The Troubles Begin
Wars rarely start for simple reasons. In this case, trouble had been brewing for many years but the root problem was the question of power and who was to wield it.

The King believed Divine Right gave him power to rule the country and do what he thought fit. Parliament agreed he should rule, but only guided by them. So when Charles I dismissed Parliament in 1629 and ruled for 11 years without it, raising the money he needed by unpopular ancient taxes such as Ship Money, many people became very angry.

Religion was another source of trouble. The King was head of the English church, inclined to High-Church worship with all its outward show. His wife, Henrietta Maria was a practising Catholic and some feared that Charles might follow her ways. On the other hand, many members of Parliament were puritanical dissenters, preferring a simpler style of worship in plain churches without pomp and ceremony.

The Gauntlet is Thrown Down
By 1642 tensions had reached breaking point. On January 4th the King came to Parliament with a group of armed men to arrest five leading MPs. However, the birds had flown - they had been warned of the approaching danger. Such aggressive behaviour by the King couldn't be tolerated; war was inevitable and men began to choose sides. At Nottingham, on August 22nd, the King raised his standard and proclaimed war on his rebellious subjects.

The first major clash was at Edgehill, north of Banbury, on October 23rd 1642. Neither side won the battle but blood had been shed and there was now no going back. London declared for Parliament and the King had to find a new place for his court. He chose Oxford and for the next four years it was his headquarters. Round the Royalist centre a ring of strongholds was established to protect the King. Wallingford was one of them - an important medieval castle re-fortified to meet the challenge of modern warfare.

Wallingford Goes to War
Colonel Blagge was appointed Governor of the castle with the task of improving its decaying defences. The outer moat was filled in, walls were repaired, and nearby All Hallows Church was pulled down to prevent its use as an enemy gun emplacement. To the south and west of the town, houses were destroyed to give a clear view of enemy approach. Barrels of gunpowder, bullets, shot and match were shipped down river to Wallingford from Oxford. Artillery and weapons were provided and every available local horse was taken for the army. By 1646, events had turned against the King. After two years of fairly successful campaigns, the Royalists met their match in Cromwell's New Model Army. They were swept back towards Oxford and one by one the local garrisons surrendered. The King left Oxford, which was soon besieged. It held out until June 24th when the garrison of 3,000 men including the King's nephews, Prince Rupert and Prince Maurice, were allowed to march out of the city with full honours. Now only Wallingford remained, its garrison faithfully holding the town and castle for the King under the leadership of Colonel Blagge.

On May 4th 1646 Thomas Fairfax had ordered troops to besiege Wallingford. A small Royalist garrison in Crowmarsh was driven back over the bridge by Captain Gibbons of Henley, whilst Colonel Weldon from Oxford blocked the town on the Berkshire side. Blagge threatened to set fire to Wallingford if the Parliamentary troops entered the town. Prolonged negotiations followed, with sporadic fighting, Blagge refusing to surrender without the King's command. Terms were finally agreed and the Articles of Surrender were passed by the House of Commons on July 25th.

At this point, trouble seems to have broken out in the castle - Blagge's men almost mutinied over lack of pay so the surrender date was brought forward by two days.

Surrender! - and After
So, on July 27th 1646, Colonel Blagge led his gallant garrison out of Wallingford Castle with full honours. They were allowed to march ten miles from the town before disbanding. For Wallingford it was the beginning of a new era. Parliamentary troops now garrisoned the town. Some used St Leonard's church as a barracks and a disastrous fire damaged the south aisle; it was many years before the church was in full use again. The Royalist Mayor of Wallingford, Will Loader, was removed from office in 1647. Two years later Charles I was executed in Whitehall and eventually Oliver Cromwell took power.

Wallingford castle was garrisoned and used as a prison but in 1652, Cromwell's Council of State decided it was too great a risk to remain. They ordered - and paid for - its total demolition.

The castle stone was sold and some of it was used to build a new tower for St Mary's church. Ironically, it was the former mayor, Will Loader, who was the builder - his name appears on a plaque dated 1653 at the base of the tower. Eventually, Cromwell died and in 1660, Charles II was peacefully restored to the throne. Within two years, guess who was Mayor of Wallingford again? Will Loader. Events had turned full circle.

(Historic Wallingford - a Walk-round Guide priced £1.95 and Wallingford & the Civil War priced £2.75 are available from the Museum, Tourist Information Office or local shops,).
All text © Judy & Stuart Dewey 2001. All images © David Beasley 2001.