208 WEYMOUTH AND THE GREAT CIVIL WAR. 



On 20th February, 1643-4, a local misfortune befel some 

 of the King's cavalry which Prince Rupert had sent as a 

 convoy with 3,000 en route for Wey mouth. Some of the 

 Parliament garrison of Poole and Wareham fell upon them 

 near Dorchester (probably at Yellowham Wood), seized the 

 money, with 100 horse, arms and ammunition, and carried 

 all to Poole.* 



RETAKEN BY THE EARL OF ESSEX FOR THE PARLIAMENT, 

 JUNE, 1644. 



But the towns were shortly to be re-captured by the 

 Parliament. The Earl of Essex, an honourable, steady 

 man, but with little genius, had been appointed Commander- 

 in-Chief by the Parliament. He had arrived at Blandford 

 in June, 1644, with an army of 13,000, Horse and Foot, and, 

 in that month, took Dorchester. It was felt that Weymouth 

 and Melcombe were of much importance for the trade of 

 the county. The towns, however, were of no great strength ; 

 Colonel William Ashburnham, the Royalist Governor there, 

 and Captain-General of the county, had been negligent in 

 completing the fortifications. Besides this, a change of 

 government was facilitated by the fact that some of the 

 townsmen (probably incensed by the exactions of the Cavaliers) 

 had mutinied. Lyme was gallantly resisting a siege by the 

 Royalists, commenced some two months previously under 

 Prince Maurice, and Essex, proceeding on his march to 

 relieve that town, sent to Weymouth, in advance, a party of 

 Horse, under Sir Wm. Balfour. Four of the Weymouth 

 burgesses went to Essex, who was then at Dorchester, to 

 treat as to the surrender of the two towns. Favourable 

 terms having been ultimately arranged, the Royalists, to 

 the number of about 400, marched out of Weymouth on 



* Coins were struck at Weymouth whilst garrisoned by Charles, half- 

 crowns and, probably, shillings and sixpences were issued, the mint marks 

 comprising part of the arms of the place. 



