Bringing History to Life

What was all the fuss about?

King Henry VIII is well known for having broken with Rome (Catholicism) and established the Church of England with himself as the head. This had far reaching consequences.

Henry's son Edward VI succeeded to the throne, but died aged 15 years. His cousin, Lady Jane Grey, was then proclaimed queen (uncrowned), but was deposed after 9 days by Mary, Edward's eldest sister. Mary I was a Catholic and with her new husband Philip II of Spain, sought to expunge Protestantism and restore Catholicism. The result of this zealous campaign (approx. 300 Protestants burnt at the stake) left her with the nickname “Bloody” Mary.

In 1558 Mary died and was succeeded by her half sister Elizabeth. The Catholic period was over as Elizabeth was a staunch Protestant. Elizabeth's early years were fraught with uncertainty and danger but she was a brilliant politician and gradually secured her throne.

Philip II (Mary's widower) had hoped that Elizabeth would marry him so he could continue his work of bringing England back to Rome. Elizabeth toyed with him to buy time; this he did not like!

Mary Stuart, Queen of Scots, had a claim to the English throne. Catholic conspirators plotted to put her there. Elizabeth, fearing this plot, had her imprisoned when Mary was forced to flee to England after being implicated in a Scottish murder plot.

In 1585 the war with Spain began due to several factors, which included the fact that Philip II did not get his marriage to Elizabeth. The Pope encouraged Philip to attack England. England was supporting the Dutch Protestants against the Spanish. An English army led by Lord Robert Dudley lent support to the Dutch revolt in December of that year (the Anglo-Spanish war continued on and off until 1603).

In 1586 the Babington Plot to kill Queen Elizabeth implicated Mary Queen of Scots.

In 1587 Mary Queen of Scots was executed, causing consternation throughout Europe (it was not the done thing for one sovereign to kill another!). Another black mark against Elizabeth in Philip's eyes and probably the final straw that led to his invasion plans.

Then, in 1588…

Philip gathered the greatest armada (navy) of ships ever seen to invade England. He was aided by Pope Sixtus V, who allowed Philip to make the venture against England a “crusade”. His men were granted indulgences and the Pope promised a large subsidy to help pay for the holy cause.

In May of that year the Armada set sail under the command of the Duke of Medina Sidonia (who had no naval experience). The fleet consisted of 22 galleons and 108 armed merchant vessels. The plan was to collect the Duke of Parma's army from the Spanish Netherlands (now Belgium) and then land in England with a total force of about 55,000 men—an incredible number for that time.

England had no standing army and had to rely on the Trayned Bands, a part-time militia raised in each shire by local commanders. The ability to raise local forces goes back to Saxon times when men were called upon by their feudal lord for service in the “fyrd” (local forces) to fight enemies within the county boundaries (e.g., Vikings).

The Elizabethan Trained Band system (often spelt “Trayned Bands” at the time) was initiated in 1573 to form the basis of an army when required at short notice.

Hooray for the underdog!

The Armada was opposed at sea by a small English fleet, but as history shows, by dogged determination the smaller attacker was able to harry and outmanoeuvre the lumbering Spanish fleet. The English were lucky and the weather also played an important role. Further details of the campaign can easily be found on the internet.

Taunton Garrison usually portray the land-based Trayned Bands.

Taunton Castle under siege

One of the important periods the Taunton Garrison covers is the English Civil War of the 1640s. A major aspect is the siege of Taunton, as portrayed below.

The English Civil War essentially resulted from a power struggle between King Charles I and Parliament. Notable leaders include Oliver Cromwell and Lord Fairfax, both of whom took part in the fighting in the South West during 1645.

Notable actions in the region include the siege of Taunton, Lansdown Hill, and the Battle of Langport.

Life beyond the battlefield

As well as the military aspect, Taunton Garrison portrays the civilian side and life away from the war. These images show camp life and how people lived day to day.

Rebels and Redcoats

The Monmouth Rebellion of 1685 followed the death of King Charles II without a legitimate heir. The throne passed to his brother, who became King James II. James was a Catholic; Monmouth, the eldest illegitimate son of Charles II, was a Protestant. Encouraged by political allies, Monmouth believed the English people would prefer him as king. In June 1685 he landed at Lyme Regis with only 82 followers.

Monmouth enjoyed some early success and, by the time he reached Taunton, had gathered around 6,000 men. They were not simply “rough ploughmen” but largely tradesmen and cloth workers—mostly untrained recruits, hoping that elements of the regular army would join them. After a setback at Bristol, Monmouth retreated to Bridgwater and attempted a desperate night attack across open moor to catch the royal army asleep. The element of surprise was lost and Monmouth was defeated. The brutal aftermath became known as the “Bloody Assizes” of Judge Jeffreys.

Alongside our main eras, we can interpret additional periods on request. We sometimes collaborate with other groups to help bring different aspects of history to life!
Occasionally we take part in TV work, and sometimes stage relevant historical novels, such as Lorna Doone on the beautiful wilds of Exmoor.

If you have a specific brief, we’re happy to tailor a display.