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Happy Ware Mutiny Day!

Posted: Sat 15 Nov 2014 8:39 am
by mb1
Today in 1647 some regiments of Cromwell's army mutinied at Corkbush Field which, in those days, was considered part of Ware - it's now Cockbush Avenue just off the Ware Road in Hertford.

You can read about it here: http://www.ourhertfordandware.org.uk/pa ... ?path=0p4p

Cromwell suppressed the mutiny and the army's demands for universal male suffrage; regular elections; an elected head of State - all non-controversial ideas these days but revolutionary back then. So instead of becoming part of a British democratic revolution, they became part of the US constitution - many of the political radicals fled to New England after the Restoration of the monarchy.

This was a well-known part of the civil wars of the 1640s, yet certainly wasn't taught to me in school. I delivered papers on Cockbush Avenue and adjoining streets blissfully unaware of the historic nature of the place.

Re: Happy Ware Mutiny Day!

Posted: Sat 15 Nov 2014 8:42 pm
by Scouter
They formed into a great rock band ;) Fairfax, King and Lilbourne feature in close by road names which I've assumed is no coincidence.

Re: Happy Ware Mutiny Day!

Posted: Sun 16 Nov 2014 9:58 am
by John_D
I was aware of this some 30 odd years ago when I did some research on Ware's past.
Another interesting fact I came across was the report of Cromwell's army camping
on 'Ware Common' for several weeks. During the building of Wodson Park, I metal detected
the field and found quite a few small metal artefacts from the period, including two small
silver coins of Charles I, both defaced with a small triangular piercing through the crown
on the King's portrait, so fairly sure that area was the 'Ware Common' mentioned. :geek:

Re: Happy Ware Mutiny Day!

Posted: Sun 16 Nov 2014 10:17 am
by mb1
Thanks fo rthat bit of info, I hadn't heard that! This forum can be really good for things like this.

Re: Happy Ware Mutiny Day!

Posted: Sun 16 Nov 2014 7:46 pm
by Scouter
Wasn't there also a building demolished in Star Street that was supposed to have garrisoned some Roundheads?

Re: Happy Ware Mutiny Day!

Posted: Sun 16 Nov 2014 8:37 pm
by mb1
It's entirely likely that Parliament billeted soldiers in Ware which was sympathetic to radical political and religious ideas at the time. The Hertfordshire militia was part of Parliament's army from the beginning of the Civil Wars.

Re: Happy Ware Mutiny Day!

Posted: Sun 16 Nov 2014 9:02 pm
by IGS
Is there a more reliable site than wikipedia? I've seen too many errors for my liking:

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ware_Mutiny

Can anyone find a map of the area for the time?

Re: Happy Ware Mutiny Day!

Posted: Tue 18 Nov 2014 3:13 am
by Andy B
Soldiers were billeted in Dolphin House which is now Dolphin House Surgery theres a notice on the wall in the waiting room with some details about the building. I'm unsure what period that was though.

Re: Happy Ware Mutiny Day!

Posted: Tue 18 Nov 2014 12:15 pm
by Andrew
I wonder if the building referred to is what was known as Albany's Corn Stores which were demolished about 1960. Nikolaus Pevsner, the architectural historian described it as 'the most interesting building in Ware'. He dated it to the C17th - 'such large commercial premises of so early a date are rare indeed' This would be ideal for billeting soldiers.

http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=v9nm ... re&f=false

What a shame it was demolished.

Re: Happy Ware Mutiny Day!

Posted: Tue 18 Nov 2014 12:18 pm
by Andrew
IGS wrote:Is there a more reliable site than wikipedia? I've seen too many errors for my liking:

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ware_Mutiny

Can anyone find a map of the area for the time?
There is a map on page 50 of Alan Thomson's book 'The Ware Mutiny, 1647'. It is based on an eighteenth century map and the route of the road may have changed, but the layout of the fields and buildings wiould have been very similar.