POLITICAL HISTORY Towards the close of September Massey, with the aid of treachery, surprised Monmouth, and from this post harassed southern Herefordshire. He maintained a garrison there until 1 9 November, when during his absence the place was surprised and retaken by Lord Herbert. Massey, however, succeeded in saving the greater part of the garrison, but an outpost at Pembridge Castle within the Herefordshire border was compelled to surrender after holding out for a fortnight.*'* On 6 November, 1 644, Prince Rupert was appointed general of all the Royal forces, and his brother Maurice was made major-general of the counties of Worcester, Salop, Hereford, and Monmouth. Already by the defeat at Marston Moor on 4 July the north was lost to Charles, and in consequence before winter the forces in Herefordshire were reinforced by detachments of Royalist soldiers streaming southward, but debarred from crossing the Severn to their rendezvous at Bristol by the vigilance of Massey and the garrison of Gloucester. Hitherto the northern border of Herefordshire had been effectually secured by the hold of the Royalists on Shropshire. But on 22 February, 1644-5, Brereton took Shrewsbury by surprise, and the loss of the capital involved that of the whole county. Only the fortress of Ludlow shielded Herefordshire from invasion from the north, while the county of Worcester was similarly exposed. The situation, however, was saved for the time by the arrival of Rupert from Oxford, who, in conjunction with Maurice, occupied the Parliamentary forces in Cheshire and Shropshire. But the country for some time had viewed with increasing discontent the exactions of the military authorities and the licence of the soldiers, particularly of the troops from Ireland. The hundred of Broxash in the north-east of the county was greatly disaffected. Some could not, others would not, deliver in their contributions ; and arrests and imprisonment had occurred among them. They complained of the behaviour of the Irish soldiery, and could obtain no redress ; and the presence of the military was altogether so distasteful to them that the boys and girls learned to sneer at them in satirical ballads. Colonel Scudamore became so provoked at their thwartings and taunts that he is reported to have declared in some unguarded moment that he would ' hang the dogs and drown the whelps.' Be this as it may, violent and bitter language was vented against him and his men. The country people bade defiance to the book of orders under which he was acting, opposed the grant of quarters, recruits, or money, and threatened to burn the houses of such as through fear or affection appeared inclined to furnish them.*^' These feelings produced the associations of Clubmen in various parts of England, particularly in Dorset. While, however, in Dorset the movement was mainly directed against the Parliamentary troops, in Herefordshire the RoyaUsts were resisted. In the spring of 1645, when the annual stock of hay and fodder was low, the country people openly opposed Scudamore's attempts to levy contributions and seize fodder. Mustering 15,000 or 16,000 strong and reinforced by malcontents from the counties of Worcester and Radnor, many of them well horsed and armed, they presented themselves on 1 8 March before the city of Hereford. They complained particularly of the depredations of the garrison at Canon Frome, intended to secure communications between Hereford and Worcester. Scudamore immediately issued a proclamation **° "« Webb, Mem. li, 95-9, 111-16. «' Ibid. 151. "» Printed in Webb, Mem. ii, 369-70. 50 ^ 393
