Politics, Society and Civil War in Warwickshire, 1620-1660

This book discusses the origins, impact and aftermath of the Civil War in Warwickshire.

This book discusses the origins, impact and aftermath of the Civil War in Warwickshire, examining administration, religion and politics in their social context. The focus is mainly on the landed élite, but the importance of relationships between members of the élite and their social inferiors is also stressed. Early chapters discuss the economic and social character of Warwickshire; a middle section examines the onset of the Civil War in 1642; and finally there is a discussion of the economic impact of the war and the administrative, political and religious changes of the 1640s and 1650s, culminating in an assessment of the significance of the Restoration. Dr Hughes takes a critical approach to recent historiography, and challenges the concept of a 'county community'. The book is intended as a contribution to a general understanding of the Civil War, rather than as a study of one particular county.

List of maps and plan; List of tables; Preface; Acknowledgements; Abbreviations and notes; 1. The social context; 2. Peers and gentlemen before the Civil War; 3. Public affairs 1620–1639; 4. The coming of the Civil War 1639–1642; 5. Military rule 1642–1649; 6. Militancy and localism in Warwickshire politics 1643–1649; 7. The impact of the Civil War; 8. Politics and religion 1649–1662; Appendices; Bibliography of manuscript and printed sources; Index.

This book discusses the origins, impact and aftermath of the Civil War in Warwickshire, examining administration, religion and politics in their social context. The focus is mainly on the landed élite, but the importance of relationships between members of the élite and their social inferiors is also stressed.