Preface

This study provides a discussion of the events leading up to the Battle of Birmingham, the Battle itself, and the aftermath. I scarcely realised when I started, the paucity of material available. Conrad Gill (see below) apparently faced the same problem.

And so, at the conclusion of this study, although some questions had been answered, many remain. For example, it would be useful to have more information on the Parliamentary government of the town during the period 1641-1643 - the pamphlets hint at divided counsel, with their carping comments about Mr. Peake. What were the relationships of Birmingham with the Committee at Warwick? What were Prince Rupert's orders? How far did he carry them out? How far is he genuinely implicated in the vengeance wreaked upon the town? A hypothesis has been attempted linking "Tinker" Fox with the sack of Aston Hall - how true is it? What was the situ-ation in Birmingham during the Interregnum? There are scores of questions to which we will probably never know any answer beyond the limits of hypo-thesis.

An attempt has been made to provide an account of "A Civil War Incident". The lessons to be learnt, the conclusions arrived at, the apportionment of blame, will all be found in their proper place. As far as possible, all references, comment and acknowledgements will be found within the text inside { } this type of bracket.

Without the assistance of the Local Studies Library, of the Birmingham City Library, this study could not have been written.