ReputationsSources: Cromwell at Drogheda

ByRichard Bailey

Ansford Community School, Castle Carey&Chris Culpin

SHP

Cromwell’s campaign in IrelandThe Race to Rule. Ireland and Europe 1570-1700

by A. Hodge, Colourpoint Books, 1-89839-249-8, p. 62

Ireland in Key Stage 3 History (Year 8)

‘Ireland in Schools’ Bath & Somerset Pilot Scheme Bath Spa University College

Bailey, Cromwell at Drogheda, 2

Introduction

This collection of sources on Cromwell at Drogheda is used in Year 8, towards the end of a series of lessonson the English Civil war.

The sources are discussed and questions are asked relating to the sources.

Tasks 3The plantation of Ulster 4Division 5Cromwell on Drogheda 6Interpretations 7Appendix‘Young Ned of the Hill’, The Pogues 8

The unit addresses two broad skills - the reputation of historical and interpretations of history.

Listening to ‘Young Ned of the Hill’ by The Pogues sets the mood.

Bailey, Cromwell at Drogheda, 3

Tasks

1. Listen to ‘Young Ned of the Hill’ by the Pogues (without the lyrics). Discuss the tone of the song. Whatsort of music is it? What are they saying?

2. Read through the following two pages of booklet, discussing plantations and studying the maps(Protestant English had the ‘nice’ houses; poor Catholic Irish lived in tumbledown cottages. Large churchwould have been Protestant etc.)

3. Study ‘A vicious circle’ diagram and answer the following questions (adding own knowledge fromprevious discussion):a. Why did the Irish hate the English?b. Why did the English hate the Irish?

4. Study the English view of the Irish Rebellion (linking in with previous lesson on Trigger 2 of EnglishCivil War):a. Describe what the picture shows.b. Decipher the ‘olde’ English at the top.

5. Read Cromwell’s own report to Parliament after the events at Drogheda, and examine the map:a. According to Cromwell, what happened at Drogheda (bullet points).b. How does Cromwell justify his actions?

6. Listen to ‘Young Ned of the Hill’ again, this time with the lyrics:a. What do the Pogues think of Cromwell?b. Why do you think they think this?

7. Read Antonia Fraser’s piece on the events at Drogheda. Explain who she is, discuss how she would haveobtained information, evidence etc. a. What does she say about Cromwell?b. Does she attempt to justify his actions? How? What does she say?

8. Sentiments and accuracy in interpretation:a. Which of the two views of Cromwell would you trust more? Explain in detailb. Whose sentiments would you go along with, the Pogues’ or Antonia Fraser’s?(Some explanation of justification and sentiments may be required)

Bailey, Cromwell at Drogheda, 4

The Vintners’ Settlementat Bellaghy,County Londonderry,Ulster, 1622

The Making of the United Kingdomby C. Culpin, Collins Educational

0-00327-243-5, p. 51

Province of UlsterRivalry and Conflict by A.Logan & K GormleyColourpoint Books, 1-89839-212-9, p. 27

Plantation of LondonderryThe Race to Rule. Ireland and Europe 1570-1700by A. Hodge, Colourpoint Books, 1-89839-249-8, p. 64

The plantation of Ulster

Bailey, Cromwell at Drogheda, 5

An English view of an incident in the Irish Rebellion of 1641

IRISH• Roman Catholic• English were taking their lands for plantations• English did not understand their way of life• English behaved brutally

ENGLISH• Protestant• Irish could rebel at any time with foreign help• Irish were backward savages• English settlers the best way of civilising Ireland• Irish behaved brutally

‘A vicious circle’The Making of the United Kingdom by C. Culpin, Collins Educational, 0-00327-243-5, p. 51

Division

Bailey, Cromwell at Drogheda, 6

A plan of Drogheda in the mid-seventeenth century.Cromwell’s soldiers broke into the town at StMary’s Churchyard (A).The massacre of the garrison took place atMillmount (B). St Peter’s Church (C) was burned down onCromwell’s orders.

Cromwell on DroghedaHis own report to Parliament in England about what happened at Drogheda, Dublin, 17th September 1649

Sir,Your army came before the town of Drogheda on 3rd September. On Monday 9th the battering guns[cannon] began to play [fire at the town]. I sent Sir Arthur Aston, the Governor, [commander of thedefenders] a summons [order] to deliver the town [surrender].

Receiving no satisfactory answer, the guns fired two or three hundred shot, beat down the corner tower,and opened tip two reasonable breaches [big holes] in the east and south wall.

Upon Tuesday the 10th, about five o'clock in the evening, we began the storm [attacked the town] and aftersome hot fighting we entered, about seven or eight hundred men, the enemy disputing it very stiffly withus. Several of the enemy retreated to the Mill Mount, a place very strong and difficult to attack. TheGovernor, Sir Arthur Aston, being there, our men getting up to them were ordered by me to put all to thesword [kill all of them]. And indeed, being in the heat of the action, l forbade them to spare any peoplewho carried weapons in the town and I think that night they put to the sword 2, 000 men.

Many of their officers and soldiers fled over the bridge into the other part of the town, where about 100of them possessed [went into] St Peter's church steeple. These being summoned to yield to mercy [toldthey would be treated well if they surrendered, refused, whereupon I ordered the steeple of St Peter’sChurch to be fired [set on fire]. One of them was heard to say in the flames ‘God damn me, God confoundme. I burn, I burn’.

The next day the other two towers were summoned [asked to surrender], in one of which was about sixor seven score [120 - 140 soldiers]. But they refused to yield [surrender]. We knew that hunger must forcethem and set good guards to stop them running away.

'When they submitted [surrendered], their officers were knocked on the head [killed] and every tenth manof the soldiers killed. The rest were captured.

The last Lord’s Day [Sunday] before the storm, they had a Mass [Catholic church service] in St Peter’sChurch. About one thousand Catholics were put to the sword, fleeing there for safety. I believe all the friars[Catholic preachers] were knocked on the head except two. One the soldiers took [captured] and madean end of [killed]. The other was captured in the round tower. He confessed he was a friar, but that didnot save him.

I believe that this is a righteous [good] judgement of God upon these barbarous wretches, who leave dippedtheir hands in so much innocent blood [murdered many innocent people]. And it will help to prevent morebloodshed in the fixture. It was God who gave your men courage. It is good that God has all the glory.

I do not think we lost 100 men, though manybe wounded.

Your most obedient servant,

Oliver Cromwell.

Bailey, Cromwell at Drogheda, 7

Cromwellian land settlement, 1652The Race to Rule. Ireland and Europe 1570-1700

by A. Hodge, Colourpoint Books, 1-89839-249-8, p. 64

Interpretations

A. ‘Young Ned of the Hill’, The Pogues

A curse upon you, Oliver Cromwell, You who raped our motherland,I hope you’re rotting down in Hell,For the horrors that you sent.To our misfortunate forefathersWhom you robbed of their birthright, ‘To Hell or Connaught’* - may you burn in Hell tonight.

* Connaught is an area of Western Ireland with poor rocky soil.Thousands were forced to live there after Cromwell’s conquest of Ireland.

B. From Antonia Fraser’s biography of Cromwell, 1973

1. Drogheda taught the lesson of what a siege and a storm meant. It undoubtedly frightenedmany lesser garrisons into peaceful surrender. Militarily then the sack of Drogheda couldfairly be said to have done what Cromwell wanted.

2. The conclusion cannot be escaped that Cromwell lost his self-control at Drogheda, literallysaw red - the red of his comrades’ blood - after the failure of the first assaults, and wasseized with one of his sudden brief and cataclysmic rages. There were good militaryreasons for behaving as he did, but they were not the motives that drove him at the time,during the day and night of uncalculated butchery. The slaughter itself stood quite outsidehis normal record of careful mercy as a soldier.

Bailey, Cromwell at Drogheda, 8

* Curlews - Shore birds* Rapparee - Vagabond, one with no home

Appendix

‘Young Ned of the Hill’, The Pogues

Have you ever walked the lonesome hillsAnd heard the curlews* cryOr seen the raven black as nightUpon a windswept skyTo walk the purple heatherAnd hear the westwind cryTo know that’s where the rapparee* must die

Since Cromwell pushed us westwardTo live our lowly livesThere’s some of us have deemed to fightFrom Tipperary mountains highNoble men with wills of ironWho are not afraid to dieWho’ll fight with Gaelic honour held on high

A curse upon you Oliver CromwellYou who raped our MotherlandI hope you’re rotting down in hellFor the horrors that you sentTo our misfortunate forefathersWhom you robbed of their birthright‘To hell or Connaught’ may you burn in hell tonight

Of one such man I’d like to speakA rapparee by name and deedHis family dispossessed and slaughteredThey put a price upon his headHis name is known in song and storyHis deeds are legend stillAnd murdered for blood moneyWas young Ned of the hill

You have robbed our homes and fortunesEven drove us from our landYou tried to break our spiritBut you’ll never understandThe love of dear old IrelandThat will forge an iron willAs long as there are gallant menLike young Ned of the hill