Well we couldn’t stop Bolton being overrun by the Royalists, but under the blazing heat we put up a damn good fight – and hundreds of people stood there and watched us!
The Storming of Bolton took place last weekend at Bolton School and proved to be a huge success! Over two days our tented village was visited by more than 1,000 spectators who learnt about life during the English Civil War and Bolton’s infamous part in it.
From the Gong Farmer to the Rat Catcher, from the Woodcut-maker to the Puritan Preacher, from the Ale House Landlord to the Wool Merchant, and from the Apothecary to the cooks, it was a fascinating dive back in time for people as they discovered what life could be like during the 17th Century.
The free event was part of a project aimed at teaching children about their town’s part in the Civil War, funded by a regional grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund. Bolton School hosted two Civil War education days for pupils in Years 5, 6, and 7 ahead of last weekend’s re-enactment.
Bolton was attacked in May 1644 by forces led by King Charles’ nephew, Prince Rupert. After defending themselves against the first assault, Parliamentarian defenders hanged one of Rupert’s officers, which led to a notorious massacre when the Royalists finally stormed the town.
We were kindly supported in putting on the event by our friends from the Sealed Knot, including those from the regiments of the Marquess of Newcastle, Sir William Godolphin, Sir George Lisle, Lieutenant Colonel John Lilburne, Sergeant Major General Phillip Skippon, The Earl of Essex, Sir Nicholas Slanning, Colonel John Pickering, Colonel John Hutchinson, Sir Gilbert Hoghton, Richard Deane, and Lord Grey, as well as troops from Colonel Hugh Fraser’s Dragoons and The King’s Guard.
The photos are starting to come through and they give a real flavour of the event – from the crafts on show to the battle itself, we’re hugely appreciative of the good work these snappers have done. We’ve included a selection below, but we encourage you to check their work out for yourselves:
Some fantastic photos from a great report by The Bolton News:
And with England playing Sweden in the World Cup, we had to bring our battle time forward so not only would we still have an audience but so half our soldiers didn’t go AWOL! In the end it was a victory for the English – and it managed to get Cavalier and Roundhead to put their differences aside … even if only for one evening!
Photo by John Beardsworth
The Earl of Manchester's Regiment of Foote blog 