“The Siege of Loyalty House” chronicles the breaking of communities forced to take sides during England’s civil war. It makes poignant, riveting reading
Save time by listening to our audio articles as you multitaskThe siege of that house is the immediate subject of Jessie Childs’s riveting new book. The mansion, part of which was a castle, was reputed to be the largest private residence in England. The estate was the Hampshire seat of John Paulet, Marquess of Winchester, a Catholic royalist. The nickname Loyalty House derived from “Aimez Loyauté”, the Paulet family motto.
The house would not fall until October 1645, when Oliver Cromwell, basking in the proof of God’s favour after victory at the battle of Naseby, arrived with 7,000 men. His artillery included a cannon so big that 40 horses were required to move it. Cromwell needed only three days of bombardment to achieve what had eluded other parliamentary forces for over two years.
Inside the house were several hundred soldiers and numerous women and children. Ms Childs reconstructs their suffering—near-starvation, filthy water, a smallpox outbreak—with startling immediacy using first-hand accounts, letters, memoirs and reports in the viciously partisan press. The book is raucous with opinion, as a civil-war history should be. One heroic royal sortie from Oxford, accomplished with dazzling courage and cunning, brought respite. But it proved brief.
Australia Latest News, Australia Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Russia claims control of Azovstal steel works in Mariupol after long siegeRussia has claimed tonight that the last remaining Ukrainian fighters defending the Azovstal steel works in Mariupol have surrendered.
Read more »
The Innocents review – psychic kids wreak havoc in chilling Norwegian horrorBored children with apparently supernatural powers soon go to the dark side in Eskil Vogt’s superbly cast psychological thriller
Read more »
In the Film 'Men' a Woman Tries—Unsuccessfully—To Be Left AloneIn his tricky psycho-sexual horror film Men, writer-director Alex Garland suggests that men don’t know who they are anymore
Read more »
Russia claims control of Azovstal steel works in Mariupol after long siegeRussia has claimed tonight that the last remaining Ukrainian fighters defending the Azovstal steel works in Mariupol have surrendered.
Read more »
Harry Styles’ juiciest lyrics from Harry’s House from sushi to ‘little freaks’“You’d be the spoon, Dip you in honey so I could be sticking to you” - Daylight, Harry Styles 🍯 Harry Styles’ new album is finally out and, let’s face it, we now have Instagram captions and memeable lyrics for a while. HarrysHouse 🏠
Read more »