Roger Lort J.P. of Stackpole was an active Royalist; during the Summer of 1643 he was King’s Treasurer in the Association of Pembrokeshire, Cardiganshire and Carmarthenshire, a wealthy man. He managed to threaten and cajole Thomas Wyatt, Tenby’s Mayor into surrendering to the Royalist Commander in Wales, the Earl of Carbery, in August 1643, adding to his own wealth by requisition and looting from Tenby’s Parliamentary supporters. Having taken the town, he fortified and garrisoned several large houses around, including Carew, Manorbier, and probably wisely, his own at Stackpole.

Parliament with almost total control of the seas between Wales and Ireland, reacted swiftly to the loss of Tenby by sending a flotilla of warships to bombard the town. They were Leopard, a 2^nd rate ship of 38 guns, the Swallow, a 2^nd rate with 36 guns, the Prosperous 22 guns, and the two 14 gun Frigates, Providence and Crescent, accompanied by an armed merchantman also named Leopard, carried out a lengthy bombardment. The Royalist gunners ashore returned the fire, and one vessel of the flotilla was badly damaged and later sank. This unfortunate ship was almost certainly the Frigate Crescent, since the other four Parliamentary warships are listed in the Irish Sea based ‘Winter Guard’ for the following months, fighting French Privateers hired from Dunkirk which were based at Duncannon and Waterford.

The loss of the frigate tells us that this must, in terms of the cannon mounted aboard the warships, and their capability, have been an action conducted close in shore; and that the Garrison of Tenby were armed with heavy guns capable of dealing with a man of war, guns which undoubtedly were in place when Roger Lort obtained the keys to the town!

Dr Rob Morgan.

June 2020