Marlborough’s Civil War re-enaction by the English Civil War Society over the weekend July 25-27 will be featured in a series of television programmes BSkyB are making for the Yesterday Channel.
Each of the six one hour documentaries about re-enactors will feature a different period of British history: Romans, Vikings, Normans, English Civil War, Napoleonic wars and World War Two.
Marlborough’s part in the Civil War came in November-December 1642 when 400 Royalist cavalry were refused entry to the town. The Parliamentarians, under the MP for Malmesbury, were heavily outnumbered even before 4,000 Royalist reinforcements arrived.
There was fighting on the common and in Kingsbury Street before the Royalists forced their way into the town centre through of the yards near the Castle and Ball Inn. The Royalists burned 53 houses, ransacked the town’s records and stole two hundredweight of cheese from the market house.
It is said about 200 victims of the fighting were buried in the town and 120 prisoners were marched away to Oxford. With one brief interlude, the Royalists held the town until 1644.
Marlborough News Online asked the television series producer, Mike Ibeji, why the Battle of Marlborough was chosen for the Civil War programme: “Because it’s a nice self-contained moment within the Civil War – and not a huge and extended battle.” And he says that the English Civil War Society is “One of the most respected re-enactment organisations. Brilliant for its history and accuracy.”
“I’ve been very,very close to the re-enactment hobby all my life. We want to show the kind of dedication they bring to history and treat them on their merits – and not the way television usually does.”
The director of the programmes, Dominic Rees-Roberts, will be in Marlborough on July 14 to shoot general views of the town (especially views and corners that look more 1642 than twenty-first century) and sequences of a pre-event meeting between the town council and the re-enactors.
The town council is co-hosting the event with the English Civil War Society – and it is supported by the Marlborough History Society, by a grant from the Area Board and by sponsorship from Hills.
Dominic Rees-Roberts stresses the value of the event as history: “The programme will capture what it takes to be a re-enactor – the passion and dedication. Along the way we’ll find out about the history of the time, the clothes worn, weapons wielded, tactics used as well as the specific history of the battle being re-enacted.”
“The series aims to celebrate re-enacting and the men and women who give up their spare time to bring history to life.”
It is expected that the series of programmes will be transmitted on the Yesterday Channel at the end of the year.
As the event approaches Marlborough News Online will have more information about what to see – where and when.
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One of the lesser known facts about the clash between Royalists and Parliamentarians in Marlborough in 1642 is the damage the Royalists caused when they forced their way into the town, pushing the Parliamentarians back to ‘Castle Mound’. They ransacked the shop of the town’s bookseller, John Hammond. The books from his shop were burned on a bonfire that is said to have blazed for five hours. Over the weekend of the re-enactment, the manager of the White Horse Bookshop, Angus MacLennan, will certainly not be closing his shop in case of attack. Indeed he points out that there are two sets of books on the shop’s rare book shelves that will be of special interest to Civil War enthusiasts and experts. There is a first edition (1707) of the Earl of Clarendon’s famous history of ‘The Rebellion and Civil Wars in England begun in the year 1641′. The other set is a three volume first edition (1849) of Eliot Warburton’s history ‘Prince Rupert and the Cavaliers.’ Both very collectable. |
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