Jessie Childs

I am already somewhat familiar with the broad details of the English Civil War, having read several books about this over the past couple of years, so I found this history focussed mainly upon the defence of a single location, Basing House (known as Loyalty House) fascinating and enlightening. Although Childs picks particular individuals and events to describe to create a “collage” patchwork history, I felt that this was done skilfully and successfully built a richly illustrative story of the Civil War.

Basing House was an old castle from the twelfth century with an adjoining “new” house (with over 300 rooms) from the fifteenth century which was a fortification used by Royalists during the English Civil War to disrupt communications between the West of England and London.
As well as being the Civil War story of Basing House, which was owned by John Paulet, the fifth Marquess of Winchester, this is also the story of London merchants, Marmaduke Rawdon and John Venn.
Childs starts the book building the background to the Civil War by describing the slowly divergent outlooks of Rawdon and Venn, who both serve in the Honourable Artillery Company (artillery meaning muskets at this time). This description of the military companies funded and manned by members of the London merchant guilds was really interesting, as I had not previously understood how the armed Parliamentary militia had been created.
Childs describes the outset of the Civil War in 1642 and how Rawdon, the Anglican Royalist (insultingly termed malignant by Parliamentarians) unsuccessfully tries with other London merchants to maintain peace between the King and Parliament, as war is bad for business. However Rawdon abides by his oath to the King and follows King Charles to Oxford when the King deems it unsafe in London.
Venn however is more protestant, and therefore becomes loyal to Parliament rather than the King.

Childs also takes the time to illustrate why landowners (with the example of Edward Pitt of Stratfield Saye) who tried to take a middle path between Royalist and Parliamentary forces could end up choosing one side of the other by suffering their dependents.

Rawdon with an infantry regiment he has financed, is asked by the King to defend Basing House, near Basingstoke in Berkshire, which is owned by the Roman Catholic Marquess of Winchester (as a peer, he is called by his title, Winchester, rather than by his surname). Winchester already has a militia guarding the house, which is supplemented by more Roman Catholics,and local conscripts.
Childs’ story now moves to consider the defence of Basing House and tries to discuss the difficult relations between Rawdon and Winchester, who each command a regiment stationed at Basing House, but with Rawdon being Anglican and Winchester a Roman Catholic.

For the summer of 1643, Childs is able to quote from the diary of an anonymous besieged person (probably written by an officer, due to the nature of the entries).

Extracts are skilfully taken from Humfrey Peake’s Meditations upon a Seige [sic] of 1646 to bring the contemporary humanity and misery of a siege within our comprehension, perhaps (the description of contemplations may be from Basing House, but this is not certain).

There are a good number of illustrations, but my one criticism would be that the author should have better described the size of Basing House, which was a small fortress, rather than a large house.

I found this an enjoyable history, peppered with interesting characters, anecdotes and facts, to make an engaging story.… (altro)

Excellent writing, but not, as the title page and jacket claim, a "story", more a well-managed series of vignettes - not precisely the right word, but my use here reflects the author's tendency to show her erudition. For instance, we're told of an apothegm rather than a 'saying', and Childs uses the (correct) English alternative 'apopthegem', presumably to rub it in. Later we learn of something that happened through "autumn's crepusculum" - I think I know what she means but couldn't be bothered to look it up. Worth reading, but Simon Schama was not having a good day when he wrote that it's "almost Tolstoyan in its emotional intelligence and literary power". Oh no it isn't.
Be ready for footnotes. Of 318 pages the 'story' occupies about 200, followed by an epilogue and eighty pages of notes and footnotes.… (altro)