Sieges of Brampton and Hopton castles/The cost of the damage to Brampton and an account of the destruction of Roaring Megg
Letter from William Bagley to Thomas Harley[edit]
1646, June 15. Putney.— I have cast up my thoughts and according to my best understanding as far as I am able to judge, I think your father's losses in the ruin of the castle, the out-buildings, the burning of the town, the goods and furniture of the castle, the loss' of all his cattle, his rents and other ruins that are made upon his estate may be about twelve or thirteen thousand pounds, besides what waste hath been made in his woods I know not; for the church I conceive thirteen or fourteen hundred pounds may build and repair seats in it again. And for the townsmen's losses I cannot well say what it may be until I have some further information from them; but yet I shall declare to my thoughts, which are thus; if all they who have term for life or years must again repair the buildings out of those ruins, and your father to repair the rest of the town, then I think the loss' of the townsmen will amount to about two thousand seven hundred and fifty pounds, or thereabouts.[1]
The day of our enemies' close approach was July 26th, 1643. They brought seven great iron guns, one whereof they called Roaring Megg. Their great god in whom they trusted broke in pieces at the third shot and hurt many of their own company; and at three sallies out upon them, we had not one man killed, but many of theirs; and when our time was expired that we must hold the castle no longer we delivered it up April the 17th, 1644. For many acts of God's providence towards us in this time of our trial and trouble, I believe you have more particularly recorded then I am able to do. Copy.
Later estimates of the costs[edit]
<references> [1]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1
Two other later estimates of the costs:
- 1646 [-7], March 12. — An account rendered to the Committee of Accounts at Hereford of the losses in goods and cattle of those that were in the castle and town of Brampton Bryan occasioned by the King's forces, amounting to 2,551l 14s. This sum in- cludes—Colonel Dr. Wright, 240l.; Stanley Gower, rector, 368l.; Francis Boughey, minister, 134l.
- Same date. — An account of the moneys required to rebuild the church and town, amounting to 3,216l. The church, 1,200l.; the parsonage, 250l., and 19 houses the occupants of which are named, are included in the estimate.