John Barratt - The Great Siege of Chester

The fourteenth-century Abbey Gateway.

View eastwards along the northern section of the city walls.

The Dee Bridge.

Bridge Street, house of the Cowper family.

The Old Kings Head.

View of the Parliamentarian siegeworks from the Welsh side of the Dee.

Gods Providence House.

The Bear and Billet, Lower Bridge Street.

The High Cross.

Memorial window.

Foregate Street.

Women and children.

Kaleyards Postern.

Newgate.

Site of the Parliamentarian bridge of boats.

Artillery position.

The Phoenix Tower.

The breach.

Parliamentarian battery position.

Barnabys Tower.

Dee Bridge and Bridgegate from Handbridge.

Tower of Chester Cathedral.

The city walls in the vicinity of the Goblin Tower.

Traces of embankments at Abbey Green.

Walls near Morgans Mount.

Pembertons Parlour.

The New Tower.

The city walls near Pembertons Parlour.

Eastgate Street.

Watergate Street.

Fort Royal site.

Remains of Parliamentarian mount.

First Bishops War.

Second Bishops War.

18 September

Order for repairs to Chester defences. Francis Gamull made captain of city Trained Band.

October

Outbreak of rebellion in Ireland.

4 January

King fails in attempt to arrest five leading opponents in Parliament. Civil War becomes inevitable.

8 August

Sir William Brereton expelled from Chester after attempting to recruit for Parliament.

22 August

King raises standard at Nottingham. Official start of Civil War.

6 September

Chester assembly orders further repairs to defences.

2328 September

King Charles I in Chester, secures election of pro-Royalist William Ince as mayor.

23 October

Battle of Edgehill; marginal Royalist victory.

3 February

Order by Chester assembly for levying of 500 for construction of outworks to protect suburbs.

13 March

Cheshire Royalists defeated at Middlewich. Sir Nicholas Byron appointed governor of Chester.

1821 July

First attack on Chester by Sir William Brereton repulsed.

16 September

Cessation signed between King and Irish Confederates.

7 November

Brereton takes Holt Bridge then occupies north-east Wales. Lord John Byron appointed Field Marshal General of North Wales and those Parts.

21 November

English troops from Ireland land at Mostyn. Brereton retreats across Dee.

4 December

Hawarden Castle surrenders to Royalists.

12 December

Byron begins Nantwich campaign.

13 December

Royalists surprise Beeston Castle.

24 December

Bartholmley Massacre.

26 December

Royalists defeat Brereton at Middlewich.

6 January

Prince Rupert appointed captain-general of Wales and the Marches.

18 January

Royalist assault on Nantwich repulsed

25 January

Battle of Nantwich: Fairfax defeats Byron.

11 March

Prince Rupert visits Chester and orders alterations to defences. Gamull fails in bid to become governor.

18 May

Rupert and Byron begin Lancashire campaign.

19 May

William Legge appointed governor of Chester.

11 June

Rupert takes Liverpool.

2 July

Royalists defeated at battle of Marston Moor.

21 August

Colonel John Marrow defeated and mortally wounded at Tarvin.

18 September

Byron defeated at Montgomery.

October

Brereton begins to close in around Chester.

1 November

Parliamentarians take Liverpool.

December

Leaguer of Chester begins.

18 January

Royalist defeat at Chrisleton.

January/February

Lord Byron becomes governor of Chester.

19 February

Prince Maurice relieves Chester.

22 February

Parliamentarians surprise Shrewsbury.

13 March

Maurice leaves Chester. Siege resumed.

15 March

Rupert and Maurice relieve Chester and Beeston.

16 May

Leaguer again raised by Brereton on approach of Royalist Oxford Army.

14 June

Oxford Army defeated at Naseby.

28 July

Leaguer of Beeston Castle resumed.