[Footnote 134: In a tract dated July 5, 1642, entitled "The Beginning of the Civil Warres in England, or Terrible News from the North," Lord Strange is reported to have approached Manchester with a considerable armed force on July 5, and drawing up at a little distance from the town, demanded that the inhabitants should deliver up their magazines. On their refusal to give them up, he marched against the town, outside of which he was met by "ten small companies set in a faire battalion," and a skirmish took place, which lasted several hours, and resulted in the withdrawal of the Royalist forces with the loss of twenty-seven men. The tract then states "that this is the beginning of the Civill Warre, being the first stroke that hath been struck, and the first bullet that hath been shot." There is much reason to doubt the correctness of this reported fight, as no mention of it is made by contemporary authorities.] [Footnote 135: These fortifications consisted of posts and chains, and barricades of mud. They were erected under the superintendence of Lieutenant-Colonel Rosworm, a German engineer, at a cost of £30.] [Footnote 136: A slightly different version of this is given in "Lancashire's Valley of Achor."] [Footnote 137: Major Edward Robinson, "A Discourse of the Warr in Lancashire," _Chetham Soc._, lxii.] [Footnote 138: "Lancashire's Valley of Achor."] [Footnote 139: "A punctuall relation of the passages in Lancashire this week" (February 14, 1642).] [Footnote 140: This is Major Robinson's statement.] [Footnote 141: Major Robinson says he "discharged that little pece of ordenance they carried with them divers times," and then walked into the town.] [Footnote 142: "Lancashire's Valley of Achor."] [Footnote 143: Edward Bridgeman, late M.P.] [Footnote 144: This castle was afterwards ordered to be dismantled. Its position rendered it difficult to attack, as it stood on an eminence from which the ground sloped rapidly in every direction. It was entered by the large windows on the east side, and the entrance thus gained, the victory was assured.] [Footnote 145: This castle was first taken by Colonel Ashton, in June, 1643, but Sir John Girlington, having got hold of it, reoccupied it.] [Footnote 146: For full details of these two sieges see "Civil War Tracts," _Chetham Soc._, ii.] [Footnote 147: Seacome's "Memoirs of the House of Stanley."] [Footnote 148: In Salford Chapel, "for poor distressed Bolton," the very large sum of £140 was collected ("Vicar's Chronicle").] [Footnote 149: By way of Blackburn and Colne; at the latter place a slight skirmish took place on June 25. At Kirkham, between May and September, 1644, no accounts of the vestry were kept, because "Prince Rupert's army" had command of the county, and many of the parishioners had fled. In 1642 the soldiers "pulled asunder the organ pipes in the church."] [Footnote 150: "A Discourse of the Warr in Lancashire."]