John Birch (soldier)
Encyclopedia
Colonel John Birch was a soldier in the English civil war
and later Member of parliament
for Leominster
and Weobley
, Herefordshire
.
Birch played a significant role in the battle of Cropredy Bridge
, Oxfordshire
on June 29, 1644.
On December 18, 1645, Parliamentarians
under the command of Birch and Colonel Morgan
captured the City of Hereford
.
In 1646 Birch besieged
and captured Goodrich Castle
from the Royalist Sir Henry Lingen
.
Birch is buried in a monumental tomb in Weobley Church.
One of the regiments of the Sealed Knot
historical reenactment association is Col. John Birch's Regiment.
English Civil War
The English Civil War was a series of armed conflicts and political machinations between Parliamentarians and Royalists...
and later Member of parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
for Leominster
Leominster
Leominster is a market town in Herefordshire, England, located approximately north of the city of Hereford and south of Ludlow, at...
and Weobley
Weobley
Weobley is a black and white village in Herefordshire, England.The name possibly derives from 'Wibba's Ley', a ley being a woodland glade and Wibba being a local Saxon landowner...
, Herefordshire
Herefordshire
Herefordshire is a historic and ceremonial county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes it is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three counties that comprise the "Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Gloucestershire" NUTS 2 region. It also forms a unitary district known as the...
.
Birch played a significant role in the battle of Cropredy Bridge
Cropredy Bridge
Cropredy Bridge was first built in 1312 and carries a road into a village of the same name beside the upper reaches of the River Cherwell at Cropredy in Oxfordshire, England...
, Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire is a county in the South East region of England, bordering on Warwickshire and Northamptonshire , Buckinghamshire , Berkshire , Wiltshire and Gloucestershire ....
on June 29, 1644.
On December 18, 1645, Parliamentarians
Parliament of England
The Parliament of England was the legislature of the Kingdom of England. In 1066, William of Normandy introduced a feudal system, by which he sought the advice of a council of tenants-in-chief and ecclesiastics before making laws...
under the command of Birch and Colonel Morgan
Sir Thomas Morgan, 1st Baronet
Major-General Sir Thomas Morgan, 1st Baronet was a Welsh soldier during the English Civil War, and Commander-in-Chief in Scotland during the Restoration....
captured the City of Hereford
Hereford
Hereford is a cathedral city, civil parish and county town of Herefordshire, England. It lies on the River Wye, approximately east of the border with Wales, southwest of Worcester, and northwest of Gloucester...
.
In 1646 Birch besieged
Siege
A siege is a military blockade of a city or fortress with the intent of conquering by attrition or assault. The term derives from sedere, Latin for "to sit". Generally speaking, siege warfare is a form of constant, low intensity conflict characterized by one party holding a strong, static...
and captured Goodrich Castle
Goodrich Castle
Goodrich Castle is a now ruinous Norman medieval castle situated to the north of the village of Goodrich in Herefordshire, England, controlling a key location between Monmouth and Ross-on-Wye...
from the Royalist Sir Henry Lingen
Henry Lingen
Sir Henry Lingen , Lord of Sutton, Lingen and Stoke Edith, was a Royalist military commander in Herefordshire during the English Civil War, and later a Member of Parliament.-Ancestry:...
.
Birch is buried in a monumental tomb in Weobley Church.
One of the regiments of the Sealed Knot
The Sealed Knot (reenactment)
The Sealed Knot is a British historical association and charity, dedicated to costumed reenactment of battles and events surrounding the English Civil War.-About:...
historical reenactment association is Col. John Birch's Regiment.
External links
- Brief history of the Life of John Birch (up to the start of his political career)
- Biography on British Civil Wars site
- Battle of Cropredy Bridge
- House of Commons Journal for December 22, 1645 recording the arrival of news of the capture of Hereford
- References to Col Birch in The Diary of Samuel PepysSamuel PepysSamuel Pepys FRS, MP, JP, was an English naval administrator and Member of Parliament who is now most famous for the diary he kept for a decade while still a relatively young man...