1646 Torrington and the Civil War
The English Civil War began in August 1642 when King Charles 1, having failed in an attempt to exert executive authority over Parliament, raised his standard at Nottingham and in modern terms, declared war on Parliament. This was the first and last time in the history of the British monarchy that a reigning King made war on his own people.
Four years later, following a series of fierce battles, the parliamentary forces emerged victorious and the King fled to Scotland. He was then ransomed by Parliament and put under house arrest but escaped to lead another abortive attempt to make war. At the Army's insistence, he was arraigned before a special high court of justice in Parliament and, on January the 30th 649, executed by decapitation
The Civil War came to Torrington in February 1646 when a battle between Royalist and Parliamentary forces for control of the town ended with the Royalists under Lord Hopton being routed by an element of the Parliamentary Army commanded by Sir Thomas Fairfax.
The defeat of the Royalist force was compounded by the accidental death of around 200 of them imprisoned in the local church. The Royalists had apparently stored gunpowder in the church and the explosive was somehow ignited soon after the prisoners were put into the building. Both church and prisoners were utterly destroyed.
The battle of Torrington is commemorated in the Town through pageants, exhibitions and re-enactments when 'cavaliers' and 'roundheads' re-fight the battle; an amusement for tourists and natives alike today but a bloody and terrible business at the time.
