[7] Worcester was occupied by Sir John Byron on 16 September 1642,[8] who was on his way to deliver wagons of silver plate from Oxford to the Charles I at Shrewsbury.

Byron realising that he could not hold the Worcester with a Parliamentary army under the command of Earl of Essex already approaching city, he had sent a request to the King for additional forces to aid him.

The Parliamentarians were aware of Byron's mission and an advanced force under the command of Colonel Nathaniel Fiennes arrived at the Sidbury Gate early on 22 September.

He attacked Fiennes's Parliamentary force at the Battle of Powick Bridge (23 September 1642), so allowing Byron's wagon-train to leave Worcestershire under Rupert's protection.

Essex and his army treated Worcester as a hostile city, officially for letting the Royalists in without a fight, but also due to their frustration at losing the convoy of silver and the Battle of Powick Bridge.

The generals, stating they had not a force sufficient to undertake the siege, drew off to Droitwich but gave Washington notice that they only did this to give him full opportunity to learn his hopeless situation.

On 19 April 1646 there was a skirmish in front of Worcester, the record of which, appears in the Kidderminster parish register, where the burial of a soldier is mentioned, under that date:[15] John Jones, a Parliament soldier, slain at the skirmish at Worcester.On 27 April, about midnight, Charles I left Oxford for the last time, disguised as a servant and after failing to rendezvous with a French agent, on 5 May, he surrendered to Alexander Leslie, Earl of Leven commander of the Scottish army in England that was encamped outside the heavily fortified town of Newark-on-Trent which the Scots were besieging.

Having resolved to comply with the desires of our Parliament in everything which may be for the good of our subjects, and leave no means unessayed for the removing of all differences amongst us, therefore we have thought fit, the more to evidence the reality of our intentions of settling a happy and firm peace, to require you upon honourable terms to quit those towns, castles, and forts entrusted to you by us, and to disband all the forces under your several commands.

Fairfax now sent off as many horse as he could spare to Worcester, under the command of Colonel Edward Whalley, to harry the garrison until such time as the army were at liberty to advance against it.

[1] On 9 June the besiegers pushed on into Henwick (on the western side of the Severn by the Bromyard Road), and some as far as St Johns; one of their officers was killed.

[26] On 12 June, the besiegers occupied St Johns, lined the village with musketeers, and about 15:00 they placed a number of foot behind the church tower, hoping by this to complete the investment of the city to the west.

But, to prevent this, at 23:00, a sortie in force of 500 foot and 200 horse was made to dislodge the besiegers from St Johns, and to destroy Cripplegate and the houses that gave shelter up to the bridge.

[25] On 13 June all was quiet except a few shots which fell into the town, one of them killing a man and his wife as they lay in bed in a house in the Trinity.

[25][27] 14 June was a quiet day except for occasional shots, one of which damaged Sir Rowland Berkeley's house in the Corn Market.

The besiegers finished a bridge of boats they were making near the top corner of Pitchcroft, and threw up a breastwork on each side of the river to protect it.

[28] Early in the morning of 16 June, Captain Hodgkins, or "Wicked Will", being very drunk, sallied out over the bridge to St Johns, attacked the guard of the besiegers, killed one, and came back in safety.

The Governor (Captain Aston) had been present at a council of war, at which he had stated that he could hold the place against all force for three months at least if mortar pieces were not brought against him.

In the part next to the Butts, between Foregate Street and St Clements Church, poles, rafters, cross-pieces and hurdles were fixed and the spaces filled up with earth and horse dung.

The garrison showed strong signs of insubordination, a good deal of plundering went on, much discontent prevailed, and the officers were not able, even if they were inclined, to check it.

[35][36] On 26 June, Washington called a council of war, to meet at the Bishop's Palace, to consider their position and hear Kempson's statement.

[38] Mr, Fitzwilliam Coningsby, the head of the recusants and reformadoes, a man of good property in Herefordshire, objected to any idea of surrender until they heard from the King.

Whalley replied:[40] Sir, Since our proposed treaty is condescended to by you, and the time and place left to me, I desire your commissioners would give the gentlemen under-written a meeting at Hindlip House, belonging to Mr. Abingdon, on Monday morning, 10 o'clock.

The Royalist governor, Washington, sent to Colonel Dingley, with whom he had served in the Low Countries, to meet him outside the city in the Foregate where they met many other friends and drank until 22:00.

[41] On 28 June, the Parliamentarians on Windmill Hill, on the south of the town, came down and examined the works, and at the Foregate many on both sides met and conversed.

[43] On 2 July 1646 an attempt was made to capture Colonel Betsworth, who was quartered at Kempsey, but the party were delayed, as it was a dark, wet night.

They placed two brass field pieces on the top of the tower commanding Windmill Hill to answer the new works there, and at the Knowie, nearer Mrs. Andrews', where the Roundheads had been erecting further batteries.

A private letter intimated they might have honourable terms, but the gentry and soldiers said they should hold out to the last, so that, as Worcester had been the first city to declare for the King, it should be the last to give up his cause.

[45] Goodwin urged that by the articles of Oxford all other garrisons were entitled to as good terms, but these were in some of the details worse, and expressly objected to the exception of Sir William Russell as something quite unheard of.

Having disarmed the citizens the committee got to work the next day, 25 July, by beginning to make an inventory of all estates, demanding a contribution of 25 per cent.

[54] The prisoners Parliament took and obliged to compound included among others: Sherington, Talbot, of Salwarp; Edward Vernon, of Hanbury; Philip Brace, of Dovedale; John Washborne, of Wichenford; Francis Finch, of Rushock; Sir Thomas Lyttelton, late governor of Bewdley; Edward Sheldon, of Beoley, a condition of whose composition was that he should stay at home; Mrs. Pakington, of Harvington, who had leave to stay at home.