Oxhill in the Civil War

During the Civil War, Oxhill in company with much of South Warwickshire would seem to have had mainly Parliamentarian sympathies, although Daniel Blackford was known to have been a Royalist, and so was Matthew Clarke (See notes on Manors of Oxhill).

Daniel Blackford was baptised “son of John the elder” in 1622. The Blackfords were a very prolific family having many branches in Oxhill. (There was a Blackford mentioned in these parts in the Domesday Book.) As far as Oxhill records show there are at least three Blackfords on the first page of the first register. Unfortunately, many of them would seem to have been named for relatives, and the same names occur over and over again, making it impossible to identify each member of each family with any degree of certainty.

It may, be assumed that John the elder, who married Elizabeth Bishop in 1609, was the father of Daniel, and a large family besides. The Bishop family still held part of the manor of Oxhill at this time, and it may well have been that Elizabeth was of that same family, which would probably account for Daniel's Royalist sympathies, although this is merely reasoned guesswork.

Daniel Blackford was Quartermaster in Lord Compton's troop, and was taken prisoner at the siege of Compton Wynyates. He survived the Civil War, and lived to see the restoration of the monarchy in 1660. There is no record of his ever having married.

Matthew Clarke was also in Lord Compton's troop, and as we know he survived, and had to pay a fine for his adherence to the Royalist cause.

On 25th June, 1644, General Sir William Waller learned that the Royalist army had marched into Buckingham on the previous Saturday. That night (Tuesday) Waller's horse quartered in and around the village of Oxhill after an eighteen mile ride, and the Foot lay down at Shipston on Stour, five miles away. In order to refresh the men, Waller commanded that the Wednesday fast be observed. Whilst they lay at Oxhill, they were joined by seven troops of Horse, 600 Foot and eleven pieces of ordnance from garrisons at Warwick and Coventry.

On 26th June, General Waller wrote to London:- “I am come to Oxhill near Keynton field.” (By Kineton field he doubtless meant the site of the battle of Edgehill.) Waller explains that he left the Foot at Shipston, and complains of the extreme hot weather, which his much diminished forces found very trying, so that they could not manage long marches without pause for rest. He purposed to march in the cool of the evening. Waller begs that the promised one month's pay be sent down as it will be a means of preventing this army from dissolving.

According to the Calendar Of State Papers (Domestic) by Order of Parliament, the money was sent down for Waller's army on 28th June, above twenty horses laden with dorsers (panniers) being the easiest way of carriage, there being a man appointed to every horse with his sword and pistol, besides a Great Guard.

During the Fast in Oxhill on Wednesday, an officer in Waller's own Regiment wrote to a friend in London and his letter illustrated the high morale of the army at that time.

“Sir. We have again taken divers prisoners and doe chase the King's forces every day they run from us, and indeed be too light of foot for us: I should not have believed they could have run so well had I not seen it so, some few days since they drew up their forces into Battalia and made the Countreyfolk believe they would fight saying “now let the Roundheads come that dare not march out of the Lanes and Hedges; but we appeared since They ran from us and we took some of them.”

Waller resumed his march on Thursday, halting that night at Hanwell Castle. Waller's forces were defeated by Royalist forces at the Battle of Cropredy Bridge on June 28th, 1644.

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Last modified: February 15, 2003