HISTORY OF STAFFORDSHIRE. 109 



the festival of that some-time famous Bishop St. Chadd, to whose 

 memory Offa, King of the Mercians, first erected this stately 

 church, and devoutly dedicated it."* 



After the fall of Lord. Brook, Sir John Gell assumed the chief 

 command of the besieging army, which continued the siege with 

 such vigour that the garrison surrendered on the 5th of March 

 upon condition, " that their Earl and Governor, (the Earl of 

 Chesterfield,) should surrender the garrison, called the Close of 

 Lichfield, forthwith, upon condition of free quarter to all in general 

 within the said Close ; and for any other terms to cast themselves 

 upon the mercy of the Parliament." 



Accordingly, the Royalists were made prisoners of war, and the 

 Parliamentary troops took possession of the Close, where they 

 left a strong garrison. These soldiers were guilty of the most 

 indecent outrages in the Cathedral, where they demolished the 

 monuments, pulled down and destroyed the carved work, broke the 

 windows, and destroyed the records. Colonel Russel, the Governor 

 of the garrison, carried away the communion-plate, and whatever 

 moveables he found of value in the Cathedral. 



In the month of April following, Prince Rupert, after the reduc- 

 tion of Birmingham, came with a strong body of forces to Lichfield, 

 and besieged the Close, which was bravely defended by the garri- 

 son. But Prince Rupert erected batteries in Gay field, an eminence 

 north of the Cathedral, and which commanded the Close, and he 

 also sprung a mine under the wall and effected a breach, which he 

 entered, but after a sanguinary conflict was repulsed with great 

 loss. In consequence of the loss suffered by the garrison in de- 

 fending the breach, Colonel Russel agreed to capitulate on honour- 

 able terms on the 21st of April, 1643. Prince Rupert then 

 appointed Colonel Henry Bagot the Governor of the Close, who 

 kept possession till the 10th of July, 1646. 



The unshaken fidelity of the citizens of Lichfield to the cause 

 they espoused was truly memorable and praise-worthy ; and when 

 Charles I. was in his greatest adversity, they still maintained their 

 loyalty, and sympathized with their Sovereign. Of the truth of 

 this assertion there is a sufficient record, for after the battle of 

 Naseby, in 1645, in which the royal army was defeated, the 

 King came to Lichfield on Sunday June 15, when the following 

 Address was immediately presented to him by the Corporation of 

 Lichfield : 



* Shaw's History and Antiquities of Staffordshire, Vol. I. p. 238. 



