During the First Civil War, Cornwall remained a key royalist stronghold until a series of defeats culminated in the surrender of Cornish forces to Fairfax’s New Model Army in the spring and summer of 1646.
But why was Cornwall so staunch in its support of the monarchy, even after much of the rest of England had accepted Parliament’s victory?
According to distinguished historian Mark Stoyle, Professor of History at the University of Southampton, pro-royalist feeling reflected Cornwall’s strong sense of its particular local identity and the leadership of respected local gentlemen such as Sir Bevil Grenville.
In this programme Professor Stoyle discusses what made Cornish royalism so distinctive. He uncovers how Cornwall’s support for the royalist cause affected the course of the civil wars and how the conflict was remembered in Cornwall thereafter. He is speaking with our contributing editor, Professor Andrew Hopper of the University of Oxford.
