Sir Arthur Hesilrige - Part 2

The Parliamentary Army took the next battle however. In the Battle of Cheriton - - July 2 1644, Waller led his forces from East Moen, and Lord Hopton and his Royalists came out of Alresford. The two armies met in a field and 2000 lives were lost before the battle was done.

Hesilrige supported Cromwell's views that the Parliamentary Army needed to be improved. The Army was reformed as 'The New Model Army.' Formed in February 1645, this army was seen as the army which won the English Civil War. In April of that same year, Parliament reassigned it's military control. Sir Thomas Fairfax was appointed Captain General and given the authority to select his own senior officers.

On June 14 1645, after peace negotiations proved hopeless, Charles moved north and stormed Leicester. Twenty miles south of Leicester, Charles met Cromwell for the Battle of Naseby. The Royalists were badly outnumbered and were no match for the now disciplined New Model Army. Charles lost his best regiments and the war.

Sir Arthur served under Cromwell until 1650 spending much of his time in Newcastle. As the Governor of Newcastle he became fond of building up huge estates by seizing lands from the church. He even went as far as acquiring the bishop's palace and earned himself the nickname 'The Bishop of Durham.'

Hesilrige remained a loyal member of Parliament until 1853 when he disagreed with Cromwell's tyranny. Sir Arthur left Parliament and only returned on Cromwell's death in 1658. However, Sir Arthur's Days were numbered.

Charles I had been executed in London on January 30, 1649. Max Wade Matthews tells us, - -

'Sir Arthur violently disagreed with the death sentence passed on Charles and refused to sign the warrant.'

On Charles' death, his son Charles II was recognised as king in parts of Ireland and Scotland. Coronated in Scotland, Charles marched into England for a battle at Worcester - 1651. Although he lost this battle, he was restored to the throne in 1660. On his restoration, Hesilrige was arrested and imprisoned in the Tower of London. On January 7 1661, Sir Arthur Hesilrige died of a fever.

Next Month - - In Remembrance - 'The Battling Lobster'

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