Clubmen of Dorset and Wiltshire facts for kids

The Clubmen of Dorset and Wiltshire were a special group of people who formed their own local defense units around 1644 or 1645. This happened during the English Civil War in the areas of Dorset and Wiltshire. Like other groups called Clubmen, their main goal was to protect themselves and their homes. They wanted to be safe from both the Parliamentarian soldiers and the Royalist soldiers. Most of all, they wanted the fighting to stop.

Why the Clubmen Formed

Problems for Soldiers and Locals

By late 1644, the Royalist army was having a tough time. They struggled to find enough food and places for their soldiers to stay. Local people were not happy about this. They had supported local soldiers before, but they didn't like the new soldiers who came from far away.

Things got even worse when the Royalists started losing battles. This made the local people even less supportive. They just wanted the war to end quickly so their lives could go back to normal.

A Plan for Local Protection

Around this time, some important people in the Midlands suggested a plan. They wanted to create a "Western Association." This would be like a local army that could keep order and protect against Parliamentarian attacks.

At first, this idea didn't get much interest. But it did catch the attention of people in other areas, like the Marches. They asked for permission to form their own local defense groups.

King Charles I's Decision

This idea worried the Royalists. These new groups would get money from places that usually funded the Royalist army. Also, a large group of armed men could turn against them.

However, on February 15, 1644, King Charles I said yes. He allowed the associations to form. Historians like Ronald Hutton think the King believed it was more dangerous to say no than to say yes. He tried to keep some control by making sure Royalist officers led these groups.

Clubmen Form in Dorset and Wiltshire

Forming Without Permission

The authorized associations gave the Clubmen an idea. But the Clubmen in Dorset, Wiltshire, and Somerset formed their groups without official permission. This was a new way for people to try and stay neutral in the war. They wanted to stop their homes from becoming battlefields.

They also reacted strongly to new demands. The associations wanted everyone to join the army and pay higher taxes. Many farmers and villagers simply could not afford this.

How the Clubmen Operated

Local and Independent Groups

Even though there were many Clubmen, they didn't act like one big army. Instead, they worked in a very local way. Each group operated independently in its own area.

For example, the Clubmen from Langport (in Somerset) acted separately from the Clubmen in Shepton Mallet and Wells. Even though all these places were in the same general region, their groups were not connected.

The Clubmen's Uprising

Fighting the Parliamentarians

In mid-1645, the First English Civil War was almost over. Parliamentarian soldiers arrived in the West of England. How the Clubmen reacted depended on where they were. Some smaller groups, like the Langport Clubmen, even helped the Parliamentarians.

But the main Dorset-Wiltshire Clubmen fought against them. Historians have different ideas why. David Underdown suggests it was about geography. Clubmen from larger towns (the "Chalk" areas) were more friendly to the Royalists. Those from smaller farming villages (the "Cheese" areas) were more friendly to the Parliamentarians.

Ronald Hutton has another idea. He thinks it depended on what the war had been like for them. Areas that had only suffered because of Royalist soldiers were friendly to the Parliamentarians. But areas that had suffered from both sides were against both.

The End of the Clubmen

On August 2, 1645, Colonel Charles Fleetwood was sent to break up a group of 1,000 Clubmen in Shaftesbury, Dorset. Meanwhile, Oliver Cromwell moved against a larger group on Hampton Hill. There, 60 Clubmen were killed and 400 were captured.

These actions, along with the end of the war, brought an end to the Clubmen's activities.

Images for kids

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  Title page of "The Desires and Resolutions of the Clubmen of the Counties of Dorset and Wiltshire", published by said Clubmen in 1645