Civil War Homepage

Despite its name, the English Civil War of the mid-17th Century was a much wider conflict that involved Scotland and Ireland, as well as England and Wales.

Growing tension between the Stuart King Charles I and his Parliamentary opponents had led the King to dissolve Parliament and rule alone from 1629-40. When he needed money to pursue war against the Scots, Charles had to recall Parliament but he was unwilling to comply with the new Parliament’s demands and the conflict between the two parties intensified.

The two sides mirrored the class divisions of the time. The King's forces (the Royalists) were dominated by nobles, Anglicans and Catholics, while the Parliamentary forces (or Roundheads) included Puritans, Scottish covenanters, merchants, and artisans.

Tension between the King and the Parliament was brought to a head on January 4th, 1642 when Charles attempted to arrest five members of Parliament. The attempt failed as they were spirited away before the King's troops arrived.

Use the links on the right to go through each of the two Civil Wars to see how they affected Pembrokeshire.