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Sir Arthur Hesilrige - Part 1

© Elizabeth Batt

'Only In Heaven' - - Sir Arthur Heselrige's Standard.

Sir Arthur Hesilrige is a local hero within the county of Leicestershire and yet few pay homage to this English Civil War participant. Perhaps it was his alleged 'arrogant, forceful, foul-temper' which diverted historians from paying him true homage?

His bio however, cannot be so easily dismissed once you've noted his achievements in battle. Hesilrige and his cavalry - - 'The Lobsters' were rather a force to be reckoned with.

The Hesilrige's were a prominant family in Leicestershire, their home being situated in Noseley. Perhaps being raised within this prominant family shaped Sir Arthur's character. Not a man to mince words and often out-spoken, Heselrige was adamant about sticking to his principles. Oliver Cromwell himself discovered this when Sir Arthur told him - -

'If you prove not an honest man, I will never trust a fellow with a great nose for your sake.'

Max Wade Matthews of Leicester Research tells us - -
'Sir Arthur was a friend of Cromwell and a general in the Parliamentary Army. After his father Thomas died in 1629, Arthur was brought up by John Pym, under whose influence he became a staunch Puritan opposed to the ecclesiastical policy of Archbishop Laud.'

Hesilrige was elected as Member of Parliament for Leicestershire in 1640 and became an extremely outspoken critic of the king, Charles I.
It is perhaps necessary to portray the political turmoil surrounding England prior to Sir Arthur's appointment. This turmoil would eventually lead to the English Civil War and the battles which involved Arthur and his Lobsters.

The principle issue was one between king and Parliament. The Monarchy believed it ruled by divine right and Parliament claiming real sovereignty, claimed rights independent of the crown. Parliament had been severely restrained by the Tudors until 1603 when a Scottish king, James I ascended the throne of England.

Not a popular king, James lack of favourability only served to strengthen Parliament. His disagreement with Puritan's on religion, led to a lack of compromise on his behalf and the Parliament which gathered a year after his ascension, clashed strongly with him on finance and supply. James was forced to comply because of his urgent lack of funds, but when Parliament dissolved in 1610, it did so with much animosity between itself and the king.

When Charles I ascended the throne, he was even less accepting of Puritan beliefs than his father had been. Parliament leaders, John Pym, Sir John Eliot , Sir Edward Coke and John Seldon searched for ways to limit Charles' power. In 1626 however, after pushing Charles' buttons one time too many, Charles dissolved Parliament in disgust.

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