Welcome to my English Civil War notes and maps. These pages provide historical notes to accompany God’s Vindictive Wrath and the Divided Kingdom series. I hope you find them useful and thought provoking. There are so very many parallels between the crises of the 17th Century and today. I have seen them reflected time and again in my work and my study.
The General Crisis, English Revolution and 17th Century Military Theory
You can read about the background to the English Civil War in the first three articles. These start with the impact of the Little Ice Age as an underlying cause of the violence that swept the globe in the 1640s. The 17th Century was Europe’s ‘Golden Age’. But it was also a black age of religious persecution, slaughter, famine, disease and destruction. Our British Civil Wars were the bloodiest in our history. They should be understood as part of The General Crisis of the 17th Century.
The English Revolution came to a head in 1642, erupting as the Great Rebellion and First Civil War. The second article explains the background of the ‘Devil’s Whore’, the Bishops’ War and the Irish Confederate rebellion. It covers the crisis in government and collapse into civil war. The third article explains Pike and Shot Warfare. It also outlines the clash of Dutch and Swedish doctrines at Edgehill in 1642.
The Battles of Edgehill, Aylesbury and Brentford in 1642
The pages and notes that follow provide historical notes and maps to accompany God’s Vindictive Wrath. These start with the Battle of Edgehill, 23rd October 1642. They also cover its aftermath, the Edgehill to London campaign and the battles of Aylesbury and Brentford. They include notes on London’s Civil War defences and the peace negotiations at Colnbrook. The notes are laid out in chronological order, following events in the novel.
Festivals, Religion, Superstition and Lore in Stuart Britain
The final section provides notes on 17th Century festivals and beliefs. They include the old and new practices around Hallowmas (30th October to 2nd November). They also cover Gunpowder, Treason & Plot (5th November) and Martinmas (11th November). These notes try to explain Early Modern beliefs, religion, astrology, superstition and lore in Stuart Britain.
More Reading
I hope you find these English Civil War notes and maps useful. You can find more notes like this with the Divided Kingdom Readers’ Club. I share the results of my research for future books in a weekly email. If this is of interest, please do join the Clubmen.
Alternatively, return to the Home Page for information about Charles Cordell, latest posts and links to books.