August 1st King Charles 1st arrives at Lezant
     

South side of great hall, Trecarrel Manor

© Royal Cornwall Museum

On this day in 1644, King Charles I arrived at Launceston and stayed the night at the manorial hall of Ambrose Manaton in Lezant, a village five miles south of Launceston. The magnificent hall with grand perpendicular windows (pictured in 1925) still exists but is now a barn.

After the Parliamentarians had relieved the siege of Plymouth, the Earl of Essex advanced into Cornwall and reached Bodmin on July 28th. King Charles had arrived to lead the Royalist forces in an attempt to block any future attempt by Essex to retreat. 

Caught between the Royalist forces of the King and of Sir Bevil Grenville (March 23rd), Essex assembled his forces in Lostwithiel and Fowey in anticipation of relief by Parliamentarian ships since the Royalists had captured all the land routes.

The Royalists attacked on August 13th, captured Restormel Castle and Beacon Hill in Lostwithiel and pushed the Parliamentarians back to  Castle Dore by August 31st.  However, that night, the Parliamentarian cavalry broke through the Royalist forces, escaping to Plymouth.

On September 1st the Royalists took Castle Dore and Essex escaped by sea from Fowey, abandoning his 6,000 infantry forces who surrendered the following day.


                                                                                                                                                    Previous                                 Next