Civil War Siege, Assault and Massacre
During the Civil War Hopton Castle was one of the few castles to be held for the Parliament in the west. Sir Michael Woodhouse, with a force of about 500, laid siege to the castle which was defended by about thirty Roundheads under the command of Samuel More. More eventually agreed terms and surrendered.
There are varying versions of what happened next. According to More's account all those who surrendered, apart from himself, were killed and buried. Other accounts vary on how the siege ended. They state that after a three week siege, More delayed surrendering until the bailey had been taken and the entrance to the keep was on fire, at which point he surrendered at the discretion of Sir Michael Woodhouse, who under the laws of war as they were practised at that time, choose not to accept the surrender and ordered the killings.
The castle was still habitable in 1700 but fell into disrepair soon afterwards. Substantial remnants of the much altered keep remain.
Read more about this topic: Hopton Castle (structure)
Famous quotes containing the words civil war, civil, war, assault and/or massacre:
“At Hayes’ General Store, west of the cemetery, hangs an old army rifle, used by a discouraged Civil War veteran to end his earthly troubles. The grocer took the rifle as payment ‘on account.’”
—Administration for the State of Con, U.S. public relief program (1935-1943)
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—Kenneth Langtry, and Herbert L. Strock. Prof. Frankenstein (Whit Bissell)
“The great war that broke so suddenly upon the world two years ago, and which has swept up within its flame so great a part of the civilized world, has affected us very profoundly.... With its causes and its objects we are not concerned. The obscure fountains from which its stupendous flood has burst we are not interested to search for or explore.”
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“The bourgeoisie of the whole world, which looks complacently upon the wholesale massacre after the battle, is convulsed by horror at the desecration of brick and mortar.”
—Karl Marx (1818–1883)