Life under siege: Nottingham during the English civil war (1642-46)

Abstract

Nottingham was an important town during the British Civil Wars of the 1630s and 40s. Despite the King raising his standard in the town it rapidly became a stronghold for Parliament, and its residents became embroiled in one of the fiercest areas of fighting in the country. This research builds on and extends the 'county study' approach in novel ways; rather than focusing on political and military events it concentrates on the experiences of Nottingham's population and interprets the impact of the Civil Wars on everyday life. It attempts to reconstruct and understand the civilian experience of a garrison town during a period of often brutal civil war. Adopting innovative ways of reading the past, it incorporates soundscapes and 'history from below' in a way which shines a spotlight on the masses rather than the elite during Nottingham's difficult transformation from market and county town to fortified stronghold.