This Day in History: 1644-12-25

On 25th December 1644, the first siege of Pontefract Castle began. Nathan Drake, a diarist and gentleman volunteer, wrote: ‘Uppon Christmas Day 25th December 1644, Pontefract Castle was besieged and the towne taken that day by the beseegers, and the beseeged played 3 cannon against them.’ The Royalist garrison consisted of the remains of 23 reduced/broken regiments. Its governor, Colonel Sir Richard Lowther had the services of seven colonels including four known Yorkshiremen: Sir George Wentworth of Woolley, Sir Richard Hutton of Goldsborough, Sir John Ramsden of Byram Park and Sir Henry Vaughan of Whitwell.