KS3, KS4 & KS5 British civil war educational resources
Intimate connections with a world turned upside down
The Civil Wars in 12 Objects
Through the prism of 100 beautifully illustrated objects, from propaganda manuscripts to household goods, through the personal possessions and weapons of the famous, to the architecture that defined religious and military change, these objects offer intimate connections with the past and shed new light on these tumultuous times.
Buy the accompanying book
In this unique book, leading historians access this world of impoverishment, bereavement and suffering alongside exciting changes in religion, science, and politics.
Teachers' Guide
Navigating the resource
The website is split into different themes connected to the Civil War:
- The causes
- How the wars were fought
- Their impact on the community
- The legacy of the wars
This is a guide for navigating the website and accessing the relevant resources.
Each object on the website has a downloadable STAR pack containing the following (option to download as a pack or individually).
Student STAR Model Worksheet and Other Resources
STAR Model Worksheet
The main activity linked to each of the 12 objects. STAR stands for See, Think, Ask, Research. This model allows students to analyse objects as a historian or archaeologist would, to give them a greater understanding of the civil wars. It also enables students to move away from text-based study, diversifying their skills as historians as they learn about history through objects. The teachers’ notes provide guidance on how to apply the model to the specific object being studied.
Classroom Activities
Pre-planned lesson resources for a more in-depth analysis of themes connected with the object.
Suggested Activities
Ideas for further activities that are connected to the object to be planned by teachers.
Wider Research Questions
To help students understand how the object connects to other key themes related to the 17th century and provides links to other accessible resources for further research.
Information Guide
Provides context for the object; a brief guide to the object; key issues related to the object; a glossary of key terms; links to worksheets and activities; wider enquiry questions; links to other objects in the book and other resources to develop understanding. This guide can be given to students during or after the lesson.
Slide Deck Powerpoint
Contains all the information necessary to conduct the activities with students. This includes the object (starting with the object and STAR analysis) and following with resources for classroom activities and other suggested activities.
Teachers can decide which activities are relevant for their classes and can adapt resources for their needs: the Information Guides are not meant to be prescriptive.
You may want to look through the different resources before planning the lesson as you may want to use certain materials at different times in the lesson.
The activities have been designed for Key Stages 3-5, although some activities may require adaptation.
Causes & Origins
Object one
Dore Abbey Chancel Screen
The Abbey Dore Chancel Screen (1632–35) embodied Archbishop Laud's controversial religious reforms, which prioritised the altar and elaborate ritual over Puritan preaching. This move was seen by many Protestants as reintroducing "popery," making the Laudian movement a key cause of the Civil Wars that challenged Charles I's power.
This object is the starting point for the religious causes of the war. The magnificent chancel screen epitomises the controversial Laudian reforms that King Charles I and Archbishop Laud tried to impose in the 1630s. The activities enable students to analyse the difference between Catholic and Protestant rituals and debate why Laud’s move to make churches look more beautiful and ritualistic (like this screen) caused such fury among Puritans and led to political crisis.
- KS3
- KS4
- KS5
- Explore
- STAR
- Teachers' Notes
1. Classifying Key Features of the Elizabethan Church
- KS3
- KS4
- KS5
- Activity
- Reading
- Writing
Students classify whether the following features of the Elizabethan Church are Catholic or Protestant to help them understand the foundations of religious difference.
2. Create a pre or post Reformation Church in your classroom
- KS3
- KS4
- KS5
- Activity
- Explore
- World building
Students physically or visually model the differences between churches before and after the Laudian reforms. Classroom posters are attached to help you in this task.
- Puritan Worship Space: Clear the centre of your classroom/hall. Place a simple table in the centre (Communion Table) and remove all decorations, statues, and “fancy” elements. The focus should be on the pulpit (a central chair) for preaching. The walls should be plain.
- Laudian Worship Space: Move the table to the east end of the room, against the wall (altar). Place chairs or a rope to act as altar rails separating it. Use colourful cloths, candles, and printed images of stained glass/statues to decorate the space (PDF downloads attached). Appoint a student to wear a ‘Priest’s Robe’ (e.g., a scarf). Chairs can be rearranged so that only students from the leading noble families can sit at the front; commoners must sit at the back. You may even want to play some church music.
- Alternatively, you could use modelling clay to create scale models of the different types of church.
- Post Activity Discussion: How does the physical arrangement change the feeling of worship and the relationship between the priest and the people? Which space feels more about the community? Which feels more about authority?
3. Roleplay/Writing Exercise
- KS3
- KS4
- KS5
- Class Debate
- Oracy
- Persuasive writing
- Speaking & Listening
- Teachers' Notes
- World building
- Writing
Students adopt the persona of either William Laud or a Puritan opponent to write persuasive arguments for or against the reforms.
Option A (Writing): Choose one side and write a formal complaint or a persuasive defense.
- Role 1: Puritan: Write a pamphlet or letter to Parliament complaining about the Dore Abbey Screen and the new altar. Explain exactly why these objects are dangerous and a sign of the Popish Plot.
- Role 2: Laudian Supporter (Scudamore): Write a letter to King Charles I defending the Restoration of Dore Abbey. Argue that the “beauty of holiness” is necessary to show respect for God and that Puritans are ignorant rebels.
Option B (Debate): Hold a class debate on the motion: “This House believes that the design of a church should be simple, focused on God’s word, and free from all man-made decorations and ritual.” Divide the class into Laudian and Puritan sides, and prepare arguments. You could even appoint a mediator to try to reconcile these groups.
Click on this link for tips and advice on how to hold a classroom debate (primarily aimed at A-Level students, but materials could be adapted).
4. STAR Model
- KS3
- KS4
- KS5
- STAR
- Source analysis
- Suggested Activity
Students use the STAR model to compare other objects related to religious conflict. This could include examining examples of Puritan iconoclasm in the Civil War in 100 Objects book (such as the vandalised screen at St Edmund’s Church or the ransack of Long Melford Hall) to demonstrate growing discontent. They can also explore Laudian religious practices using an object like Malachy O’Queely’s Chalice.
Why did both Laud and Charles see these reforms as both necessary and desirable?
Why did Laudian reforms upset so many groups, Anglicans, Puritans and Scottish Presbyterians?
Was religious conflict inevitable?
How did religious conflict lead to debates over political power?
The National Covenant
An example of the impact of Charles I’s religious reforms in Scotland
The Grand Remonstrance 164
A document written by the English Parliament providing a good example of religious and political grievances against Charles I
The Roodscreen of St Edmund’s Church, Southwold, 1644
An example of Puritan iconoclasm
The Story of the Fighting
Object two
Covenanter Brass Cannon
This small, cast brass cannon represents the massive military transformation of the Scottish Covenanters, who, led by General Alexander Leslie, adopted advanced, manoeuvrable Swedish tactics and artillery to defy King Charles I.
Activities challenge students to compare the effectiveness of different weaponry and debate the strategic importance of the Scottish alliance for Parliament's eventual victory, emphasising the war's multi-kingdom nature.
- KS3
- KS4
- KS5
- Explore
- STAR
- Teachers' Notes
1. Research Activity
- KS3
- KS4
- KS5
- Activity
- Explore
- Literacy
- Oracy
- Reading
- Speaking & Listening
- Writing
Find out more about the life and weapons of soldiers in the Civil War using these PowerPoint presentations, videos, and teacher guides. Students can then, using the Fact Sheets on the Activity link below, complete the High Stakes Wins Activity, where students compare artillery officers with other soldiers and weapons, considering how they were used and how effective and destructive they were on the battlefield.
2. Debate: Scottish Involvement in the Civil Wars
- KS3
- KS4
- KS5
- Class Debate
- Explore
- Oracy
- Speaking & Listening
- Suggested Activity
Prepare arguments both for and against this motion. This Royal Holloway video gives excellent context for the Bishops’ Wars and Scottish involvement in the English Civil Wars.
- For: Focus on the military experience, the cannon technology, and the sheer number of Scottish troops.
- Against: Focus on other factors, such as the creation of the English New Model Army, the weakness of Charles I’s finances, or the leadership of Cromwell.
3. STAR Model
- KS3
- KS4
- KS5
- Explore
- STAR
- Suggested Activity
Choose another Civil War weapon from the Civil War in 100 Objects book (Irish Skein, Mortuary Sword, Matchlock Musket) and use the STAR Model (See, Think, Ask, Research) to analyse its significance. How did this weapon influence tactics, and what does it tell us about the nature of warfare in the 17th century? Use the Irish Skin worksheet to understand why the weapons used by Irish civilians struck fear into the English.
How did changing use of tactics and weapons benefit or disadvantage both royalists and parliamentarians?
How important was the Scottish alliance for the success of the English parliamentarian army?
How important was siege warfare in the context of the English Civil War?
How did changing alliances and fortunes on the battlefield alter the religious and political situation across multiple kingdoms?
National Covenant, Edinburgh, 1638
Scottish Prayer Book
If any single object caused the British civil wars it is this.
Ferrara Sword and Irish skein
Object three
Irish Skein
This long, slender dagger (skein) allows us to explore the Irish Rebellion of 1641 and the powerful role of propaganda in fuelling fear and religious/ethnic hatred in England.
Activities encourage students to analyse anti-Irish sources (like Tears of Ireland) and create their own propaganda. An examination of the portrayal of female Irish rebels enables students to analyse gender norms.
- KS3
- KS4
- KS5
- Explore
- STAR
- Teachers' Notes
1. Research/Debate/STAR Model
- KS3
- KS4
- KS5
- Activity
- Class Debate
- Explore
- STAR
- Research: How does the Irish Rebellion continue to be remembered today? Conduct online research in small groups. Consider examples like folk songs and murals.
- Class Debate: What caused the Irish Rebellion?
Consider: Fear and rumour, Catholic discontent, the Ulster Plantation. - Object analysis: Look at the Irish Skein using the STAR model worksheet.
Discussion Question: How does this compare to other swords? What surprises you about the sword compared to its reputation?
2. Source Analysis
- KS4
- KS5
- Activity
- Reading
- Speaking & Listening
- Teachers' Notes
- World building
In pairs or small groups, students discuss with partners what types of propaganda they are aware of. These may be historical or current forms of propaganda.
Students conduct source analysis using the Look at the Tears of Ireland source. Who is this source more sympathetic to? How might this source still be helpful for historians despite its arguable bias/agenda?
Students produce their own propaganda poster from an Irish Catholic perspective.
3. Source Analysis
- KS4
- KS5
- Reading
- Source analysis
- Speaking & Listening
- Suggested Activity
- Teachers' Notes
Source analysis of the Deposition of John Robinson.
4. Research Task
- KS3
- KS4
- KS5
- Class Debate
- Suggested Activity
Trial of the viragos. What does this say about gender norms in Ireland and about depictions of the Irish? How does this compare with the portrayal of Leveller women?
5. STAR Model/Debate
- KS3
- KS4
- KS5
- Class Debate
- STAR
- Suggested Activity
Compare the Irish skein with other swords e.g; mortuary and ferrara swords. Students could use the STAR model worksheet to support them in this task.
What does the Irish Skein tell you about the nature of war and propaganda?
How is the Irish Skein a weapon of religious and ethno-national conflict?
What is the link between the Irish Skein and gender norms of the 17th century in both England and Ireland?
Malachy O’Queely’s Chalice, 1640
Tully House Portrait
The deposition of John Robinson
Object four
The Queen’s Sconce
This large, star-shaped earthwork fortification is the focus for understanding military architecture and the severe civilian impact of sieges at Newark.
Activities include a siege planning challenge (Basing House), an analysis of Lady Brilliana Harley’s siege letters, and a letter writing exercise for students. It also uses the British Civil War Sieges website for research into the financial and human costs on local populations.
- KS3
- KS4
- KS5
- Explore
- STAR
- Teachers' Notes
1. Siege Challenge Activity
- KS3
- KS4
- KS5
- Activity
- Explore
- Oracy
- Reading
- Speaking & Listening
- World building
Students plan a strategic attack on a fortress (Basing House) by managing five key siege challenges (including cost, timing, manpower).
2. Research Project on Sieges
- KS3
- KS4
- KS5
- Activity
- Explore
- Oracy
- Reading
- Speaking & Listening
- Writing
Students research topics like local sieges, effectiveness of Parliamentarians vs. Royalists, the role of women in sieges, and the impact of violence on civilian populations (suitable for group presentations) using the British Civil War sieges website and any other appropriate resources to produce a 5-10 minute Powerpoint presentation, supported with examples of sieges from the website. Possible presentation topics might include:
- Investigate a local siege, or another siege of interest, and explain why it was or wasn’t successful.
- Using examples of sieges from the website, who was most effective at siege warfare and why: parliamentarians or royalists? Provide examples of sieges from the website to support your answer.
- Why did the longest civil war sieges last as long as they did?
- What was the significance of the role women played in sieges? How did this allow them to transcend traditional gender boundaries?
- Why were the bloodiest sieges so violent, and what impact did they have on civilian populations?
3. Source Analysis and Writing Task
- KS3
- KS4
- KS5
- Activity
- Literacy
- Reading
- Source analysis
- World building
- Writing
Students explore Lady Brilliana Harley’s letters in this activity and analyse how sieges impacted the lives of civilians. Lady Brilliana was a Puritan gentlewoman left in charge of Brampton Bryan Castle in Herefordshire whilst her husband was away and played a key role in defending the castle against a royalist siege. Students are also asked to write a diary entry from the point of view of a civilian in a siege.
4. STAR Model
- KS3
- KS4
- KS5
- STAR
Students can use the STAR model to analyse the Newark siege pieces and explore what this reveals to us about the financial and social costs of civil war.
5. Activities on the Loss Accounts, Studley, 1646
- KS3
- KS4
- KS5
- Activity
See the linked activities on this website, which examine the Loss Accounts, Studley, 1646, which reveal the financial and physical costs of the war on ordinary people.
How did civil war impact on civilians and wider society?
What were the social and financial costs of war on ordinary people?
Musket balls or lead shot from the siege of Bristol
Tower House
Tully Castle - Irish rectangular shaped castles for defence
Helmsley Castle, late 1640’s
Newark siege pieces
The Impact of war
Object five
Poesy Ring
This small, inscribed gold ring explores the personal and social impact of the war, focusing on allegiance and division within families and friendships.
Activities encourage students to analyse the real-life conflict between commanders Sir William Waller and Sir Ralph Hopton, using the ring as a symbol of the deeply personal choices forced upon individuals by the civil strife.
- KS3
- KS4
- KS5
- Explore
- STAR
- Teachers' Notes
1. Roleplay
- KS2
- KS3
- KS4
- Activity
- Speaking & Listening
- World building
What role did Newark play in the First Civil War? How does this connect to division? Conduct online research in small groups. Consider key battles/sieges and whether it was Royalist or Parliamentarian.
Divide the class in two and take on the roles of a divided community. Using the worksheet, will you reach peace as a community or remain divided?
2. Letter Writing
- KS3
- KS4
- KS5
- Activity
- Reading
- Source analysis
Read the letter between Sir William Waller and Sir Ralph Hopton, and make note of anything that surprises you.
Discuss what role human relationships might have played during the Civil War and how it would have impacted soldiers and their families.
Now, using your roles in the roleplay, write your own letters.
3. Design your own Poesy Ring
- KS3
- KS4
- KS5
- Activity
- Explore
- Suggested Activity
- World building
- Look at the Poesy Ring in the book and use this as a reference.
- Design your own Poesy Ring with decoration and a phrase of your own choosing.
- If you have clay and paint available, you may want to create an actual ring!
4. Research/Discussion
- KS4
- KS5
- Reading
- Speaking & Listening
- Suggested Activity
- Using the letters from the Letters from Opposing Sides activity, conduct some research into Sir William Waller and Sir Ralph Hopton.
- Discussion: How do you think friends who were so close could end up on opposing sides in the Civil War? What does this suggest about the political context of the time?
What does the Poesy Ring tell you about the nature of war, love and friendship?
How is the Poesy Ring a symbol of both unitedness and division?
What is the link between the Poesy Ring and the impact of conflict in the 17th century?
Object six
The Petition of John Cornelius
John Cornelius' handwritten petitiion from 1672 detailing a Royalist soldier's terrible wounds and poverty, which forced his exile to Barbados after the war, provides powerful evidence that contemporaries recognised and financially supported psychological injuries (grief/trauma) alongside physical wounds.
These activities are excellent for KS5 analysis, modelling how historians read primary source and encouraging students to use the Civil War petitions to develop their source analysis skills and understand the issues faced by wounded soldiers and war widows. It introduces modern concepts like Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and connects the Civil Wars to the wider world through Cornelius's flight to Barbados.
- KS5
- Explore
- STAR
- Teachers' Notes
Although a modern translation of the text of John Cornelius’s petition is available, the more advanced nature of this source might make it more suitable for Key Stage 5 students.
1. Source Analysis/Role Play
- KS5
- Activity
- Explore
- Literacy
- Oracy
- Reading
- Source analysis
- Speaking & Listening
- World building
- Writing
Students follow a staged booklet to learn how historians read and assess the value of the Civil War petitions as a primary source source, culminating in a roleplay trial.
The booklet can be used as a sequence of activities or potentially as separate stand alone activities (the role play is a good stand alone activity).
- Lesson 1: Context and using the Archives
- Lesson 2: Modelling how historians use sources and assessing their value
- Lesson 3: Writing petitions and a role play of the trial
- Lesson 4: Independent Enquiry Questions
2. British Civil Wars and the Wider World
- KS5
- Activity
- Class Debate
- Explore
- Literacy
- Oracy
- Speaking & Listening
- World building
John Cornelius’s decision to flee to Barbados during the Interregnum underscores the intertwining of the British Civil Wars and the expanding Empire. A worksheet with key questions and contextual reading is attached to support students in understanding this important topic.
3. Discussion/Source Analysis
- KS5
- Class Debate
- Literacy
- Reading
- Source analysis
- Speaking & Listening
- Suggested Activity
There are several petitions on the Civil War Petitions website that demonstrate the impact of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) on Civil War soldiers. Use these alongside Ismini Pells’s blog to discuss the impact of psychological trauma on soldiers and civilians.
4. Research
- KS5
- Explore
- Literacy
- Oracy
- Source analysis
- Speaking & Listening
- Suggested Activity
- Writing
Use the vast digital archives of the Civil War Petitions website to undertake a focused local study (also suitable for a non-examined Assessment or extended essay).
- Methodology: Use the Yorkshire case study (Page 9 of the Civil War Petitions booklet) as a template.
- Analysis: Examine the claims in your local county. Analyse the distribution of claimants, the balance between Parliamentarian and Royalist claimants, and the success rates of each faction over time (before and after 1660).
- Presentation: Prepare a presentation of your findings, using a presentation checklist to plan your work and receive peer feedback.
How were civilians impacted by war and cared for by the state?
How did loyalties affect civilian life by war?
How did civil war spill out into other areas?
Petition of Elizabeth Bradbury of Horbury, 1681
Object seven
Sir Thomas Fairfax’s wheelchair
As Commander-in-Chief of the New Model Army, Sir Thomas Fairfax endured numerous severe combat wounds—including a shot wrist and broken shoulder—due to the expectation that commanders lead from the front. By age fifty, his injuries required him to use this wheelchair, which served as a powerful visual reminder of his sacrifice, lending him honour and political capital among contemporaries.
This object uses the contrast between Fairfax's expensive wheelchair and common soldiers' petitions to explore disability history and social inequality. Activities aim to analyse the political and human consequences of the war's trauma and debate state support for veterans.
- KS3
- KS4
- KS5
- Explore
- STAR
- Teachers' Notes
1. Research Activity
- KS3
- KS4
- KS5
- Activity
- Explore
- Reading
- Writing
Students research and answer questions on the top 5 gory wounds and the surgeons who performed battlefield treatments (suitable for KS3).
Analyse Professor Rutherford’s blog to evaluate how recent research challenges the traditional view of 17th-century ‘medicine’ and discuss the actual survivability rates of common wounds (suitable for KS5).
2. Source Analysis
- KS3
- KS4
- KS5
- Activity
- Explore
- Reading
- Writing
This worksheet asks students to analyse the civil war petitions from disabled soldiers and their families and to consider what kinds of disabilities they lived with and what disability aids were available in the 17th century. It also asks students to consider what impact these disabilities had on people’s everyday lives and how they gained agency.
3. Discussion
- KS4
- KS5
- Activity
- Class Debate
- Explore
- Reading
Students take part in a discussion on how senior Parliamentarian commanders (Cromwell and Fairfax) developed an intense bond with their soldiers due to shared experiences of trauma (KS3).
At KS4/5 students may want to consider how Cromwell’s politics were shaped by the debt and loyalty he felt he owed his soldiers and how this led to conflict with civilian MPs (e.g., Cromwell turning down kingship to appease the army; continued commitment to Puritan, Godly reform; the rule of the Major-Generals). Students may find it useful to analyse Ismini Pells’s blog
4. Debate/Research
- KS4
- KS5
- Activity
- Class Debate
- Explore
- Literacy
- Oracy
- Reading
- Speaking & Listening
- Suggested Activity
- Writing
Research the life and career of Sir Thomas Fairfax and consider how his reputation has been overshadowed by Oliver Cromwell. Listen to Professor Andrew Hopper’s podcast for a balanced view.
Differentiation:
KS3: Focus on a comparison of their military achievements and key differences in their personalities.
KS4/5: Analyse why Fairfax’s reputation was overshadowed by historians (and Cromwell himself) after the Civil Wars, linking back to the themes of political capital and public memory.
How did people with disabilities gain agency in their everyday lives and what support did they receive from the state?
How did the shared experiences of conflict and trauma shape the bond between officers and rank and file soldiers in the army, and with what political consequences?
Object eight
John Hussey's Armour
This steel breastplate with a clear bullet hole explores the realities of battlefield protection and the social hierarchy within the armies by showing the limits of protective gear.
Hussey's armour (pierced by a bullet at Gainsborough) is used to explore the realities of battlefield protection and the social hierarchy within the armies. Activities involve designing armour for both rich commanders and poor peasants. The aim is to discuss how wealth and social status determined a soldier's equipment, protection, and ultimately, his chances of survival on the battlefield.
- KS3
- KS4
- KS5
- Explore
- STAR
- Teachers' Notes
1. Analysis and Research
- KS2
- KS3
- KS4
- Explore
- Reading
- STAR
Take a closer look at Hussey’s armour. What do you think are the strong and weak points of the armour?
What happened to John Hussey? Conduct online research in small groups to find out more.
Conduct See, Think, Ask, Research.
2. Design Your Own Armour
- KS2
- KS3
- KS4
- Activity
- Explore
- World building
In pairs or small groups, design armour for a peasant, imagining their limited resources. Use the soldier outlines from the worksheet.
Now design armour for a commander who would have more resources and therefore protection.
3. Discussion
- KS2
- KS3
- KS4
- KS5
- Activity
- Explore
- Speaking & Listening
- World building
Watch the Royal Armouries Youtube video on the different types of armour used during the Civil War. Note down any key information. Discuss with a partner how the differences in armouring might suggest wider social implications for the rich and the poor.
4. Reading/Writing
- KS3
- KS4
- KS5
- Activity
- Reading
- Teachers' Notes
- Writing
Read the supporting text “9 Battles of the Civil War” and note down any key information. For each battle, using your knowledge from the previous tasks, note down what kind of armour you think may have been used in the battles.
What does the Hussey Armour tell you about the nature of the rich and the poor during war?
Why were even high ranking soldiers not always properly equipped?
What is the link between the Hussey Armour and the military advancements of the Civil Wars?
Object nine
The ‘Loss Accounts’
These detailed handwritten lists of property stolen from civilians by Parliamentary armies are a vital source for quantifying the financial and material impact of the war on local communities by Parliamentarian armies.
Activities prompt students to analyse these itemised lists, compare material loss with moral grievance, and write letters to Cromwell/Charles I detailing their suffering. The central aim is to understand how material loss shaped civilian attitudes towards the war and the armies.
- KS3
- KS4
- KS5
- Explore
- STAR
- Teachers' Notes
1. Reading
- KS4
- KS5
- Explore
- Reading
- Source analysis
Using the book, the Object Information Sheet and the National Civil War Centre’s online archives, find the Warwickshire Loss Accounts and explore anything you find notable or interesting.
Using your findings, answer the following questions:
- Which of these items taken was most surprising and what would the purpose of these objects be in war?
- Why did people have to give these things to soldiers and why would there be less resistance to this?
- What did it mean to be a civilian at the time?
- What did it mean to be a soldier?
- How has this changed in the modern day?
- Are civilians’ personhood more respected today?
2. Reading
- KS3
- KS4
- KS5
- Literacy
- Reading
- Source analysis
Find Constable Jane Kitchen’s Account for Upton, 1644 in the book or on the worksheet and answer questions about the account on the worksheet.
3. Letter Writing
- KS3
- KS4
- Activity
- Teachers' Notes
- World building
- Writing
- Civilians’ lives were greatly impacted by the war. List out the different ways a civilian’s life might be affected by the ongoing civil war.
- Some civilians were affected even though they were far away from the fighting. However, those who lived in areas that were besieged were directly affected. How do you think those affected directly by the fighting might view the war compared to those indirectly affected?
- Imagine you are a civilian who has lost family and property to the war.
- Write a letter to either Charles I or Cromwell explaining your grievances, your view on the war and what kind of compensation you might want to receive.
4. Writing/Discussion
- KS2
- KS3
- Activity
- Suggested Activity
- Teachers' Notes
- World building
- List the ten most important things in your life. This may be your phone, a sentimental item, your pets or your family.
- Consider your list.
- If you were living during the Civil War, which would be prepared to give up if a soldier told you that you must do so?
- Which could you never give up?
- Does anything about your choices surprise you?
- Many civilians in the Civil Wars did not have a choice. Do you think this might have affected their overall view of war?
What do the Loss Accounts tell you about the nature of war for civilians?
How might civilians’ view of the war be impacted by material loss?
What is the link between the Loss Accounts and the role of civilians compared to soldiers during the wars?
Constable Jane Kitchen’s account for Upton, 1644
Newark siege pieces
Legacies & Remembering the War
Object ten
A dog's elegy, or Rupert's tears
This satirical printed pamphlet focusing on Prince Rupert's dog 'Boy' allows us to analyse the role of print propaganda and superstition during the war.
Activities explore the significance of witchcraft beliefs (linking to Irish propaganda) and the revolutionary impact of the printing press on political mobilisation. The core aim is to understand how political enemies were demonised using popular fears and supernatural imagery.
- KS3
- KS4
- KS5
- Explore
- STAR
- Teachers' Notes
1. Research and Discussion
- KS3
- KS4
- KS5
- Explore
- Speaking & Listening
In small groups, conduct online research into anti-Royalist propaganda during the Civil Wars, including Prince Rupert’s dog.
Discuss: Was the propaganda surrounding Prince Rupert meant as satire, or does it suggest a true belief in the supernatural? How does this propaganda compare to later propaganda used in wars e.g. World War II.
2. STAR Model/Discussion
- KS4
- KS5
- Activity
- Explore
- STAR
- Source analysis
- Speaking & Listening
In pairs or small groups, look at other examples of witchcraft beliefs at the time on the worksheet, including the Bellarmine jug and the Ghost of Oliver Cromwell.
Conduct See, Think, Ask, Research with these images. The consider the following questions:
What was the significance of beliefs in witchcraft during the Civil War?
How might this conflict with the Christian values of the time?
Discuss this as a group or write down your thoughts.
3. Source Analysis/Writing
- KS4
- KS5
- Activity
- Explore
- Source analysis
- Teachers' Notes
- Writing
Look at the propaganda images from the Irish Rebellion of 1641 on the worksheet. How do you think this compares to the anti-Royalist propaganda? Note down any similarities or differences you identify. If you have completed the Irish Skein lesson, then compare the portrayal of the Viragos to that of Rupert’s dog. Were either treated more sympathetically than the other? Why were both linked to the supernatural?
4. Reading and Writing/Discussion
- KS4
- KS5
- Activity
- Persuasive writing
- Reading
Using the supporting text on the worksheet, learn the context behind the development of the printing press and how it changed English society during the Reformation. Discussion: Using your knowledge of its impact on the Reformation, discuss what impact did the arrival of the printing press have on propaganda? What examples of this can we see during the Civil Wars? Now, design your own piece of anti-Royalist propaganda about Prince Rupert’s dog. Will you portray him as a witch or take a more sympathetic view of Boy?
What does a Dog’s Elegy tell you about the nature of war and propaganda?
How is a Dog’s Elegy an example of superstition and a belief in the supernatural during the 17th century?
What is the link between a Dog’s Elegy and the impact of propaganda in the 17th century?
Bellarmine jug
Irish Rebellion propaganda
Discovery of witches
Object eleven
Portrait of Lady Brooke in Mourning
This striking painting of Lady Brooke in mourning explores the post-conflict experience of aristocratic women, bereavement, and self-fashioning through formal portraiture.
Activities compare the formal petition of Lady Brooke with the pleas of ordinary war widows, highlighting the differences in class, language, and tone. They also explore how women actively participated in politics through petitioning and how their roles were both celebrated and criticised.
- KS3
- KS4
- Explore
- STAR
- Teachers' Notes
1. Source Analysis/Reading and Writing
- KS4
- KS5
- Activity
- Reading
- Source analysis
- Speaking & Listening
- Writing
Students can use the source worksheet to examine Lady Brooke’s petition to the King and compare it with that of ordinary war widows such as Mary Burnham of Steeple Bumpsted, Essex. What are the differences and similarities in terms of content, language, and tone? What does this tell us about widows’ experiences of civil war?
2. Research/Presentation
- KS4
- KS5
- Activity
- Class Debate
- Explore
- Oracy
- Reading
- Speaking & Listening
Students research an important woman from the Civil War period and prepare a class presentation where they speak on behalf of their character, explaining why their role was so significant to their cause. The class can then vote on who made the most significant overall contribution.
Individuals to Research: Mary Frith (‘Moll Catpurse’); Queen Henrietta Maria; Lady Mary Bankes of Corfe Castle; Lucy Hay, Countess of Carlisle (spy and double agent); Mary Overton (Leveller); Lady Jane Whorwood (Royalist spy who helped Charles I escape); Lady Mary Verney; Lady Brilliana Harley; Jane Merrick of Hereford
3. Source Analysis
- KS4
- KS5
- Explore
- Reading
- Source analysis
- Suggested Activity
Examine the National Archives sources below, paying particular attention to The Parliament of Women pamphlet. This source shows how Royalist pamphleteers portrayed Parliamentarian women as ‘unwomanly’ and domineering to discredit their opponents by linking them to social disorder.
Key Question: What do these sources reveal about the political and social anxiety surrounding women’s participation in the war effort?
4. Source Analysis
- KS4
- KS5
- Activity
- Literacy
- Reading
- Source analysis
- Suggested Activity
Analyse relevant primary sources in the Civil War in 100 Objects book (e.g., Lady Isabella Twysden’s almanac or Lady Brilliana Harvey’s secret letter) and consider the role that women played in the Civil War.
How similar or different were women’s experiences of conflict and its aftermath?
What part did women play in the civil wars?
How significant was their political activism?
Petition of Elizabeth Bradley of Horbury, 1681
Brilliana Harley's Secret Letter, 1643
Lady Isabella Twysden’s almanac, 1645-1651
Object twelve
Statue of Oliver Cromwell as Hercules
Despite Cromwell's religious opposition to idols, Puritan William Cooke commissioned this unique statue depicting the Lord Protector as Hercules. The statue glorified Cromwell's military prowess and served to legitimise the republican regime among the wider population.
This object explores Oliver Cromwell's complex legacy and the changing ways historical figures are remembered and portrayed. Activities compare Cromwell's image (as a military hero/dictator) with that of his executed rival, Charles I (as a martyr). The historiographical debate focuses on how individuals on different sides of the Civil War wished to be seen and how modern society should memorialise controversial figures.
- KS5
- Explore
- STAR
- Teachers' Notes
1. Image Analysis/Debate
- KS4
- KS5
- Activity
- Class Debate
- Explore
- Oracy
- Reading
- Source analysis
- Teachers' Notes
- Writing
Students analyse various Cromwell statues and their context to discuss how his public image evolved. Class debate on whether statues of Cromwell or other controversial historical figures should remain.
2. Image Analysis
- KS4
- KS5
- Activity
- Literacy
- Reading
- Source analysis
- Teachers' Notes
- Writing
This worksheet examines how Cromwell wished to be portrayed at various times. How was portraiture used as a form of propaganda by him?
3. Image Analysis
- KS3
- KS4
- KS5
- Activity
- Explore
- Source analysis
This worksheet explores artistic depictions of Charles I to understand how the Royalists portrayed him after his death through the Eikon Basilke frontispiece and the royal skullcap.
4. Discussion
- KS5
- Activity
- Explore
- Reading
Use the Cromwell Association’s article on what happened to Cromwell’s body to fuel a discussion:
- Given Cromwell’s claims about rejecting the trappings of power, why did he receive a grand state funeral and burial at Westminster?
- Why was Cromwell’s body subsequently exhumed, hanged at Tyburn, and his head passed among collectors for centuries? How does this treatment compare to the way you imagine Charles I’s body would have been treated?
- Discuss the painting of Cromwell’s severed head by John Cranch (late 18th century). Why do you think an artist chose to paint this gruesome relic so long after Cromwell’s death?
- Should the head be interred from Sidney Sussex College and removed for examination or buried elsewhere?
- How does the treatment of Cromwell’s body compare with the treatment of Charles I following his execution?
How do the various individuals and sides involved in the Civil War and Protectorate try to depict themselves, and with what level of success?
How have historians remembered key people and sides and what do you think about their arguments?
Regardless of whether historic statues are removed or remain, what sort of statues, memorials, or other art would you like to see in public spaces? Explain your answers.
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