The short siege of Worcester (29–31 May 1643) was conducted by a Parliamentary army of about 3,000 under the command of Sir William Waller. They failed to capture the city, which was defended by about 1,700 Royalists under the command of Colonel William Sandys the acting governor, and retreated back to the Parliamentary stronghold of Gloucester.
Prelude
After the battle of Ripple Field (13 April 1643) and his defeat by Prince Maurice, Sir William Waller retreated to Tewkesbury, and on to Gloucester. When there he found orders to go to his headquarters which were located in Bristol. This he delayed to do, the historian J.W. Willis-Bund stated that Waller was probably thinking it was necessary to do something to maintain his reputation as there was no love lost between him and the Earl of Essex. His bad luck in the operations against Maurice rendered it necessary for him to achieve something really brilliant before he returned to Bristol. He accordingly did not obey his orders, stating it would not be safe for him to leave Gloucester until Hereford and Worcester were reduced. He, therefore, set to work to carry out this out.
From his spies Waller learnt it was possible, if a bold and sudden attack was made, that Hereford might be taken. Such work Waller loved, and he determined to try. With about 2,500 men he set out from Gloucester, and at daybreak on the 24 April appeared before Hereford. Some desultory fighting went on during the day, at times rather sharp, but the garrison had no heart in their resistance and deserted, so that there was nothing for Sir Richard Cave, the governor of Hereford, to do but to surrender. This he did, and on 25 April 1643. Waller entered Hereford in triumph. He was entitled to every credit that belongs to a bold and successful leader, and had more than restored his reputation as a conqueror. He had struck unexpectedly, and struck hard, with the result that he had dealt a blow where least expected, and one which was of considerable tactical importance, as he had severed the King's line of communication with Wales.
With the capture of Reading on the next day (26 April) the Parliamentarians were now masters of the Thames valley. Nothing remained to prevent them carrying out their original idea of a dash on Oxford, provided the Earl of Essex and Sir William Waller joined forces. To prevent them doing this was the task now set for Prince Rupert; this entailed his marching to the West of England.
Maurice, on his return to Oxford, had brought with him as a trophy of his triumph over Waller one of his colours, probably taken at Ripple. The Royalists boasted that Maurice had made Waller a negligible quantity by what he had done. Maurice returned in triumph on 7 April; not more than 14 days had elapsed and Waller had not only undone all that Maurice professed to have accomplished, but also upset the future plans of the Royalists. They were naturally furious. The Royalist governors of Hereford and Reading were each brought to a court-martial, but both were acquitted. Secretary Nicholas, writing to the Marquis of Ormond, says:
Parliament made the most of their triumphs. Their feelings were expressed in lines which speak more for their joy than their poetry:
The third line refers to another Royalist disaster, the defeat of Sir Ralph Hopton, at the Battle of Sourton Down, by Major-General James Chudleigh, also on 25 April. Nor did they confine themselves to poetry. Their preachers ascribed their successes to the direct interposition of God. Waller's entry into Hereford was said to be "as great a deliverance as the Israelites passing the Red Sea". Essex taking Reading was "no less a miracle than the razing down the walls of Jericho with pitchers and rams' horns".
There was cause for their exultation. These were the first really important successes the Parliament had gained in the Midlands, and if they had been able to hold Hereford and reap the fruits of their victory the war would doubtless ended sooner. Their difficulty was to find men to garrison at both Gloucester and Hereford. Waller had a force with which to raid the County, but not a sufficient force with which to garrison it. All he could do was to send out forays from Hereford to secure such supplies and plunder as could be secured, and bring in all arms and money that could be brought in. For instance, a band went to Holme Lacy, Viscount Scudamore's place, near Hereford, and were paid £10 15s. to go back. The depredations were not confined to raids from Hereford. Waller's soldiers have referred to themselves as "saints", they were also thieves.
In an account book of a lady who then resided in Hereford are these entries: