Siege of Worcester (1643) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Siege of Worcester (May 1643) |
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| Part of the First English Civil War | |||||||
 Worcester Cathedral from Fort Royal Hill. |
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| Belligerents | |||||||
 Royalists |
 Parliamentarians |
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| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
| Colonel William Sandys | Sir William Waller | ||||||
| Strength | |||||||
| 1,500 and 300 militia. | 3,000 and 8 guns | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| Light | 5–6 captains 160 soldiers were killed |
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The short siege of Worcester happened from May 29 to May 31, 1643. It was part of the First English Civil War. A Parliamentarian army of about 3,000 soldiers, led by Sir William Waller, tried to capture the city of Worcester. However, they failed. The city was defended by about 1,700 Royalist soldiers. These defenders were commanded by Colonel William Sandys, who was the acting governor. After failing to take Worcester, Waller's army retreated to Gloucester, which was a Parliamentarian stronghold.
Preparing for the Attack
Waller's Plan After Ripple Field
After losing the battle of Ripple Field in April 1643, Sir William Waller and his army went back to Gloucester. Waller was supposed to go to his main base in Bristol. But he decided to delay this trip. He wanted to do something important to improve his reputation. He felt he needed a big win after his recent defeat.
Waller believed it was too risky to leave Gloucester. He thought he needed to capture Hereford and Worcester first. So, he started planning to take these cities.
Capturing Hereford
Waller learned that Hereford might be taken with a quick, surprise attack. He liked this kind of bold plan. On April 24, he arrived at Hereford with about 2,500 men. There was some fighting, but the soldiers defending Hereford didn't fight hard. Many of them left.
So, Sir Richard Cave, the governor of Hereford, had to surrender. Waller entered Hereford in triumph on April 25, 1643. This victory made him look like a successful leader again. He had cut off the King's way to communicate with Wales.
Royalist Reaction and Parliament's Joy
The capture of Hereford, along with the capture of Reading the next day, was a big win for Parliament. They now controlled important areas. The Royalists were very angry about these losses. They even held trials for the governors of Hereford and Reading, but both were found innocent.
Parliament was very happy about their successes. They even wrote poems about it. They also believed that God was helping them win. For example, Waller entering Hereford was called "as great a deliverance as the Israelites passing the Red Sea."
Challenges for Parliament
Even with these wins, Parliament faced a problem. They didn't have enough soldiers to guard both Gloucester and Hereford. Waller's army was good for quick attacks, but not for holding cities for a long time. He sent out groups from Hereford to get supplies and money.
Waller soon realized it was pointless to keep Hereford. He decided to return to Gloucester. He planned to then attack Worcester. The Royalists were already preparing to take Hereford back. So, on May 18, Waller left Hereford. By May 20, the Royalists had taken Hereford again.
Worcester Prepares for Attack
The fall of Hereford made the people in Worcester very alert. The city's governor, Sir William Russell, was away. Colonel William Sandys was acting as governor. He had asked all men aged 16 to 60 to join the King's service, but not many showed up.
There were also problems within the Worcester army. They didn't always obey orders, and they often lacked money and food. This caused a lot of unhappiness. Waller's raiding parties had been seen near the city. Some people inside Worcester who didn't support the King were in touch with Waller's troops.
Worcester was much stronger in May 1643 than it had been before. The city walls had been rebuilt, and new defenses were added. About 300 local volunteers had been trained. The main army, about 1,500 strong, was ready. Sandys believed he could defend the city if it was attacked.
On the evening of May 28, flyers were spread around Worcester. They were from William Waller. He asked citizens who cared about their religion, safety, and city rights to join him. He promised to protect them and give them free food and shelter. This message was designed to appeal to unhappy people in the city. Sandys knew this meant an attack was coming. So, the troops were gathered, and the gates were closed.
The Siege Begins
Waller's Arrival and Demand
Waller left Gloucester on the afternoon of May 28, 1643. He marched all night and reached Worcester around dawn on May 29. He had a large army of about 3,000 men and 8 cannons. He also had his famous Gloucester Blue Regiment cavalry.
Waller stopped his men on high ground south of the city. He sent a trumpeter to the Sidbury Gate to demand that the city surrender. Colonel Sandys told the trumpeter that Worcester was "not at Hereford" and told him to leave. The trumpeter said this was rude and he wouldn't leave without a proper answer for his general.
The Trumpeter Incident
The trumpeter refused to move, saying the laws of war allowed him a civil answer. Sandys returned, annoyed, with Captain Beaumont. Sandys again told the trumpeter to leave. When the trumpeter refused, Beaumont ordered a guard to shoot him. The trumpeter was shot in the thigh and fell from his horse, badly wounded.
This event caused a big argument. Parliamentarians said the Royalists had broken the rules of war by shooting a messenger under a flag of truce. Royalists argued that the trumpeter lost his protection when he refused to leave after delivering his message.
The Attack on Worcester
The death of his trumpeter made Waller furious. He ordered the attack to begin around 6:00 AM. His cannons started firing at the city. There was a long cannon fight. Worcester's cannons and musketeers fought back well. Waller's guns could not overcome the city's defenses.
Waller tried to attack the east side of the city near Friary Gate, but his soldiers were pushed back. They lost many men. He had more success south of the city, near Diglis. He captured a house outside the walls. This house gave his men cover to fire at the city.
Sandys decided to take back this house. After tough fighting, his men succeeded. They also burned the house so Waller's men couldn't use it again.
Royalist Counterattack and Waller's Retreat
A group of Royalist horsemen attacked Waller's right side from St. Martin's Gate. They pushed the Parliamentarians back. The fighting was fierce. Waller lost about 60 to 70 men.
Because of this counterattack and his failure at Diglis, Waller had to rethink his position. A false report arrived that Lord Capel was coming to help Worcester. But it was true that Prince Maurice had left Oxford with three regiments of horse. He planned to cut off Waller's escape route to Gloucester.
Waller's troops were discouraged and had many wounded soldiers. He couldn't fight Sandys from the front and Maurice from behind. He also had to cross the River Avon if things went wrong. So, Waller decided to retreat while he still could.
To move his wounded and supplies, Waller gathered all the boats around Worcester. He put his wounded soldiers, baggage, and cannons on the boats and sent them to Gloucester by water. He also searched for horses, even going as far north as Ombersley to take horses belonging to Colonel Sandys. Around 1:00 AM on May 31, Waller began his retreat towards Tewkesbury.
Waller's army suffered heavy losses. Five or six captains and 160 soldiers were killed. Many barges were filled with wounded men. The fighting had been very intense, especially around Diglis.
After the Siege
Worcester's Defense and Women's Role
The people of Worcester were proud of their defense. The women of Worcester played a big part. They worked hard on the city's defenses to help the soldiers. After the fighting, they continued to work.
Waller had used trees, hedges, mounds, and houses outside the city walls for cover. The city decided to remove all these. Women from every part of the city formed groups. They leveled all the defenses left by Waller's army. This was to make sure Waller couldn't use them again if he returned.
Waller's Reputation Suffers
The women of Worcester didn't need to worry. Waller would not return. His army was in no condition to attack again. His position was much worse than Parliamentarians wanted to admit. People made excuses for him, saying he attacked a strong city with too few soldiers.
However, the Earl of Essex, who was jealous of Waller, criticized him harshly. Waller had no good answer for his failure. He had made a big mistake.
Worcester gained honor for stopping the most popular and successful Parliamentarian general. Six weeks later, Waller suffered another crushing defeat at the Battle of Roundway Down on July 13, 1643. This ruined his reputation as a general. Waller himself said that "Worcestershire was not a lucky place for him."
