| Up in arms: The Cornish in the Civil War |
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Page 5 of 5 Aftermath Although the war continued elsewhere there were no further large scale battles in Cornwall. Despite the battles lost, Parliament gradually gained the upper hand. Ironically it was defeats such as those described above that led to the creation of the New Model Army and the ultimate defeat of the King. In Cornwall, skirmishes and small actions continued until Hopton finally surrendered in Truro on March 15, 1646. The garrison at Pendennis Castle withstood a siege lasting five months before finally surrendering. It was one of the last Royalist castles in the country to do so. Richard P Jeynes BA Hons MA FRGS Richard trained as an archaeologist at the Universities of Durham and Leicester and was commissioned into the Regular Army (Intelligence Corps). Having also been a teacher and headteacher he now runs TRAILQUEST, a Cornish based company that organises motorcycle expeditions in the UK and abroad. TIMEQUEST also arranges guided tours of historical and archaeological sites in Cornwall. Contact info@trailquest.org.uk The Gear Rout: the last armed Cornish uprising? The Cornish were not pleased at the outcome of the Five Nations War and rose once again. The Gear Rout was a Cornish insurrection of 1648 following the end of war and involved some 500 Cornish rebels. Cornish forces fighting on the Royalist side in the defence of the Duchy against the New Model Army had perceived the conflict as a war of national liberation against the English Parliament, which the Cornish ultimately lost. After the war taxes were increased to fund military installations; many in Cornwall rebelled against this and decided to take up arms. Following the killing of 70 Cornish Royalists in Penzance on May 16, 1648, the people of Mullion sent 120 men, who marched to Goonhilly Downs and then to St Keverne and Mawgan, collecting 300 more foot soldiers and 40 horsemen. There was a battle against Parliamentarian forces under the control of Sir Hardress Waller which ultimately led to the defeat of the Cornish forces near Gear Camp, a nearby earthwork of the Celtic Iron Age that overlooked the Helford River. |
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