Page 8 - TIMES AND PLACES IN CONTEMPORARY PAPERS

On leaving Chinnor the villages of Crowell and Kingston Blount are on Rupert’s left flank about 1¼ and
1 mile respectively; too far away to be described as being ‘hard upon the left hand’. The next village is

Aston Rowant.

‘Presently whereupon some half score of their Scouts were discovered

upon the sides of Becon Hill, beyond the Village,’ Btwn 7&8 am. P. 5 ( LBU )

Who were these Scouts on Becon hill? Were they a party of Gunter’s men or the disarmed Melves’ troop?

Becon Hill ‘beyond the village’, is less than a mile away when viewed from Aston Rowant. From Kingston
Blount Becon Hill is not ‘beyond the village’. To be able see horseman on Becon Hill from Kingston

Blount is just possible; to recognise them as the enemy at that distance is doubtful. These statements

place Aston Rowant as the site of the first skirmish.

‘…the alarm came where Major Gunter lay with three Troopes (viz) his own 7.30 am. ( EEL )

Captain Sheffields, and Captain Crosses, whom he presently drew out and
marched towards the Enemy;’

‘…with these ( Gunter etc.) they drew neare the Enemy, and 7.30am. ( EEL )
finding them marching away..’

‘Presently’, in the 17thC had the same meaning as ‘very soon after’ in the 21stC. Aston Rowant is the
village that is described by these statements. The time line also confirms Aston Rowant as the place of the
first skirmish. Two miles at 2 MPH and leaving Chinnor at 6.30am puts them at Aston Rowant at
7.30am.

Gunter, Crosse and Sheffield were the nightwatch who were garrisoned at Tetsworth and at 1.00am were
out scouting. Was that the reason why Rupert had such an easy time passing Tetsworth and beating up
Postcombe?

(Second skirmish), ‘after a little further march’ ‘.. the Rebell’s Horse fell upon

their Reere’ ( Prince of Wales’s and General Percy’s Reg’t’s of Horse ) 8.00am. P.5 ( LBU )

The above sentence refers to the second skirmish, the action with which Essex successfully duped the
House of Commons with his ‘Two Letters’. By referring to events at this skirmish and in the same

sentence to those after the Battle of Chalgrove he deflected questions about the disaster at Chalgrove.
Lord Nugent’s later biography (Some Memorials of John Hampden his Party and his Times 1832 vol. II
pages 431-434) compounded Essex’s propaganda with a fanciful story of John Hampden’s involvement at
Chalgrove. Nugent is also responsible for resurrecting the myth of Hampden’s pistol exploding at the
battle (see page 434) and his supposed exhumation. The Controversy of John Hampden’s Death Pub.

2000 Derek & Gill Lester ISBN 0-9538034-0-6 details how these myths arose.
The Prince with the narrator is away from the action protecting the Foot & Dragoons as Percy’s &
Prince of Wales’ Regiments saw off the threat from Gunter. The following describes Parliament’s action

and who and how many men took part. Bearing in mind that 13 cornets plus 50-100 dragoons, 1,100

parliamentarians, are recorded at Chalgrove, consider how Essex confuses this action with Chalgrove.

In this time there joined with them Captain Sanders Troop, and
Captain Buller, with commanded men, which were sent to Chinner
by Sir Phillip Stapleton, who had the watch here that at Thame,

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