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Haydn Wheeler.

Sir John Seymour's Clubbers.


"Sir John Seymour's Clubbers"

Through late August and September 1645, Gloucestershire and Somerset people were being paid ready cash for quarter and what was being consumed by The New Model Army. Goring and his Royalist Officers record on plundering had brought the Clubmen of these counties on side with the parliamentarians and now willing to aid Fairfax in the siege of Bristol.

A meeting of Clubmen was had at Dundry near the siege on Bristol (Leagure) on September 7th, where it was agreed to support Fairfax. A report from the time (above) talks in colourful terms of General Thomas Fairfax.

"he carries himself so well gentlemen that they will never leave him, but will assist him to the uppermost of their abilities".

Hugh Peters, Cromwell's Chaplin, seeing the public feeling onside took to giving sermon, and in his own words said.

"he won over to the Puritan host 3,000 Somerset Clubmen" and with further discourse brought another 2.000 from Gloucestershire

The True Informer on the 20th September report ( newspaper) Labels the Gloucestershire Clubmen as auxiliaries and were led by Sir John Seymour of Bitten and the local gentry which led some in calling the Gloucestershire Clubmen "Sir John Seymour's Clubbers"

In keeping the Rownham Ferry open (Rownham Passage on John Speed's Gloucestershire map above ) they proved most useful.

Other leaders of Clubmen at time were, John Codmington, Mr Stevens and Philip Langley.

Ref, The Annals of Bristol 1631-1650 in the 17th Century, John Latimer. Civil War Interregnum And Restoration In Gloucestshire 1640-1672 Andrew Richard Warmington

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