Escape of Charles II

The Escape of Charles II from England in 1651 was a key episode in his life. Although only taking six weeks, it had a major effect on his attitudes for the rest of his life.

Charles had lost to Cromwell's New Model Army at the Battle of Worcester on 3 September 1651, and was a wanted man. A reward of £1,000 was offered for the capture of the King. It it is likely that the King and anyone helping him would have been executed for treason if caught. The King had a distinctive appearance: very swarthy and 6' 2" tall (1.88 metres). Furthermore, there were cavalry patrols whose specific task was to find the King. Fortunately for Charles, the Catholics had an organisation with 90 years of experience in keeping secrets and hiding people. However, it was also illegal for Catholics to travel more than five miles away from their homes without a pass from the sheriff of the county, increasing the hazards faced by those who helped him.

Late on 3 September 1651, Charles fled the city of Worcester by the northern gate in the company of Lord Wilmot, Lord Derby, Charles Giffard (or Gifford), and many others. While some of the party elected to try to flee to Scotland, Charles rejected the idea on the basis of its difficulties; the journey would cover hundreds of miles and expose him to many dangers. Instead, Charles planned to make for London; as it was such a large city, he could easily disguise himself and find a ship to the Continent. Charles told only Wilmot of his plan, telling him they would meet at the Three Cranes Tavern. Charles attempted to persuade the others in his party to leave, though as he later remarked: "though I could not get them to stand by me against the enemy, I could not get rid of them, now I had a mind to it". By now, night was falling and shelter was urgently required; decisions would have to be made without delay.

Lord Derby was a committed Cavalier and a prominent Catholic nobleman. The previous week, left wounded and pursued after the disastrous Battle of Wigan Lane, he had been sheltered by a Catholic tenant family, the Penderels, at Boscobel House in Shropshire, before rejoining the royal party. He now suggested Boscobel House to Charles as a safe place of refuge. Shropshire remained a Catholic stronghold with many hiding places. The owner of Boscobel, Charles Giffard, was himself accompanying the group and agreed to the plan; however, he suggested another house, White Ladies Priory, as being safer than Boscobel.

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