their
officers could
gain control.
Sir Thomas’ troops in the house demanded to know
what the Parliamentarian troops were doing there.
The house
was
bombarded
with cannon
fire.
‘The Knight’s forces sounded a Challenge, and we sent to
demand the House for the use of King and Parliament; but they
returned answer that they would not yeeld while they had a
man alive. On Tuesday we played upon them with our Cannon, These could be
anyone with a
but they disposing of themselves in the lower rooms had little
different
prejudice done them. On Wednesday … Our Men, Horse and
accent to the
Foote, marched up very valiantly, and by assault tooke the
local one!
Church, which was defended by 40 stout French and Irish men, These
nationalities
who we tooke prisoners, with one woman … by taking the
were likely to
Church we presently assailed their workes and tooke them,
be Catholics
stormed the House, and our men with great valour entring in at and hated by
the windows … the enemy within … then cryed for quarter,
Parliament.
which was granted them, yet afterwards some of them very
barborously shott two of our men in the mouth comming in at
the window, which so inraged our souldiers, that they went
Surrendered
and asked not
about to put them all to the sword, and killed or wounded
neere twenty before they could be appeased. We lost on oure to be killed.
side foure men and foure wounded…we tooke in all about 80
prisoners, whereof some of note, but above all we had good
store of rich Pillage, goods, moneys and plate’.
The house was ransacked.
The Attack
Deployment of Parliamentary Troops
The Attack
Aston Church
This says:-
‘…..On Wednesday … Our
Men, Horse and Foote,
marched up very valiantly,
and by assault tooke the
Church, which was
defended by 40 stout
French and Irish men, who
we tooke prisoners, with
one woman … by taking
the Church we presently
assailed their workes and
tooke them…….’
The Parliamentarian
infantry and cavalry
attacked the church on
Wednesday and captured
everyone inside. They
were not local people and
included one woman.
Once the church had
been taken then the
Parliamentarian side
could start attacking the
earth banks which had
been thrown up to protect
the Hall.
The Attack
The Parliamentarian Attack
Sir Thomas had the
church fortified but it
was taken first. The
Parliamentarian forces
could then move closer
to the house.
The south side of
the house is
thought to have
been badly
damaged during
the attack.
It must have been the
window of this room
through which the
cannonball flew that hit
a stair post.
The east front of Aston Hall
was greatly altered in the years
following the Civil War. Was
this partly a result of damage
done during the attack?
These windows are
shown as jutting out in
a ‘star shape’ on the
original building plans.
Possibly damaged in
the attack and replaced
with more fashionable
ones.
The Attack
The Artillery
(Which may have been used by the Parliamentarian force at Aston Hall)
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Artillery weapons ranged from large siege pieces, able to knock holes
in walls, like those used at Aston Hall, to smaller, anti-personnel guns.
Horses or oxen were used to pull the guns.
The rate of fire was usually about 15 rounds per hour.
They were loaded with gunpowder (kept in a barrel or wrapped in
canvas or paper to make cartridges), iron shot and wadding (dry
vegetation).
All field guns were mounted on two wheeled carriages of oak and elm.
The Attack
Musketeers

Muskets played a large
part for both sides in
the siege of Aston Hall.

A matchlock musket
could be loaded and
fired twice in a minute.

It was loaded at the
muzzle end with
gunpowder (sulphur,
charcoal and saltpetre),
shot and wadding.

A smouldering length
of rope was used to
ignite gunpowder in the
priming pan.
The gunpowder was stored
in small wooden or tin
containers on a ‘bandolier’
which was worn across the
body.

Background Information
Pikemen
The pikemen were mostly used in open field warfare - they were little use in a
siege such as that at Aston Hall.

Pikemen carried a pole or
pike.

It was 3 metres or more in
length with a sharp, metal
point on the end. A vicious
weapon to aim at the head,
throat or unprotected part
of the body.
 They fought in a group, a ‘hedghog’, with up to a 100 men in
each group.
Damage to the house
Cannonball Damage

Once the church was taken
the artillery could move
closer.

At some point in the attack
a cannonball flew though
the
window
of
the
‘Withdrawing
Room’
through an open door, and
hit a newel (stair) post. The
resulting damage can still
be seen today.

It is difficult to say why this
damage was not repaired
immediately after the attack
– maybe
shortage of
money.
By the time a Holte baronet
could afford repairs to the stair
post, they had become aware of
the interest value of the
damage.

Another primary source but written by someone who was not there.
John Vicar’s God’s Arke Overtopping the World’s
Waves or the Third Part of the Parliamentary
Chronicle (1646)
Transcribed (written in modern language):This January just gone a message was sent to London from Warwickshire telling us
‘And about the beginning of this instant January, came credible intelligence from Warwickshire
that a Parliamentarian army had been sent from Coventry to Sir Thomas Holte’s house which is
to London, that Coventry forces marched out to Sir Thomas Holts House, about 14 miles from
about 14 miles from Coventry and a short distance from Birmingham. The Parliamentarian
Coventry, and a little from Brumingham, and summoned them within the House, which caused a
officers offered to negotiate with the Royalists in the house. But as they were talking someone inside
parley, and while the parley was, some shot was made from the House which hurt or killed
shot two of the men from Coventry. The Parliamentarians then opened fire and started attacking
two of Coventry-men: Whereupon they left parling, and instantly fell to battering the House,
the house. They killed quite a number of the people inside and forced their way into the house.
whereby they killed divers of them within, and forcibly made their way into the House and took
The Parliamentarians took 80 prisoners, horses and valuable items from the house. Then they
about 80 prisoners, some Horse, and all the plunder of the House, an so returned safely to Coventry.
returned safely to Coventry.
Damage to the house
The Sack of Aston Hall

After the Royalists in the
Hall had surrendered, Sir
Thomas was taken into
custody ‘without a shirt to
shift him’.

The house was sacked although it could have
been worse. At least it was
not burnt out.

Sir Thomas managed to
get himself acquitted of
deliquency in 1646.

But Sir Thomas was tried
again later and fined a 1/6
of the value of his estate.
This is part of a reconstruction picture
based on the inventory drawn up at the
time of Sir Thomas’ death in1654
during the Commonwealth period).
Clearly the
‘withdrawing
room’ has been
ransacked too.
Note the (broken
panelling is
recorded in the
inventory)
propped against
a wall.
The Great
Chamber had
been stripped of
its panelling,
tapestries and
other valuable
items.