Chapter 19 – The Second Civil War
By late 1647 war had been a key feature of Charles I’s reign for 8 years and this had had a major
impact on the nation. Anxiety and tensions had been further for a few main reasons...
Repeated failure to reach a political statement with the king
The displacement of the population both military and civilians
The suffering caused by injury and loss of loved ones.
The steady increase of financial burdens
Continued debate and change within the church
The imposition of new and unusual governmental structures
Radical zealotry and apocalyptical fervours
The Engagement with the scots:
Charles had been secretly negotiating with the scots from 1647-48 and these negotiations concluded
in the creation of an Engagement between the king and his Scottish subjects.
In return for the support of the scots (still refusing to the covenant, however) Charles promised to…
impose a Presbyterian settlement on the church in England for three years,
untie the two kingdoms
disband the English army
allow Scottish occupation of towns such as Carlisle and Berwick
Suppress all religious independency
The vote of No address
Due to clear evidence of Charles’s double-dealing & awaiting a Scottish invasion on 17th January
1648, The Commons voted on a resolution ‘That this House doth declare, that they will make no
further Addresses or Applications to the King’ by a majority of 141 to 90. Under pressure after a
supportive resolution by the Army Council, the Commons’ resolution passed through the Lords.
This firm commitment by the commons and Lords made it clear in the settlement would be reached
with the king and that therefore both sides would need to resort to arms once again and hope to be
successful by military means.
Charles had identified a growing tide of anti-parliamentarianism in 1647, shown by London
demonstrations in June and July. He hoped his subjects were coming more to his side at this time.
However, the second civil war was very different to the first as there wasn’t a single focused royalist
party. Rather the Scots invaded in early July and there were also a few pitched battles and localised
uncoordinated uprisings. These were typically rooted in specific grievances and not characterised by
a loyalty to Charles as such. And some were, in fact, anti-parliamentarian rather than pro-royalist
The Canterbury rising
On Christmas day 1647 the Canterbury citizens rioted due to the abolitions of their Christmas
festivities and angered by the order to open their shops as usual. They claimed to riot “For God,
King Charles and Kent!”
They expelled a small parliamentary garrison from the town and published a declaration outing their
positions. In response, parliament sent 3000 soldiers and besieged the town which the citizens
surround without a fight and peace was broadly brought back.
The rebellion in South Wales
On 23rd March 1648, a local parliamentarian commander in south Wales who was also local mayor
declared support for the king. He was disgruntled by a lack of financial reward for his work during
By late 1647 war had been a key feature of Charles I’s reign for 8 years and this had had a major
impact on the nation. Anxiety and tensions had been further for a few main reasons...
Repeated failure to reach a political statement with the king
The displacement of the population both military and civilians
The suffering caused by injury and loss of loved ones.
The steady increase of financial burdens
Continued debate and change within the church
The imposition of new and unusual governmental structures
Radical zealotry and apocalyptical fervours
The Engagement with the scots:
Charles had been secretly negotiating with the scots from 1647-48 and these negotiations concluded
in the creation of an Engagement between the king and his Scottish subjects.
In return for the support of the scots (still refusing to the covenant, however) Charles promised to…
impose a Presbyterian settlement on the church in England for three years,
untie the two kingdoms
disband the English army
allow Scottish occupation of towns such as Carlisle and Berwick
Suppress all religious independency
The vote of No address
Due to clear evidence of Charles’s double-dealing & awaiting a Scottish invasion on 17th January
1648, The Commons voted on a resolution ‘That this House doth declare, that they will make no
further Addresses or Applications to the King’ by a majority of 141 to 90. Under pressure after a
supportive resolution by the Army Council, the Commons’ resolution passed through the Lords.
This firm commitment by the commons and Lords made it clear in the settlement would be reached
with the king and that therefore both sides would need to resort to arms once again and hope to be
successful by military means.
Charles had identified a growing tide of anti-parliamentarianism in 1647, shown by London
demonstrations in June and July. He hoped his subjects were coming more to his side at this time.
However, the second civil war was very different to the first as there wasn’t a single focused royalist
party. Rather the Scots invaded in early July and there were also a few pitched battles and localised
uncoordinated uprisings. These were typically rooted in specific grievances and not characterised by
a loyalty to Charles as such. And some were, in fact, anti-parliamentarian rather than pro-royalist
The Canterbury rising
On Christmas day 1647 the Canterbury citizens rioted due to the abolitions of their Christmas
festivities and angered by the order to open their shops as usual. They claimed to riot “For God,
King Charles and Kent!”
They expelled a small parliamentary garrison from the town and published a declaration outing their
positions. In response, parliament sent 3000 soldiers and besieged the town which the citizens
surround without a fight and peace was broadly brought back.
The rebellion in South Wales
On 23rd March 1648, a local parliamentarian commander in south Wales who was also local mayor
declared support for the king. He was disgruntled by a lack of financial reward for his work during
