Editing Worcester, England (section)

====Civil war====
{{further|Worcestershire in the English Civil War|Battle of Worcester}}
{{see also|History of Worcester#Civil war}}
[[File:Battle of Worcester.jpg|thumb|left|Battle of Worcester]]
Worcester equivocated, then sided with Parliament before the outbreak of the [[English Civil War]] in 1642 but was swiftly occupied by the Royalists. Parliament briefly retook the city after the [[Battle of Powick Bridge]] of September 1642, and ransacked the cathedral, where stained glass was smashed and the organ destroyed, along with library books and monuments.<ref>{{harvnb |Atkin |2004 |pp=52–53}}</ref>

The Parliamentary commander, the [[Robert Devereux, 3rd Earl of Essex|Earl of Essex]] was soon forced to withdraw, and the city spent the rest of the war under Royalist occupation. Worcester was a garrison town and had to sustain and billet a large number of Royalist troops. During the Royalist occupation, the suburbs were destroyed to make defence easier. High taxation was imposed, and many male residents [[Impressment|pressed]] into the army.<ref>{{harvnb |Atkin |2004}}</ref>

As Royalist power collapsed in May 1646, Worcester was placed under siege. Worcester had some 5,000 civilians and a Royalist garrison of about 1,500 men facing a [[New Model Army]] force of 2,500–5,000. The city surrendered on 23 July.<ref>{{harvnb |Atkin |2004 |pp=125–127}}</ref>

In 1651 a Scottish army, 16,000 strong, marched south along the west coast in support of [[Charles II of England|Charles II]]'s attempt to regain the Crown. As the army approached, Worcester Council voted to surrender, fearing further violence and destruction. The Parliamentary garrison withdrew to [[Evesham]] in the face of the overwhelming numbers against them. The Scots were billeted in and around the city, joined by very limited local forces.<ref>{{harvnb |Atkin |2004 |pp=142–143}}</ref>

The [[Battle of Worcester]] took place on 3 September 1651. Charles II was easily defeated by Cromwell's forces of 30,000 men. Charles II returned to his headquarters in what is now known as King Charles House in the Cornmarket, before [[Escape of Charles II|fleeing]] in disguise with help of one of his officers, [[Francis Talbot, 11th Earl of Shrewsbury|Francis Talbot]] to [[Boscobel House]] in [[Shropshire]], from where he eventually escaped to France. Worcester was then heavily looted by the Parliamentarian army. The city council estimated £80,000 of damage was done and subsequent debts were still not recovered in the 1670s.<ref>{{harvnb |Atkin |2004 |pp=142–147}}</ref>