Commentary

Abstract

Confusion prevailed in the city of Bristol on March 7, 1643. The appearance of so many armed men in the neighbourhood of course excited great ferment among the population. Fiennes, who had openly declared himself by other actions, kept his counsel and was not unprepared. He had been opposed to the Cavaliers in fight at Powick Bridge, Edgehill, and elsewhere, and now took his stand, in defiance of Royal authority, as governor for the Parliament. He had under him sufficient force to suppress a rising: his own regiment of cavalry at least, with such soldiers as Essex had left behind him, and volunteers who had placed themselves under him. We have seen Birch as their captain. Fro m the beginning of October many of the youths of the place, under the Parliamentary plea of acting for the King, were already expert in arms, the defences had been made up, and evidently there was no access but by the gates. Fiennes was therefore ready: and, as he had secret instructions from the Parliament, he skilfully anticipated the place and the time. Five in the morning was the appointed hour. There was an ancient bridge over the Avon, connecting the northern and southern parts; it stood upon four arches, and, like that at London over the Thames, was covered with houses.