1645
1645 May. Col. Hutchinson is away in London when the Newark Royalists attack Nottingham. Parts of the town are overrun and the fort at Trent Bridge is taken. Hutchinson immediately returns from London and orders that a fort be built on the next bridge up the Trent thus trapping the Royalist forces. The Newark troops seeing the position in which they are trapped attack the new fort before it is completed and return to Newark demolishing the bridge to prevent the Nottingham troops pursuing. June Major General Sydenham Poyntz arrives in Nottingham with his Parliamentarian Northern Army. November Poyntz and Hutchinson receive orders to destroy all Royalist garrisons in the area. Poyntz orders Hutchinsons and Rossiters regiments to attack She[ford and the rest of his army to assault Thurgarton. Shelford is heavily defended and garrisoned by Col. Philip Stanhope and a number of troops from the Queens Regiment. Hutchinson and Rossiter attack She[ford from two sides with the Nottingham horse held in reserve.Rossiters men are beaten off but Hutchinsons Regiment breach the outer defences and after fierce hand to hand fighting the draw-bridge is lowered allowing the Nottingham horse to ride in. Victory is complete. Of the garrison of Shelford Col. Stanhope, all of his officers and 260 of his men were killed. 140 men, mostly wounded, were taken prisoner. Poyntz orders the house to be destroyed by fire and then marches on to attack Wiverton House. Lord Charworth of Wiverton, hearing what happened at She[ford, surrenders without a fight. Over the rest of the month the remaining Royalist garrisons and quarters are taken one by one. December The forces of Poyntz and Hutchinson take up quarter around the only remaining Royalist garrison in the north of England - Newark. Later in the month they are joined by the Earl of Leven's Scottish Army. Poyntz, not having a regiment of his own and impressed by their ability appoints Hutchinsons Regiment as his Lifeguard.