Nicholas Slanning
Encyclopedia
Sir Nicholas Slanning was an English soldier and politician who sat in the House of Commons
from 1640 to 1642. He was a Royalist army officer active in the West of England, during the English Civil War
.
and was admitted to the Inner Temple
in 1628. However, he left the next year for the Low Countries
"to learn the arts of war".
and Cornwall
and Vice-Admiral of the Southern Shores
of both counties. He was subsequently appointed Governor of Pendennis Castle
which guarded the entrance to Falmouth
harbour, in 1635, in succession to William Killigrew
. During this time he was resident of Trerose Manor in the nearby village of Mawnan
.
In February 1639 Slanning embarked with 13 guns and 100 officers bound for Cumberland
to take part in the abortive First Bishops' War
. It is possible that the men and guns were intended for the defence of Carlisle, but Slanning headed for York
to command a company in a regiment of foot "appointed to guard the King's person", with the rank of Sergeant Major. He returned home following the Treaty of Berwick
in June and by March 1640 was Recorder
to Plympton St. Maurice
.
for Plympton Erle
for the Short Parliament
in what appears to be an unresolved double return. Slanning was also the Lieutenant-Colonel of a "trayned band" of 157 men, two-thirds musketeers and the remainder pikemen
. He and Sir Francis Bassett were given the responsibility for levies from the West of Cornwall for the Second Bishops' War
. After the Treaty of Ripon
he hurried back to stand for Parliament
.
In October 1640 Slanning was elected for both Plympton Erle and Penryn
to the Long Parliament
(in a way which was to give rise to charges of bribery), and chose to sit for Penryn.. His was among the 59 names of the members posted for voting against the Bill of Attainder
of Strafford
. Seven other Cornish MPs also voted against the Bill, including Godolphin, Trevanion, and Richard Arundel, who later married Slanning's widow.
In June 1641 he returned to Cornwall to resume his governorship of Pendennis Castle
. but was back in London that winter, and in January 1642 was called to attend the House of Commons for sending letters to Francis Bassett in Cornwall for the arrest of the "Five Members", should they try to embark from a Cornish port, a charge that Slanning denied. He was still in the House in February and supplied it with information concerning "four Scottish merchants lately arrived in Cornwall", but probably left for Pendennis in April when many MPs withdrew. He was certainly in Cornwall when, on 9 August, he was barred from the Commons and ordered to attend the House as a "delinquent".
, Dorset
, and Somerset
. Hopton first visited Sir Bevil Grenvile
at Stowe then, after brushing aside Bullers's Militia, headed for Pendennis on September 24 to confer with Slanning. Hopton appeared voluntarily before the assizes
at Truro
and after successful defence of his actions, began recruiting. In November 1642, Slanning formed one of the five Cornish regiments foot which was known as "the Tinners".. The other regiments were formed under Colonel William Godolphin
, Sir Bevill Grenvile, Colonel John Trevanion
and Warwick, Lord Mohun
. Slanning and the first three of these were known as the "wheels on Charles's wain". A seventeenth century ode
included the distich:
Slanning was released from his governorship of Pendennis Castle (succeeded by Sir John Arundell) in 1643.
Hopton first used his forces to make an unsuccessful attempt on Exeter
then fell back on Plympton, took it, and invested Plymouth on 1 December. Later that month they took Alphington
, Powderham
, and Topsham
but failed to capture Exeter in a night attack. Their first field battle was Braddock
(actually Pinnock) Down in January 1643 when Ruthin's forces were forced to flee back through Liskeard
and on to Saltash
, while the Earl of Stamford
withdrew from Launceston. Slanning's regiment, along with those of Grenville and Trevanion and half of the horse
and dragoons, pursued Stamford while the rest followed up Ruthin.
Hopton, after some futile negotiations, invested Plymouth again and this led to Slanning's sole command in battle, but not until after the first "wheel" was lost when the court poet Sydney Godolphin died of a wound received in a skirmish at Chagford
. In February 1643 Slanning, in command of a detachment consisting of his and Trevanion's regiments, was attacked at Modbury
by Chudleigh. He was able to execute a fighting withdrawal against superior forces, but at the cost of 250 killed or wounded, 1,000 muskets and five guns.
The Cornish forces now left Devon and things remained quiet until the encounter battle of Polston Bridge, Launceston in April, when the arrival of Slanning's and Trevanion's regiments proved decisive. Two days later there was another encounter battle, the "Western Wonder" of the Cavalier ballad, at Sourton Down, where in the middle of a violent thunderstorm, Chudleigh was able to hold the field and Hopton again retreated to Launceston.
Slanning and his men had a brief sojourn at Saltash before rejoining the rest in a rendezvous with Grenvile's foot. They brushed aside a small force at Week St. Mary on 13 May and at 5.00 a.m. on the 16 May attacked the forces on Stratton (now Stamford) Hill, Stratton
. This produced their most spectacular victory when, after ten hours of fighting uphill against twice their number of much better equipped enemy with a dug-in battery
, the Royalists gained the position, killing 300 and capturing 1,700 with fourteen guns, £300 and plentiful provisions, at a cost of 80 men. Slanning and Trevanion commanded the westernmost of the four columns.
The Cornish Royalist army then received orders to rendezvous with Prince Maurice's
men, whom they met at Chard
in Somerset in June. This combined force now took Taunton
, Bridgwater
, Dunster Castle
and Wells
. Their first contact with the Parliamentarian commander William Waller
was a cavalry
skirmish at Chewton Mendip
. Waller was driven out of Monkton Farleigh
on 3 July 1643 and on 5 July, two days later, the Royalists won a pyrrhic victory
at the Battle of Lansdowne
. Slanning was described as "advancing from hedge to hedge at the head of his men, in the mouths of muskets and cannons, insomuch they thought him immortal, as indeed he was that day" whereas Sir Bevill Grenvile, the next "wheel", fell at the battle. The foot were now besieged in Devizes
but witnessed the destruction of Waller's forces at Roundway Down
. The Western Royalists took Bath, and after joining Prince Rupert
on 26 July 1643 they stormed Bristol
. Slanning commanded one of the three tertia of the Western Army which attacked the South Eastern defences at 3.00 a.m. Bristol fell after some thirteen hours fighting, Slanning and Trevanion were both mortally wounded. Slanning's leg was broken by a musket ball, and he died a few days later , quipping "that he had always despised bullets, having been so used to them, and almost thought they could not hurt him", and professing "great joy and satisfaction in the losing of his life in the King's service to whom he had always dedicated it".
No record remains of where Sir Nicholas Slanning was buried. The Sir Nicholas Slanning buried at St Mary the Virgin at Bickleigh, Devon was this Sir Nicholas's grandfather, but Slanning's body may have been returned there for burial since some of his arms reached Bickleigh and his helmet and gauntlet may still be seen, by arrangement, at the church.
by the restored monarchy. Following Slanning's death, Gertrude married Richard Arundell, 1st Baron Arundell of Trerice
.
The Slanning family is first documented in 1538 and spanned nine generations until the extinction of the male line in 1700. It was granted or acquired land in Bickleigh
, Walkhampton
, Maybury, and Roborough
, all near Plymouth
.
.
House of Commons of England
The House of Commons of England was the lower house of the Parliament of England from its development in the 14th century to the union of England and Scotland in 1707, when it was replaced by the House of Commons of Great Britain...
from 1640 to 1642. He was a Royalist army officer active in the West of England, during the English Civil War
English Civil War
The English Civil War was a series of armed conflicts and political machinations between Parliamentarians and Royalists...
.
Background
Slanning was the son of Gamaliel Slanning of Hele and his wife and cousin Margaret Marler, daughter of Edward Marler of Crayford, Kent. He inherited Maristow, Walkhampton, and Bickleigh in 1612.. He attended Exeter College, OxfordExeter College, Oxford
Exeter College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England and the fourth oldest college of the University. The main entrance is on the east side of Turl Street...
and was admitted to the Inner Temple
Inner Temple
The Honourable Society of the Inner Temple, commonly known as Inner Temple, is one of the four Inns of Court in London. To be called to the Bar and practise as a barrister in England and Wales, an individual must belong to one of these Inns...
in 1628. However, he left the next year for the Low Countries
Low Countries
The Low Countries are the historical lands around the low-lying delta of the Rhine, Scheldt, and Meuse rivers, including the modern countries of Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg and parts of northern France and western Germany....
"to learn the arts of war".
Military activities
Slanning returned to England and was knighted on 24 August 1632 at Nonsuch. He was appointed to the Commission for Piracy in DevonDevon
Devon is a large county in southwestern England. The county is sometimes referred to as Devonshire, although the term is rarely used inside the county itself as the county has never been officially "shired", it often indicates a traditional or historical context.The county shares borders with...
and Cornwall
Cornwall
Cornwall is a unitary authority and ceremonial county of England, within the United Kingdom. It is bordered to the north and west by the Celtic Sea, to the south by the English Channel, and to the east by the county of Devon, over the River Tamar. Cornwall has a population of , and covers an area of...
and Vice-Admiral of the Southern Shores
Vice-Admiral of Cornwall
This is a list of people who have served as Vice-Admiral of Cornwall. This vice-admiralty jurisdiction was divided into North and South Cornwall between 1601 and 1715, with a separate vice-admiral for each; in addition, two members of the Godolphin family were vice-admirals of the Isles of Scilly...
of both counties. He was subsequently appointed Governor of Pendennis Castle
Pendennis Castle
Pendennis Castle is a Henrician castle, also known as one of Henry VIII's Device Forts, in the English county of Cornwall. It was built in 1539 for King Henry VIII to guard the entrance to the River Fal on its west bank, near Falmouth. St Mawes Castle is its opposite number on the east bank and...
which guarded the entrance to Falmouth
Falmouth, Cornwall
Falmouth is a town, civil parish and port on the River Fal on the south coast of Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It has a total resident population of 21,635.Falmouth is the terminus of the A39, which begins some 200 miles away in Bath, Somerset....
harbour, in 1635, in succession to William Killigrew
William Killigrew
Sir William Killigrew was an English court official under Charles I and Charles II.He was the son of Sir Robert Killigrew and Mary Woodhouse, of Kimberley, Norfolk, his wife. He was the elder brother to Thomas Killigrew...
. During this time he was resident of Trerose Manor in the nearby village of Mawnan
Mawnan
Mawnan is a civil parish in south Cornwall, United Kingdom . It is situated in the former administrative district of Kerrier and is bounded to the south by the Helford River, to the east by the sea, and to the west by Constantine parish...
.
In February 1639 Slanning embarked with 13 guns and 100 officers bound for Cumberland
Cumberland
Cumberland is a historic county of North West England, on the border with Scotland, from the 12th century until 1974. It formed an administrative county from 1889 to 1974 and now forms part of Cumbria....
to take part in the abortive First Bishops' War
Bishops' Wars
The Bishops' Wars , were conflicts, both political and military, which occurred in 1639 and 1640 centred around the nature of the governance of the Church of Scotland, and the rights and powers of the Crown...
. It is possible that the men and guns were intended for the defence of Carlisle, but Slanning headed for York
York
York is a walled city, situated at the confluence of the Rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. The city has a rich heritage and has provided the backdrop to major political events throughout much of its two millennia of existence...
to command a company in a regiment of foot "appointed to guard the King's person", with the rank of Sergeant Major. He returned home following the Treaty of Berwick
Treaty of Berwick (1639)
The Treaty of Berwick was signed on 18 June 1639 between England and Scotland. Archibald Johnston was involved in the negotiations before King Charles was forced to sign the treaty. The agreement, overall, officially ended the First Bishops' War even though both sides saw it only as a temporary...
in June and by March 1640 was Recorder
Recorder (judge)
A Recorder is a judicial officer in England and Wales. It now refers to two quite different appointments. The ancient Recorderships of England and Wales now form part of a system of Honorary Recorderships which are filled by the most senior full-time circuit judges...
to Plympton St. Maurice
Plympton
Plympton, or Plympton Maurice or Plympton St Maurice or Plympton St Mary or Plympton Erle, in south-western Devon, England is an ancient stannary town: an important trading centre in the past for locally mined tin, and a former seaport...
.
Parliamentary activities
In April 1640, Slanning was elected Member of ParliamentMember of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
for Plympton Erle
Plympton Erle (UK Parliament constituency)
Plympton Erle, also spelt Plympton Earle, was a parliamentary borough in Devon. It elected two Members of Parliament to the House of Commons from 1295 until 1832, when the borough was abolished by the Great Reform Act.-1295-1640:-1640-1832:...
for the Short Parliament
Short Parliament
The Short Parliament was a Parliament of England that sat from 13 April to 5 May 1640 during the reign of King Charles I of England, so called because it lasted only three weeks....
in what appears to be an unresolved double return. Slanning was also the Lieutenant-Colonel of a "trayned band" of 157 men, two-thirds musketeers and the remainder pikemen
Pike (weapon)
A pike is a pole weapon, a very long thrusting spear used extensively by infantry both for attacks on enemy foot soldiers and as a counter-measure against cavalry assaults. Unlike many similar weapons, the pike is not intended to be thrown. Pikes were used regularly in European warfare from the...
. He and Sir Francis Bassett were given the responsibility for levies from the West of Cornwall for the Second Bishops' War
Bishops' Wars
The Bishops' Wars , were conflicts, both political and military, which occurred in 1639 and 1640 centred around the nature of the governance of the Church of Scotland, and the rights and powers of the Crown...
. After the Treaty of Ripon
Treaty of Ripon
The Treaty of Ripon was an agreement signed by Charles I, King of England, Scotland, and Ireland, and the Scottish Covenanters on 26 October 1640, in the aftermath of the Second Bishops' War...
he hurried back to stand for Parliament
Parliament of England
The Parliament of England was the legislature of the Kingdom of England. In 1066, William of Normandy introduced a feudal system, by which he sought the advice of a council of tenants-in-chief and ecclesiastics before making laws...
.
In October 1640 Slanning was elected for both Plympton Erle and Penryn
Penryn (UK Parliament constituency)
Penryn was a parliamentary borough in Cornwall, which elected two Members of Parliament to the House of Commons of England from 1553 until 1707, to the House of Commons of Great Britain from 1707 to 1800, and finally to the House of Commons of the United Kingdom from 1801 to until 1832...
to the Long Parliament
Long Parliament
The Long Parliament was made on 3 November 1640, following the Bishops' Wars. It received its name from the fact that through an Act of Parliament, it could only be dissolved with the agreement of the members, and those members did not agree to its dissolution until after the English Civil War and...
(in a way which was to give rise to charges of bribery), and chose to sit for Penryn.. His was among the 59 names of the members posted for voting against the Bill of Attainder
Bill of attainder
A bill of attainder is an act of a legislature declaring a person or group of persons guilty of some crime and punishing them without benefit of a judicial trial.-English law:...
of Strafford
Thomas Wentworth, 1st Earl of Strafford
Thomas Wentworth, 1st Earl of Strafford was an English statesman and a major figure in the period leading up to the English Civil War. He served in Parliament and was a supporter of King Charles I. From 1632 to 1639 he instituted a harsh rule as Lord Deputy of Ireland...
. Seven other Cornish MPs also voted against the Bill, including Godolphin, Trevanion, and Richard Arundel, who later married Slanning's widow.
In June 1641 he returned to Cornwall to resume his governorship of Pendennis Castle
Pendennis Castle
Pendennis Castle is a Henrician castle, also known as one of Henry VIII's Device Forts, in the English county of Cornwall. It was built in 1539 for King Henry VIII to guard the entrance to the River Fal on its west bank, near Falmouth. St Mawes Castle is its opposite number on the east bank and...
. but was back in London that winter, and in January 1642 was called to attend the House of Commons for sending letters to Francis Bassett in Cornwall for the arrest of the "Five Members", should they try to embark from a Cornish port, a charge that Slanning denied. He was still in the House in February and supplied it with information concerning "four Scottish merchants lately arrived in Cornwall", but probably left for Pendennis in April when many MPs withdrew. He was certainly in Cornwall when, on 9 August, he was barred from the Commons and ordered to attend the House as a "delinquent".
Civil War
On 25 August 1642, the Royalist commander Hopton entered Cornwall after separating from the Marquis of Hertford following their failed attempts to secure WiltshireWiltshire
Wiltshire is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is landlocked and borders the counties of Dorset, Somerset, Hampshire, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire. It contains the unitary authority of Swindon and covers...
, Dorset
Dorset
Dorset , is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The county town is Dorchester which is situated in the south. The Hampshire towns of Bournemouth and Christchurch joined the county with the reorganisation of local government in 1974...
, and Somerset
Somerset
The ceremonial and non-metropolitan county of Somerset in South West England borders Bristol and Gloucestershire to the north, Wiltshire to the east, Dorset to the south-east, and Devon to the south-west. It is partly bounded to the north and west by the Bristol Channel and the estuary of the...
. Hopton first visited Sir Bevil Grenvile
Bevil Grenville
Sir Bevil Grenville was an English politician who sat in the House of Commons of England between 1621 and 1642. He was a Royalist soldier in the English Civil War and was killed in action at the Battle of Lansdowne.-Backgound:...
at Stowe then, after brushing aside Bullers's Militia, headed for Pendennis on September 24 to confer with Slanning. Hopton appeared voluntarily before the assizes
Assizes
Assize or Assizes may refer to:Assize or Assizes may refer to:Assize or Assizes may refer to::;in common law countries :::*assizes , an obsolete judicial inquest...
at Truro
Truro
Truro is a city and civil parish in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. The city is the centre for administration, leisure and retail in Cornwall, with a population recorded in the 2001 census of 17,431. Truro urban statistical area, which includes parts of surrounding parishes, has a 2001 census...
and after successful defence of his actions, began recruiting. In November 1642, Slanning formed one of the five Cornish regiments foot which was known as "the Tinners".. The other regiments were formed under Colonel William Godolphin
William Godolphin (Royalist)
Sir William Godolphin was an English soldier and politician who sat in the House of Commons in 1640. He fought for the Royalist cause in the English Civil War....
, Sir Bevill Grenvile, Colonel John Trevanion
John Trevanion
John Trevanion was an English politician who sat in the House of Commons of England from 1640 to 1643. He was a royalist officer who was killed in action in the English Civil War....
and Warwick, Lord Mohun
Warwick Mohun, 2nd Baron Mohun of Okehampton
Warwick Mohun, 2nd Baron Mohun of Okehampton was an English politician who sat in the House of Commons in 1640 until he inherited his peerage and sat in the House of Lords....
. Slanning and the first three of these were known as the "wheels on Charles's wain". A seventeenth century ode
Ode
Ode is a type of lyrical verse. A classic ode is structured in three major parts: the strophe, the antistrophe, and the epode. Different forms such as the homostrophic ode and the irregular ode also exist...
included the distich:
"Gone the four wheels of CharlesCharles I of EnglandCharles I was King of England, King of Scotland, and King of Ireland from 27 March 1625 until his execution in 1649. Charles engaged in a struggle for power with the Parliament of England, attempting to obtain royal revenue whilst Parliament sought to curb his Royal prerogative which Charles...
's wain, GrenvilleBevil GrenvilleSir Bevil Grenville was an English politician who sat in the House of Commons of England between 1621 and 1642. He was a Royalist soldier in the English Civil War and was killed in action at the Battle of Lansdowne.-Backgound:...
, GodolphinSidney Godolphin (poet)Sidney Godolphin , was an English poet, courtier and politician who sat in the House of Commons between 1628 and 1643. He died fighting in the Royalist army in the English Civil War.-Biography:...
, Slanning, Trevannion slain"
Slanning was released from his governorship of Pendennis Castle (succeeded by Sir John Arundell) in 1643.
Hopton first used his forces to make an unsuccessful attempt on Exeter
Exeter
Exeter is a historic city in Devon, England. It lies within the ceremonial county of Devon, of which it is the county town as well as the home of Devon County Council. Currently the administrative area has the status of a non-metropolitan district, and is therefore under the administration of the...
then fell back on Plympton, took it, and invested Plymouth on 1 December. Later that month they took Alphington
Alphington, Devon
Alphington is a suburb of the City of Exeter in southwest England. The ward of Alphington has a population of 8250 according to the 2001 census, making it the third largest in Exeter, with the village itself accounting for about a quarter of this figure...
, Powderham
Powderham Castle
Powderham Castle is located south of Exeter, Devon, England. The Powderham Estate, in which it is set, runs down to the western shores of the estuary of the River Exe between the villages of Kenton and Starcross....
, and Topsham
Topsham, Devon
Topsham is a suburb of Exeter in the county of Devon, England, on the east side of the River Exe, immediately north of its confluence with the River Clyst and the former's estuary, between Exeter and Exmouth. Although village-sized, with a current population of around 5,023, it was designated a...
but failed to capture Exeter in a night attack. Their first field battle was Braddock
Braddock, Cornwall
Braddock is a village and a civil parish in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. The village is situated about seven miles west of Liskeard, and five miles south-east of Bodmin....
(actually Pinnock) Down in January 1643 when Ruthin's forces were forced to flee back through Liskeard
Liskeard
Liskeard is an ancient stannary and market town and civil parish in south east Cornwall, England, United Kingdom.Liskeard is situated approximately 20 miles west of Plymouth, west of the River Tamar and the border with Devon, and 12 miles east of Bodmin...
and on to Saltash
Saltash
Saltash is a town and civil parish in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It has a population of 14,964. It lies in the south east of Cornwall, facing Plymouth over the River Tamar. It was in the Caradon district until March 2009 and is known as "the gateway to Cornwall". Saltash means ash tree by...
, while the Earl of Stamford
Henry Grey, 1st Earl of Stamford
Henry Grey, 1st Earl of Stamford , known as the Lord Grey of Groby from 1614 to 1628, was an English nobleman and military leader. He was the eldest son of Sir John Grey and Elizabeth Nevill...
withdrew from Launceston. Slanning's regiment, along with those of Grenville and Trevanion and half of the horse
Cavalry
Cavalry or horsemen were soldiers or warriors who fought mounted on horseback. Cavalry were historically the third oldest and the most mobile of the combat arms...
and dragoons, pursued Stamford while the rest followed up Ruthin.
Hopton, after some futile negotiations, invested Plymouth again and this led to Slanning's sole command in battle, but not until after the first "wheel" was lost when the court poet Sydney Godolphin died of a wound received in a skirmish at Chagford
Chagford
Chagford is a small town and civil parish on the north-east edge of Dartmoor, in Devon, England, close to the River Teign. It is located off the A382, about 4 miles west of Moretonhampstead. The name Chagford is derived from the word chag, meaning gorse or broom, and the ford suffix indicates its...
. In February 1643 Slanning, in command of a detachment consisting of his and Trevanion's regiments, was attacked at Modbury
Modbury
Modbury is a town and parish in the South Hams region of the English county of Devon. It is situated on the A379 road, which links it to Plymouth and Kingsbridge...
by Chudleigh. He was able to execute a fighting withdrawal against superior forces, but at the cost of 250 killed or wounded, 1,000 muskets and five guns.
The Cornish forces now left Devon and things remained quiet until the encounter battle of Polston Bridge, Launceston in April, when the arrival of Slanning's and Trevanion's regiments proved decisive. Two days later there was another encounter battle, the "Western Wonder" of the Cavalier ballad, at Sourton Down, where in the middle of a violent thunderstorm, Chudleigh was able to hold the field and Hopton again retreated to Launceston.
Slanning and his men had a brief sojourn at Saltash before rejoining the rest in a rendezvous with Grenvile's foot. They brushed aside a small force at Week St. Mary on 13 May and at 5.00 a.m. on the 16 May attacked the forces on Stratton (now Stamford) Hill, Stratton
Stratton, Cornwall
Stratton is a small town situated near the coastal resort of Bude in north Cornwall, UK. It was also the name of one of ten ancient administrative shires of Cornwall - see "Hundreds of Cornwall"...
. This produced their most spectacular victory when, after ten hours of fighting uphill against twice their number of much better equipped enemy with a dug-in battery
Artillery battery
In military organizations, an artillery battery is a unit of guns, mortars, rockets or missiles so grouped in order to facilitate better battlefield communication and command and control, as well as to provide dispersion for its constituent gunnery crews and their systems...
, the Royalists gained the position, killing 300 and capturing 1,700 with fourteen guns, £300 and plentiful provisions, at a cost of 80 men. Slanning and Trevanion commanded the westernmost of the four columns.
The Cornish Royalist army then received orders to rendezvous with Prince Maurice's
Prince Maurice von Simmern
Prince Maurice of the Palatinate KG , Count Palatine of the Rhine, was the fourth son of Frederick V, Elector Palatine and Princess Elizabeth, only daughter of James I, King of England and Scotland and Anne of Denmark....
men, whom they met at Chard
Chard, Somerset
Chard is a town and civil parish in the Somerset county of England. It lies on the A30 road near the Devon border, south west of Yeovil. The parish has a population of approximately 12,000 and, at an elevation of , it is the southernmost and highest town in Somerset...
in Somerset in June. This combined force now took Taunton
Taunton
Taunton is the county town of Somerset, England. The town, including its suburbs, had an estimated population of 61,400 in 2001. It is the largest town in the shire county of Somerset....
, Bridgwater
Bridgwater
Bridgwater is a market town and civil parish in Somerset, England. It is the administrative centre of the Sedgemoor district, and a major industrial centre. Bridgwater is located on the major communication routes through South West England...
, Dunster Castle
Dunster Castle
Dunster Castle is a former motte and bailey castle, now a country house, in the village of Dunster, Somerset, England. The castle lies on the top of a steep hill called the Tor, and has been fortified since the late Anglo-Saxon period. After the Norman conquest of England in the 11th century,...
and Wells
Wells
Wells is a cathedral city and civil parish in the Mendip district of Somerset, England, on the southern edge of the Mendip Hills. Although the population recorded in the 2001 census is 10,406, it has had city status since 1205...
. Their first contact with the Parliamentarian commander William Waller
William Waller
Sir William Waller was an English soldier during the English Civil War. He received his education at Magdalen Hall, Oxford, and served in the Venetian army and in the Thirty Years' War...
was a cavalry
Cavalry
Cavalry or horsemen were soldiers or warriors who fought mounted on horseback. Cavalry were historically the third oldest and the most mobile of the combat arms...
skirmish at Chewton Mendip
Chewton Mendip
Chewton Mendip is a village and civil parish in the Mendip District of Somerset, England. It is situated north of Wells, south of Bristol on the Mendip Hills and is the source of the River Chew. The parish includes the hamlet of Bathway.- History :...
. Waller was driven out of Monkton Farleigh
Monkton Farleigh
Monkton Farleigh is a small village in west Wiltshire, England, 3 miles from Bradford-on-Avon, and 5 miles from the city of Bath...
on 3 July 1643 and on 5 July, two days later, the Royalists won a pyrrhic victory
Pyrrhic victory
A Pyrrhic victory is a victory with such a devastating cost to the victor that it carries the implication that another such victory will ultimately cause defeat.-Origin:...
at the Battle of Lansdowne
Battle of Lansdowne
The English Civil War battle of Lansdowne was fought on 5 July 1643, near Bath, southwest England. Although the Royalists under Lord Hopton forced the Parliamentarians under Sir William Waller to retreat from their hilltop position, they suffered so many casualties themselves and were left so...
. Slanning was described as "advancing from hedge to hedge at the head of his men, in the mouths of muskets and cannons, insomuch they thought him immortal, as indeed he was that day" whereas Sir Bevill Grenvile, the next "wheel", fell at the battle. The foot were now besieged in Devizes
Devizes
Devizes is a market town and civil parish in Wiltshire, England. The town is about southeast of Chippenham and about east of Trowbridge.Devizes serves as a centre for banks, solicitors and shops, with a large open market place where a market is held once a week...
but witnessed the destruction of Waller's forces at Roundway Down
Battle of Roundway Down
The Battle of Roundway Down was fought on 13 July 1643, during the First English Civil War. A Royalist cavalry force under Lord Wilmot won a crushing victory over the Parliamentarians under Sir William Waller who were besieging Devizes in central Wiltshire, which was defended by Lord Hopton...
. The Western Royalists took Bath, and after joining Prince Rupert
Prince Rupert of the Rhine
Rupert, Count Palatine of the Rhine, Duke of Bavaria, 1st Duke of Cumberland, 1st Earl of Holderness , commonly called Prince Rupert of the Rhine, KG, FRS was a noted soldier, admiral, scientist, sportsman, colonial governor and amateur artist during the 17th century...
on 26 July 1643 they stormed Bristol
Bristol
Bristol is a city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, with an estimated population of 433,100 for the unitary authority in 2009, and a surrounding Larger Urban Zone with an estimated 1,070,000 residents in 2007...
. Slanning commanded one of the three tertia of the Western Army which attacked the South Eastern defences at 3.00 a.m. Bristol fell after some thirteen hours fighting, Slanning and Trevanion were both mortally wounded. Slanning's leg was broken by a musket ball, and he died a few days later , quipping "that he had always despised bullets, having been so used to them, and almost thought they could not hurt him", and professing "great joy and satisfaction in the losing of his life in the King's service to whom he had always dedicated it".
No record remains of where Sir Nicholas Slanning was buried. The Sir Nicholas Slanning buried at St Mary the Virgin at Bickleigh, Devon was this Sir Nicholas's grandfather, but Slanning's body may have been returned there for burial since some of his arms reached Bickleigh and his helmet and gauntlet may still be seen, by arrangement, at the church.
Family
Slanning married Gertrude Bagge, daughter of Sir James Bagge of Little Saltram in 1625. They had two sons and two daughters. His son Nicholas (1643–1691) was granted a baronetcySlanning Baronets
The Slanning Baronetcy, of Maristow in the County of Devon, was a title in the Baronetage of England. It was created on 19 January 1663 for Nicholas Slanning, later Member of Parliament for Plympton Erle and Penrhyn. He was the son of Nicholas Slanning...
by the restored monarchy. Following Slanning's death, Gertrude married Richard Arundell, 1st Baron Arundell of Trerice
Richard Arundell, 1st Baron Arundell of Trerice
Richard Arundell, 1st Baron Arundell of Trerice was an English politician who sat in the House of Commons at various times between 1640 and 1664 when he was raised to the peerage...
.
The Slanning family is first documented in 1538 and spanned nine generations until the extinction of the male line in 1700. It was granted or acquired land in Bickleigh
Bickleigh, South Hams
Bickleigh is a small village on the southern edge of Dartmoor in Devon, England. It has a population of about 50 people. It is in the South Hams district, and is about seven miles north of Plymouth city centre...
, Walkhampton
Walkhampton
Walkhampton is a village and civil parish on the western side of Dartmoor in the county of Devon, England. The village lies on the Black Brook, a tributary of the River Walkham, about south-east of Tavistock, near the villages of Horrabridge, Yelverton and Dousland. Burrator Reservoir, constructed...
, Maybury, and Roborough
Roborough
Roborough is a village in the South Hams of Devon, England. It lies just outside the northern boundary of the city of Plymouth on the main road to Tavistock, and is a popular dormitory village....
, all near Plymouth
Plymouth
Plymouth is a city and unitary authority area on the coast of Devon, England, about south-west of London. It is built between the mouths of the rivers Plym to the east and Tamar to the west, where they join Plymouth Sound...
.
Modern commemoration
The name of Sir Nicholas Slanning and his men lives on in the guise of "Sir Nicholas Slanning his regiment of foote", a part of The Sealed KnotThe Sealed Knot (reenactment)
The Sealed Knot is a British historical association and charity, dedicated to costumed reenactment of battles and events surrounding the English Civil War.-About:...
.
External links
- Civil War Re-enactment group: Slanning's Regiment
- Sealed Knot: national historical re-enactment organisation
- ODNB article by Mary Wolffe, ‘Slanning, Sir Nicholas (1606–1643)’, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004 http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/25714, accessed 5 Dec 2007.