King Charles I Droitwich Spa.
11th May – 14th May 1645
During the 17th Century Sir Thomas Fairfax, parliament leader of the time, did not agree that one man should have sole control of a country and that decisions should be democratic and decided upon by a parliament. King Charles (I) however, strongly believed that it was God himself who put him in charge of the country to rule the land, therefor to disagree with the king was to disagree with the almighty, certain disagreements might also be considered as treason, a crime punishable by death.
This split opinion also split the land, no referendum required as England would go to war, one part supporting the king and the divine right, the other supporting Parliament. Fierce battles raged across England starting at Powick bridge, Worcester in 1642.
Droitwich, 11th May 1645
On loosing control of London the King settled in Oxford, from here on route to Chester King Charles (I) marched west to meet his nephew Prince Rupert of the Rhine at Droitwich, Charles stayed for three days between the 11th and the 14th May 1645. It is reputed that Charles stayed at St Andrews House, which is currently known as the Raven hotel.
The current Raven Hotel
Prince Rupert departed from Droitwich to acquire Hawkesley House which was held by roughly 120 parliamentarian soldiers, the soldiers surrendered immediately upon the arrival of the royalist army. The royalists captured the soldiers, pillaged the site and burnt Hawkesley to the ground. Charles then marched on to Bromsgrove which was designated a royalist headquarters
Some years later Charles was eventually captured and put under house arrest where on the 30th January 1649 he was beheaded a decision made by Oliver Cromwell, a puritan who proclaimed himself as Lord Protector of England. Oliver had argued that the King himself had committed treason, a crime punishable by death the country was now a republic and essentially ruled by Oliver Cromwell .
The puritan banned celebrations, pomp and frivolity which would included trying to ban Ale houses and Christmas, which was now to be a solemn event. This didn’t really impress the nation’s people and a great depression followed,
King Charles II.
By 1650 Charles (II) had been crowned King of Scotland and continued to fight a war which is known as the third part of the war, of which his last battle was at Worcester on the 3rd of September 1651. After being defeated at Worcester he went on the run and eventually exiled to France. Oliver Cromwell died on the 3rd of September 1658, Co-incidentally this was also the anniversary of his victories at Worcester. By 1660 Charles (II) was invited back from France and the monarchy was restored.
This cache is to highlight a defining period of history which is often overlooked or miss understood.
Me and my wife (Ffoxylady27) travel the country re-enacting various battles of the English Civil War while teaching members of the public about life and times during this period.
You are looking for a magnetic keysafe.
I hope you enjoy the cache and its associated history.