This volume is a study of popular behaviour during the English Civil War. The book makes three claims. The first is that English counties did not behave as homogeneous units during the conflict of 1642-46, but that they divided instead along regional lines, certain areas supporting Parliament, others supporting the King. The second is that this general rule applied to cities too, and that in urban communities it is possible to discern both 'Royalist' and 'Parliamentarian' parishes. The third is that these internal divisions were not simply temporary alignments, conjured up by extraordinary...

This compelling book from Mark Stoyle sets out to uncover the true history of Boy, the canine companion of Charles I's famous nephew, Prince Rupert. Like his master, Boy was held to possess dark powers and was elevated to celebrity status as a 'dog-witch' during the English Civil War of 1642-46. Many scholars have remarked upon the fantastical rumours which circulated about Prince Rupert and his dog, but no-one has investigated the source of these rumours, or explored how the supernatural element of the prince's public image developed over time. In this book, Mark Stoyle recounts the occult...