Page 52 - Hindsight Issue 26 April 2020

HeRItAge
In late 1642, sir Rowland st John, (a Parliamentary leader and senior JP) asked Francis gray, (Clerk of the Peace for northamptonshire), who had his home in Wellingborough, to donate substantial monies to the Parliament cause. gray refused this request and compounded his refusal when he didn’t close Wellingborough market on a feast day. this infuriated Parliament and on 26 December a small force of 100 dragoons under Captain Francis sawyer was dispatched to arrest gray.
expecting such a response Wellingborough’s Royalists planned to ring the church bells if they were attacked by forces from northampton. Unfortunately for them, sawyer’s force had intelligence of the alarm signal, and had already sent approximately 12-20 musketeers to tie up the bell ropes and guard the church.
gray, awoken abruptly by the Parliament troops on his doorstep had not been able to give the alarm and instead tried to delay sawyer’s men. sawyer became impatient and ordered his men to break in. He waved the arrest warrant under gray’s nose, which was apparently signed by the earl of essex, Commander of the Army of Parliament, and dragged him out, hardly giving him time to dress. During the arrest sawyer’s men also ensured that gray paid his Parliamentary dues by clearing out all of his money and plate.
Whilst all this was going on, word had got out in Wellingborough and about 40 to 50 townspeople armed themselves with all manner of weapons. these were possibly clubs, farm implements and the odd swords, and chased sawyer’s men to Wilby where they overtook them. the resulting skirmish was this rag-tag band of Royalists sent running back to Wellingborough licking their wounds, some severe.
However, sawyer had left behind the troops he had sent to guard the church bell tower. they were attacked by another mob who captured at least five of them and caused the others to flee for their lives.
the bell ropes were untied and the bells pealed out the alarm. soon the Royalists numbered around 500, collected from the villages round about. they were maddened at gray’s capture and took retribution on the Puritans who lived in the town, damaging their houses and looting their possessions.
some of those that had been pillaged during the night, sought refuge in Wilby with the Reverend Andrew Perne. It was explained to him that the mob would soon be at his door also, so he quickly changed his vicar’s garb for more everyday attire and rode for northampton to see the commander Colonel norwich.
The battle
By 12-o-clock on 28 December, Colonel norwich, sergeant-Major Mole, Captain Francis sawyer, Captain John sawyer (his brother) and several other officers led between 500–1,000 Parliamentary dragoons and cavalry to Wellingborough,
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