They failed to capture the city, which was defended by about 1,700 Royalists under the command of Colonel William Sandys the acting governor, and retreated back to the Parliamentary stronghold of Gloucester.

After the battle of Ripple Field (13 April 1643) and his defeat by Prince Maurice, Sir William Waller retreated to Tewkesbury, and on to Gloucester.

Willis-Bund stated that Waller was probably thinking it was necessary to do something to maintain his reputation as there was no love lost between him and the Earl of Essex.

Some desultory fighting went on during the day, at times rather sharp, but the garrison had no heart in their resistance and deserted, so that there was nothing for Sir Richard Cave, the governor of Hereford, to do but to surrender.

Nothing remained to prevent them carrying out their original idea of a dash on Oxford, provided the Earl of Essex and Sir William Waller joined forces.

Secretary Nicholas, writing to the Marquis of Ormond, says: There hath lately been two very considerable towns rendered to the rebels here, as is strongly suspected by treachery, for we hear that since they cannot prevail against His Majesty's forces, they say they will make trial what they can do by corrupting some of our commanders.

Their feelings were expressed in lines which speak more for their joy than their poetry:[6] Reading yielded is, Hereford taken is, Hopton beaten is, Malignants grieve I wis.

The third line refers to another Royalist disaster, the defeat of Sir Ralph Hopton, at the Battle of Sourton Down, by Major-General James Chudleigh,[7] also on 25 April.

These were the first really important successes the Parliament had gained in the Midlands, and if they had been able to hold Hereford and reap the fruits of their victory the war would doubtless ended sooner.

Paid John Baddam for mending; the tiles over new new closet, which Sir Wiltiam Waller's soldiers brake down to shoot at Widermarsh Gate when besieged Heriford, 4d.

Having got all he could, Waller saw it was useless to continue to hold Hereford, so resolved to return to Gloucester with his force, in order to carry out the remaining part of his plan and occupy Worcester.

Russell, as Sheriff, had called out the posse comitalus, all between 16 and 60, to come in and serve King Charles I, but it does not appear that the summons had been largely obeyed.

This had been kept alive by the fact that bands of Waller's raiders had come fairly near the town; they had been seen at Upton-upon-Severn, and probably at Powick, and some communication, was kept up between the discontented party in the city and the Parliament troops outside.

[1] Essex had appointed various persons who were favourable to the Parliament to offices in the Corporation during the time he had held the town in October 1642.

"Religion" referred to the lecturers who had been displaced for the parish clergy; "persons and goods" to the state of martial law and billeting that prevailed in a garrison town, to say nothing of the plundering of lawless ruffians like Colonel Hide;[a] "privileges of the Corporation" to the displacement of the members by the Royal warrant.

[14] Leaving Gloucester on the afternoon of 28 May 1643, marching all night through Tewkesbury, Severn Stoke, and Kempsey, Waller reached Worcester about daybreak on the 29 May.

On arriving on the south side of the town he halted his men on the high ground above Diglis, sent his trumpeter to the Sidbury Gate to demand the surrender of the place.

Sandys returned not in the best of tempers, accompanied by one of his officers, Captain Beaumont, who commanded one of the regiments that formed the garrison.

[16] A great and heated controversy arose over this "regrettable incident",[17] the Parliament writers and speakers contending with some truth that the Royalists had deliberately violated a flag of truce, and killed, while doing his duty, a messenger under its protection, an act opposed to the laws of war; an outrage on civilization.

[17] A sortie was made from St. Martin's Gate (on the east of the city) against Waller's right flank by a party of the Royalist horse.

They drove the Parliamentarians back on Waller's centre, near Greenhill, and cleared the east side of the city.

Waller was in no position to resist an attack by Sandys on his front and by Maurice on his flank and rear, besides having the River Avon to cross in case of disaster.

[2] His loss in this attack on Worcester was heavy; five or six captains and 160 soldiers were killed; the wounded filled several barges, but the fighting had been sharp, sharper than usual, especially round Diglis, and this accounts for the casualties.

[2] Sir Robert Cooke, on his return to Gloucester, sent the Speaker a fair account of Waller's defeat.

He had been disappointed that there was no help from Worcester itself or from outside; Walter evidently feared an attack, or he would not have retired so quickly, or evacuated Tewkesbury so hastily.

The Lord General the Earl of Essex, who had long been jealous of Waller's popularity and reputation, censure him severely.

[23] To Worcester is due the honour of having checked the victorious career of the most popular, and hitherto the most successful, of the Parliamentary generals.