The first Civil War
started in 1642 and
lasted until 1645 when
King Charles I was beaten
at Naseby near Northampton.
During the following
three years relative
calm enabled Parliament
to consolidate it position.
However in 1648 the
Scots marched South
in support of the King,
only to be defeated
at the Battle of Preston.
King Charles I executed
a year later. In 1651,
his son Charles proclaims
himself King Charles
II only to be defeated
at the Battle of Worcester.
In 1653 Cromwell closes
the House of Commons
and a year later he
became Lord Protector
in the First Protectorate
Parliament. 1659 saw
the death of Crowell
and a year later the
Monarchy was restored.
Lancashire
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In June 1642 Lord
Derby anticipated the
forthcoming conflict
by holding a rally of
Royalist supporters
at Fulwood in Preston.
By November that year,
after King Charles I
had raised his standard
at Nottingham in August,
the High Sheriff of
Lancashire wrote to
the gentlemen of the
Leyland Hundred (in
which Brindle was situated)
calling for support
for the King. Lancashire
was divided – Preston,
Leyland Hundred, West
Derby and Lonsdale declared
for the King; Blackburn,
Manchester and the south
of the County for Parliament.
In 1643, Preston
is captured by the Parliamentarians
only to be taken by
Lord Derby for the King.
Parliamentarians score
a victory at the Battle
of Whalley, up the Ribble
valley towards Clitheroe.
1648 saw 20,000 Royalist
troops defeated by Cromwell
at the Battle of Preston.
In 1649 Lancashire
pleads for financial
aid to repair the social
and economic ravages
of the Civil War.
At Lancaster in 1651
Charles (son of Charles
I) proclaims himself
King Charles II. The
Battle of Wigan Lane,
to the north of the
town of Wigan, sees
a decisive victory for
the Parliamentary forces.
Brindle
In 1642, at the beginning
of the Civil War, local
men joined a Royalist
Regiment under Sir Gilbert
Gerard at the Battle
of Edge Hill.
In 1643 Hoghton Tower,
close to Brindle, was
captured by the Parliamentarians.
In 1651, Parliamentary
forces were recorded
as being in Brindle
encamped by the parish
Church of St James,
in the centre of the
village, on the 21st
and 22nd August. On
the 21st a skirmish
took place in Brindle
resulting in a number
of Royalist being killed,
several escaped back
to Preston and one was
killed.
Colonel
Lilburne
In 1651, the Earl
of Derby having left
the Isle of Man and
arrived at Preston to
raise a force for Charles
II, Colonel Lilburne
advanced north from
Chester to meet him,
and with his horsemen
came to Brindle on 23rd
August, where 'they
put their horses to
grass in those low meadows
between the church and
Preston,' and took their
ease. Some Royalists,
'they being all enemies
thereabouts,' sent word
to Preston, and a bold
attempt was made to
capture the horses.
Though surprised Lilburne's
men drove off the attack,
'the young men' being
'soundly paid home for
their forwardness. None
escaped but either slain
or taken, save one called
Newsham, who forsaking
his horse fled into
a thick oller tree and
there hid himself in
the leaves thereof and
at night went away.'
Some companies of foot
had been quartered within
Brindle and kept guard
in the church. The fight
at Wigan Lane followed.
From: 'The parish of
Brindle', A History
of the County of Lancaster:
Volume 6 (1911), pp.
75-81.
