Siege of Tiverton (1645) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Siege of Tiverton (1645)
Part of Wars of the Three Kingdoms
Tiverton Castle, aerial view
Date 15 to 19 October 1645 Location Tiverton, Devon Result Parliamentary victory
Belligerents
Royalists	Parliamentarians
Commanders and leaders
Sir Gilbert Talbot Major George Sadler	Sir Thomas Fairfax Edward Massey
Strength
200	2,000 - 4,000
Casualties and losses
200 POW	none

The Siege of Tiverton happened in October 1645 during the First English Civil War. This was a time when the King's supporters, called the Royalists, fought against the Parliament's army, known as the Parliamentarians. During this siege, a Royalist group guarding Tiverton Castle gave up to a part of the New Model Army, which was Parliament's main fighting force.

Before this siege, the Royalists had lost big battles at Naseby in June and Langport in July. These defeats meant their main armies were gone. They only held onto parts of the West Country and a few strong forts. When Bristol surrendered in September, their last important position was the port of Exeter.

To cut off Exeter, the Parliamentarians first needed to capture smaller forts like Tiverton Castle. About 200 Royalist soldiers held this castle. When Parliament's big cannons started firing on October 19, one of the first shots broke the chains of the castle's drawbridge. This made the drawbridge fall, and the Royalist soldiers quickly gave up.

Why Tiverton Was Important

At the start of 1645, the Royalists still controlled much of the western part of England, including Wales. But on June 14, the New Model Army, led by Sir Thomas Fairfax, won a huge victory at Naseby. This battle greatly weakened the Royalist forces. After this, the Royalist army in the West, led by Lord Goring, was their last big fighting group.

On July 9, Fairfax made Goring stop blocking Taunton. The very next day, Fairfax's army destroyed Goring's Western Army at Langport. Before moving to attack the Royalist-held port of Bristol, Fairfax needed to make sure his army was safe from attacks from behind.

Many parts of the West Country had groups called Clubmen. These were local people who formed groups to protect themselves from both sides of the war. They often caused more trouble than the Royalists. After the Battle of Langport, many Royalist soldiers who ran away were killed by Clubmen in Somerset. This was because the Royalists had caused a lot of damage there.

The main goal for these Clubmen was to end the war. Fairfax convinced their leaders that not helping the Royalists was the fastest way to do this. The Clubmen agreed to stay neutral. In return, Parliament promised to pay for any supplies they took.

However, in Dorset, these promises did not work. Fairfax arrested some Clubmen leaders on August 2. After this, between 2,000 and 4,000 Clubmen gathered on Hambledon Hill. On August 4, Oliver Cromwell and his soldiers broke up this group. Cromwell did this with very little fighting. He showed them that they could not stand against the well-trained New Model Army.

When Bristol surrendered on September 10, Exeter became the last important Royalist place in the West. On September 13, Fairfax and his officers decided to clear out any remaining Royalist strongholds between Plymouth and London. Then they would move on Exeter. Oliver Cromwell was given the job of taking forts in Wiltshire and Hampshire. Fairfax and Major-General Edward Massey would do the same in Dorset and Devon.

The Siege of Tiverton

External view of the gatehouse, Tiverton Castle

Tiverton was very important because it controlled a key route into Exeter. The River Exe and River Lowman meet there. The Parliamentarian army had trouble starting the siege because they lacked supplies. The Royalists had taken everything from the countryside as they left. Parliament's soldiers also needed basic things like shoes for their horses.

Tiverton Castle had been held by the Royalists throughout the war. The town itself was briefly taken by the Earl of Essex in 1644. The castle had not been used much since the 1500s. Even though it had been made stronger since 1642, it could not last a long siege. In October 1645, about 200 Royalist soldiers were defending it. These soldiers were from Talbot's Regiment of Foot.

The castle's governor was Sir Gilbert Talbot. He was a diplomat, not a military leader. His second-in-command was Major Sadler, who had once fought for Parliament but switched sides.

On October 15, cavalry soldiers from Massey's army arrived in Tiverton. The Royalists left the town but stayed inside the castle, the church, and the churchyard. Massey asked Talbot to surrender, but Talbot refused. So, Massey had to wait for Fairfax to arrive with the main cannons.

The lighter cannons started firing on Saturday, October 17. It took two more days to get the heavy cannons ready. At 7:00 am, Fairfax ordered his soldiers to get ready to attack the castle walls. Before they started, he offered the Royalists a chance to surrender again, but they said no.

One of the very first shots from the heavy cannons broke the chains of the drawbridge. This made the drawbridge fall down. Without waiting for orders, the Parliamentarian soldiers rushed across it. They quickly took control of the churchyard and the church. Seeing this, Sir Gilbert Talbot surrendered.

What Happened Next

Sir Thomas Fairfax, commander of the New Model Army

All the Royalist soldiers were taken prisoner. Most of the regular soldiers joined the New Model Army. Sir Gilbert Talbot and other officers were exchanged for Parliamentarian prisoners held by the Royalists.

Before the siege, Major George Sadler, who had switched from Parliament to the Royalists, tried to get a pardon. He wanted to avoid punishment for changing sides. He was sent to Taunton to face serious consequences.

In the early parts of the war, soldiers often changed sides. But by this time, feelings were much stronger. Sadler claimed he helped Parliament by giving up the castle. However, the court did not believe him and sentenced him to death. He managed to escape and went to Exeter. News of his confession reached Exeter before him. When he arrived, the Royalists put him to death.

After the siege, Fairfax set up a blockade around Exeter. In November, he made his headquarters at Ottery St Mary. However, many of his soldiers became sick there. In December, he moved back to Tiverton, which was thought to be a healthier place. He used Blundell's School as his base. He stayed there until early January 1646. Before leaving, the castle's defenses were taken apart. This was to stop it from being used in any future fighting.

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