[d] Gerard was the colonel of a Royalist regiment of foot (his twin brother, Ratcliffe, was his lieutenant-colonel) that was already in the field before the first major pitched battle took place.
It was one of several satellite locations chosen to protect Oxford and the King's court, and so Gerard oversaw the building of earthworks to turn the area near the Church into a fort.
[11] On 22 March 1644, Fox's brother, Reighnold led an expedition with 300 men with the intention of capturing Stourton Castle and garrisoned it.
Gerard seems to have been far too strong for the Parliamentarians, the Royalists' account says that they charged and routed Fox and his men, and pursued them for three miles slaying many.
Fox and other officers wrote to their commander, the Earl of Denbigh, explaining that Gerard's force was too strong and asked for reinforcements.
Taking advantage of this Edward Massey (the Parliamentary Governor of Gloucester), reinforced with a regiment of Warwickshire cavalry under the command of Colonel William Purefoy, advanced up the Leadon valley and captured Ledbury.
Sir Gilbert Gerard, the governor, wrote on 1 May 1644, to Rupert, complaining of the state of things, adding that at Worcester many of the town were "very base," and that if he was not sent help, "with some considerable force, the County would be ruinated".
[18] Massey who after his retreat from Ledbury, had been ordered to advance into South Wales and had been quite successful campaigning in Monmouthshire (on 26 September he had taken Monmouth).
[19] In October 1644 Gerard with soldiers from the garrison in Worcester and from Dudley Castle attempted to capture Edgbaston Hall (Fox's headquarters) but returned having failed to so.
[7] Towards the end of 1645, Sir Gilbert Gerard with Molyneux led another party to Stourbridge and Kidderminster, described by a Parliamentary writer as being "the most rude, ravenous, and ill-governed horse that I believe ever trod upon the earth".
They hoped to be reinforced, but some men under Thomas Morgan from Gloucester defeated Sir Henry Washington, who was coming to their help, near Abberley, and when they proposed to march on Worcester, Parliament troops occupied Ombersley in force and prevented them.