Name Index

To

Sir Edmund Fortescue and the Siege of Fort Charles

Trans. Devon. Assoc. vol. 9, (1877), pp. 336-350

by

Paul Q Karkeek

Prepared by Michael Steer

Salcombe Castle or Fort Charles is a ruined fortification just off North Sands at Salcombe. It was constructed during the reign of Henry VIII, to defend the Kingsbridge estuary against French and Spanish pirates. It was the last place to hold out in the Royal cause against the Parliamentarian troops in the Civil War. Sir Edmund Fortescue was ordered to hold it in 1643, when nearby Plymouth rose against the king. He rebuilt the castle and named it "Fort Charles". It was besieged from January to May 1646, and surrendered only because all other royalist strongholds had been overrun. The garrison were allowed to withdraw with colours flying. After the War the castle was "slighted" (ruined) on the orders of Parliament. Google with the Archive Organization has sponsored the digitisation of books from several libraries. The Internet Archive makes available, in its Community Texts Collection (originally known as Open Source Books), books that have been digitised by Google from a number of libraries. These are books on which copyright has expired, and are available free for educational and research use. This rare book was produced from a copy held by the University of Michigan Library, and is available from the Internet Archive.