“King Charles at this time was on his way from Hereford, intending to pass through Lancashire and Cumberland into Scotland. On receiving information of the critical position at Chester he marched at once for the city, which he entered with some hazard, at Handbridge, on Tuesday, September 23, attended by Lord Lichfield, Lord Gerard, and a small bodyguard. The King lodged that night at Sir Francis Gamul’s house in Bridge Street. The remainder of the King’s troops under Sir Marmaduke Langdale marched on towards Holt, and, crossing the Dee by the bridge, took up a position on Rowton Heath, about two miles from Chester. Here, early in the morning, he encountered General Poyntz, who had been ordered by the Parliament Committee to follow the King and prevent him from relieving Chester. Although his horse was tired with the long march overnight, Langdale succeeded in beating back Poyntz with considerable loss. He at once sent by Col. Shakerley to inform the King that he had obeyed his orders in checking Poyntz’s advance, and to ask for further orders. The Colonel executed his orders with better speed than could be expected, for he galloped directly to the river Dee under Huntingdon House, got a wooden tub (used for slaughtering swine) and a batting staff (used for batting of coarse linen) for an oar, put a servant into the tub with him, and in this desperate manner swam over the river, his horse swimming by him (for the banks there were very steep and the river very deep), ordered his servant to stay there with the tub for his return, and was with the King in little more than a quarter of one hour after he left Sir Marmaduke. This expeditious method saved him going the nine or ten miles about by Holt Bridge.