Colonel Sir Gilbert Gerard (died January 1646) was a Royalist officer during the
English Civil War
The English Civil War or Great Rebellion was a series of civil wars and political machinations between Cavaliers, Royalists and Roundhead, Parliamentarians in the Kingdom of England from 1642 to 1651. Part of the wider 1639 to 1653 Wars of th ...
. He served as
Governor of Worcester, fighting a campaign against the Parliamentarian
Tinker Fox
Colonel John "Tinker" Fox (1610–1650), confused by some sources with the MP Thomas Fox, was a parliamentarian soldier during the English Civil War. Commanding a garrison at Edgbaston House in Warwickshire – a location that guarded the main r ...
, and died there in 1646 with the conflict still ongoing.
Early life
Gilbert and
Ratcliffe were twin sons of Ratcliffe Gerard, and Elizabeth, daughter and heir of Sir Charles Somerset.
1642: The first campaign and Edgehill
Gerard was the colonel of a Royalist regiment of foot (his twin brother, Ratcliffe, was his lieutenant-colonel) that was already in the field before the first major
pitched battle
A pitched battle or set-piece battle is a battle in which opposing forces each anticipate the setting of the battle, and each chooses to commit to it. Either side may have the option to disengage before the battle starts or shortly thereafter. A ...
took place. Gerard's Regiment joined two other
Lancashire
Lancashire ( , ; abbreviated ''Lancs'') is a ceremonial county in North West England. It is bordered by Cumbria to the north, North Yorkshire and West Yorkshire to the east, Greater Manchester and Merseyside to the south, and the Irish Sea to ...
Royalist regiments under the command of Sir
Charles Gerard's (his nephew) and
Lord Molyneux in besieged
Manchester
Manchester () is a city and the metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester, England. It had an estimated population of in . Greater Manchester is the third-most populous metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, with a population of 2.92&nbs ...
, but they failed to take the city before they left for the general rendezvous with the Royalist army which was assembling in
Shropshire
Shropshire (; abbreviated SalopAlso used officially as the name of the county from 1974–1980. The demonym for inhabitants of the county "Salopian" derives from this name.) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the West M ...
before advancing towards London. The advancing Royalist army fought the Parliamentary army at
Edgehill (23 October 1642) in an indecisive engagement. Gerard's regiment fought in the front line along with Molyneux and a Welsh regiment of
Sir Thomas Salusbury, and although indecisive the battle for those in the front line came to a
push of pike
The push of pike was a particular feature of Late Middle Ages and Early Modern warfare that occurred when two opposing columns of pikemen (often Swiss Reisläufer or German Landsknechte) met and became locked in position along a front of inter ...
s.
After the advance on London and the
Battle of Brentford, Gerard marched with his regiment and that of Molyneux to
Brill
Brill may refer to:
Places
* Brielle (sometimes "Den Briel"), a town in the western Netherlands
* Brill, Buckinghamshire, a village in England
* Brill, Cornwall, a small village to the west of Constantine, Cornwall, UK
* Brill, Wisconsin, an un ...
to take up his appointment of Governor of Brill and to oversee its fortification and to defend the place against incursions by Parliamentary forces. It was one of several satellite locations chosen to protect
Oxford
Oxford () is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and non-metropolitan district in Oxfordshire, England, of which it is the county town.
The city is home to the University of Oxford, the List of oldest universities in continuou ...
and the King's court, and so Gerard oversaw the building of earthworks to turn the area near the Church into a fort. While Molyneux was absent Gerard with the aid of a regiment of horse (cavalry) commanded by Colonel Charles Gerard,
beat off a strong attack by Colonel
Arthur Goodwin on 27 January 1643.
1643: Campaigning in the south west and Governor of Worcester
For the summer campaign of 1643 Gerard and his regiment were assigned to the Royalist forces in the south west. They were involved in the siege and
storming of Bristol
The Storming of Bristol took place from 23 to 26 July 1643, during the First English Civil War. The Royalist army under Prince Rupert captured the important port of Bristol from its weakened Parliamentarian garrison. The city remained under ...
(26 July 1643) and were in the front-line at the
First Battle of Newbury
The First Battle of Newbury was a battle of the First English Civil War that was fought on 20 September 1643 between a Royalist army, under the personal command of King Charles, and a Parliamentarian force led by the Earl of Essex. Following ...
on 20 September 1643. In December Gerard took up an appointment as
Governor of Worcester and his regiment garrisoned the town.
In the last quarter of 1643
Tinker Fox
Colonel John "Tinker" Fox (1610–1650), confused by some sources with the MP Thomas Fox, was a parliamentarian soldier during the English Civil War. Commanding a garrison at Edgbaston House in Warwickshire – a location that guarded the main r ...
took possession of
Edgbaston Hall
Edgbaston Hall () is a country house (albeit now in the middle of the city) in the Edgbaston area of Birmingham, England.
Description and current usage
Since 1936, through negotiations initiated by The Birmingham Civic Society with the owner, Ca ...
and made it his headquarters. From there he sent expeditions all over the north of Worcestershire "to smite the
Amalekite" (1 Samuel 15:3). At first his raids were just a nuisance but they could be contained by local Royalist forces. However Fox was commissioned as a
colonel
Colonel ( ; abbreviated as Col., Col, or COL) is a senior military Officer (armed forces), officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations.
In the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries, a colon ...
by the
Earl of Denbigh
Earl of Denbigh (pronounced 'Denby') is a title in the Peerage of England. It was created in 1622 for William Feilding, 1st Earl of Denbigh, William Feilding, Viscount Feilding, a courtier, admiral, and brother-in-law of the powerful George Vill ...
in March 1644 to command the regiment at Edgbaston, which by June 1644 consisted of 256 mounted men, and by July was made up of three separate troops commanded by Fox himself, his brother Reighnold and his brother-in-law Humphrey Tudman. Defending North Worcestershire from his raids would ultimately prove too much for the local commanders and so 1644 they would appeal to Gerard for assistance.
1644: Tinker Fox, Dudley Castle and the race to Evesham
When the English Parliament allied its cause with that of the Scottish Covenanters with the
Solemn League and Covenant
The Solemn League and Covenant was an agreement between the Scottish Covenanters and the leaders of the English Parliamentarians in 1643 during the First English Civil War, a theatre of conflict in the Wars of the Three Kingdoms. On 17 August ...
, the Royalists were forced to redeploy their forces to meet an invading Scottish army, the vanguard of which crossed the border in late January 1644. To prevent Parliament from isolating Royalist forces in the north,
Prince Rupert
Prince Rupert of the Rhine, Duke of Cumberland, (17 December 1619 ( O.S.) 7 December 1619 (N.S.)– 29 November 1682 (O.S.) December 1682 (N.S) was an English-German army officer, admiral, scientist, and colonial governor. He first rose to ...
was ordered to do his best to provide for the security of Shrewsbury, Chester and North Wales, and to raise the siege of
Newark-on-Trent
Newark-on-Trent () or Newark is a market town and civil parish in the Newark and Sherwood district in Nottinghamshire, England. It is on the River Trent, and was historically a major inland port. The A1 road (Great Britain), A1 road bypasses th ...
(as task he was to complete by 21 March 1644). Rupert's men left Oxford on Tuesday, Rupert followed on and caught up with them, and arrived at the head of his army at Worcester on 8 February. From there he went to
Bewdley
Bewdley ( ) is a town and civil parish in the Wyre Forest District in Worcestershire, England, on the banks of the River Severn. It is in the Severn Valley, and is west of Kidderminster, north of Worcester and southwest of Birmingham. It ...
to attend a rendezvous with the leading Royalist officers (including Gerard) in command of various garrisons in Worcestershire. The meeting lasted for several days and it was not until 15 February Rupert moved on to
Bridgnorth
Bridgnorth is a market town and civil parish in Shropshire, England. The River Severn splits it into High Town and Low Town, the upper town on the right bank and the lower on the left bank of the River Severn. The population at the United Kingd ...
in Shropshire.
On 22 March 1644, Fox's brother, Reighnold led an expedition with 300 men with the intention of capturing
Stourton Castle and garrisoned it. This was done successfully, and Stourton became a thorn in the side of the north Worcestershire Royalists. Major Hervey applied to Gerard, for help to take Stourton Castle. Fox did his best to drive off Gerard, who had attacked the Castle with some guns and troops of horse. Fox engaged Gerard in a
skirmish on Stourbridge Heath, just inside the Worcestershire border. Gerard seems to have been far too strong for the Parliamentarians, the Royalists' account says that they charged and routed Fox and his men, and pursued them for three miles slaying many. Fox and other officers wrote to their commander, the Earl of Denbigh, explaining that Gerard's force was too strong and asked for reinforcements. As none were forthcoming Fox could not relieve Stourton and Gerard accepted the Castle's conditional surrender before the end of the month.
In May 1644 there were moves and counter moves on Worcestershire's southern border. The Royalist commander
Nicholas Mynne decided to concentrate his force on the west side of
Gloucester
Gloucester ( ) is a cathedral city, non-metropolitan district and the county town of Gloucestershire in the South West England, South West of England. Gloucester lies on the River Severn, between the Cotswolds to the east and the Forest of Dean ...
(planning a combined attack by the Herefordshire and Gloucestershire royalists on the city).
This left the
Leadon valley and the Worcestershire border undefended. Taking advantage of this
Edward Massey
Sir Edward Massey, also spelt Massie, () was an English soldier and politician from Cheshire, who sat in the House of Commons at various times between 1646 and 1674. He fought for Parliament in the First English Civil War, when he became famou ...
(the Parliamentary Governor of Gloucester), reinforced with a regiment of Warwickshire cavalry under the command of Colonel
William Purefoy
William Purefoy (c. 1580 – 8 Sep 1659) was an English politician who sat in the House of Commons of England variously between 1628 and 1659. He supported the Parliamentary cause in the English Civil War and was one of the regicides of King Charl ...
, advanced up the Leadon valley and captured
Ledbury
Ledbury is a market town and civil parish in the county of Herefordshire, England, lying east of Hereford, and west of the Malvern Hills.
It has a significant number of Tudor style timber-framed structures, in particular along Church Lane a ...
. Massey was acting in concert with Lord Denbigh, who proposed to advance on Worcester from the Warwickshire side, and if he did not attack it he would at least prevent any force being sent out to oppose Massey. This caused great alarm at Worcester. Sir Gilbert Gerard, the governor, wrote on 1 May 1644, to Rupert, complaining of the state of things, adding that at Worcester many of the town were "very base," and that if he was not sent help, "with some considerable force, the County would be ruinated". Purefoy's cavalry foraged and plundered a swathe of Worcestershire from the
Severn
The River Severn (, ), at long, is the longest river in Great Britain. It is also the river with the most voluminous flow of water by far in all of England and Wales, with an average flow rate of at Apperley, Gloucestershire. It rises in t ...
to the
Malvern Hills
The Malvern Hills are in the English counties of Worcestershire, Herefordshire and a small area of northern Gloucestershire, dominating the surrounding countryside and the towns and villages of the district of Malvern. The highest summit af ...
, Massey moved in their wake but chose to remain south of the
Teme
The River Teme (pronounced ; ) rises in Mid Wales, south of Newtown, and flows southeast roughly forming the border between England and Wales for several miles through Knighton before entering England in the vicinity of Bucknell and continu ...
and move north west Hereford rather than north east towards Worcester. Rupert responding to the threat outlined by Gerard moved towards Massey, but he failed to coordinate his advance with Mynne and Massey, abandoning Ledbury was able to retreat back to Gloucester.
In June 1644 Garard was a member of the relief force under the command of
Lord Wilmot sent from Worcester to relieve
Dudley Castle
Dudley Castle is a ruins, ruined castle, fortification in the town of Dudley, West Midlands (county), West Midlands, England. Originally, a wooden motte and bailey castle built soon after the Norman Conquest, it was rebuilt as a stone fortifica ...
which was under siege by Parliamentarians under the command of
Earl of Denbigh
Earl of Denbigh (pronounced 'Denby') is a title in the Peerage of England. It was created in 1622 for William Feilding, 1st Earl of Denbigh, William Feilding, Viscount Feilding, a courtier, admiral, and brother-in-law of the powerful George Vill ...
. After an inconclusive engagement at
Battle of Tipton Green, Denbigh lifted the siege.
Massey who after his retreat from Ledbury, had been ordered to advance into South Wales and had been quite successful campaigning in
Monmouthshire
Monmouthshire ( ; ) is a Principal areas of Wales, county in the South East Wales, south east of Wales. It borders Powys to the north; the English counties of Herefordshire and Gloucestershire to the north and east; the Severn Estuary to the s ...
(on 26 September he had taken
Monmouth
Monmouth ( or ; ) is a market town and community (Wales), community in Monmouthshire, Wales, situated on where the River Monnow joins the River Wye, from the Wales–England border. The population in the 2011 census was 10,508, rising from 8 ...
). He was now ordered to march into
Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire ( ; abbreviated ''Oxon'') is a ceremonial county in South East England. The county is bordered by Northamptonshire and Warwickshire to the north, Buckinghamshire to the east, Berkshire to the south, and Wiltshire and Glouceste ...
to intercept some Welsh reinforcements which Gerard was bringing up to join the King. It was a race between Gerard and Massey, who could first get across the
Cotswolds
The Cotswolds ( ) is a region of central South West England, along a range of rolling hills that rise from the meadows of the upper River Thames to an escarpment above the Severn Valley and the Vale of Evesham. The area is defined by the bedroc ...
. Massey, with his own regiment, marched from Monmouth for
Evesham
Evesham () is a market town and Civil parishes in England, parish in the Wychavon district of Worcestershire, in the West Midlands (region), West Midlands region of England. It is located roughly equidistant between Worcester, England, Worceste ...
. The fortifications there had been destroyed during Sir
William Waller
Sir William Waller JP (c. 159819 September 1668) was an English soldier and politician, who commanded Parliamentarian armies during the First English Civil War. Elected MP for Andover to the Long Parliament in 1640, Waller relinquished ...
's visit in June, and not been renewed, nor the garrison replaced. Gerard had a shorter distance to march, so when Massey neared Evesham he found the place occupied by Gerard, with his Welsh, and his march a failure. This was not the worst for Parliament, because no sooner had Massey left Monmouth than the Royalists attacked and retook it.
In October 1644 Gerard with soldiers from the garrison in Worcester and from Dudley Castle attempted to capture
Edgbaston Hall
Edgbaston Hall () is a country house (albeit now in the middle of the city) in the Edgbaston area of Birmingham, England.
Description and current usage
Since 1936, through negotiations initiated by The Birmingham Civic Society with the owner, Ca ...
(Fox's headquarters) but returned having failed to so.
1645 and 1646: Kidderminster, Stourbridge and death
In June 1645
Charles I Charles I may refer to:
Kings and emperors
* Charlemagne (742–814), numbered Charles I in the lists of Holy Roman Emperors and French kings
* Charles I of Anjou (1226–1285), also king of Albania, Jerusalem, Naples and Sicily
* Charles I of ...
, realising that the military situation in Herefordshire and Worcestershire, demanded prompt military action put both counties under direct military control. Sir
William Mynne, as Governor of Hereford and Gerard, as Governor of Worcester, were both authorised to impress men and horses to fill up the gaps in the regiments, to assess and levy contributions for their payment, billet and quarter them according to their convenience, and punish all disorders by martial law. The sheriffs and all other officers were ordered to assist and obey them in executing their commissions.
Towards the end of 1645, Sir Gilbert Gerard with Molyneux led another party to Stourbridge and
Kidderminster
Kidderminster is a market town and civil parish in Worcestershire, England, south-west of Birmingham and north of Worcester, England, Worcester. Located north of the River Stour, Worcestershire, River Stour and east of the River Severn, in th ...
, described by a Parliamentary writer as being "the most rude, ravenous, and ill-governed horse that I believe ever trod upon the earth". They hoped to be reinforced, but some men under
Thomas Morgan from Gloucester defeated Sir
Henry Washington, who was coming to their help, near
Abberley
Abberley is a village and civil parish in north west Worcestershire, England.
It is situated on the northern slopes of Abberley Hill, which is tall, between the River Severn and River Teme. The civil parish had a population of 788 in the 20 ...
, and when they proposed to march on Worcester, Parliament troops occupied
Ombersley
Ombersley is a village and civil parish in Wychavon district, in the county of Worcestershire, England. The parish includes the hamlet of Holt Fleet, where Thomas Telford, Telford's 1828 Holt Fleet Bridge crosses the River Severn. The 2011 Un ...
in force and prevented them.
Gerard died in January 1646, and was buried in Worcester. Colonel
Samuel Sandys
Samuel Sandys, 1st Baron Sandys (10 August 1695 – 21 April 1770) was an English Whigs (British political party), Whig politician and peer who represented Worcester (UK Parliament constituency), Worcester in the House of Commons of Great Brit ...
succeeded Gerard as Governor of Worcester.
Family
Gerard married Anne, daughter and heir of Sir
John Fitton, and widow of Sir John Brereton, son and heir of
William, 1st Lord Brereton.
Notes
References
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Gerard, Gilbert
Royalist military personnel of the English Civil War
1646 deaths