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Manchester, despite its relatively small size in the 17th century, played a significant role in the English Civil War in 1642. It was one of the few towns in Lancashire to rally in support of Parliament against King Charles I. The reasons for the division between those who supported parliament and the king are debated to this day. Simply put, religious differences and the mercantile interests of the town. Manchester was mostly Puritan. The merchants and business owners saw Parliament as a way to secure a degree of control over the taxes they paid. They believed in a system where power was shared, not concentrated in the hands of a monarch.
Manchester's role in this conflict was marked by bloodshed from the very beginning. The Royalist Lord Strange had taken control of most of the Northern towns. But the inhabitants of Manchester resisted him when he showed up on 15th July. A skirmish on Market Street resulted in a standoff as Strange tried to seize the town's cannons and powder. Richard Perceval, a linen weaver, became what can rightfully be called the Civil War's first casualty. As tensions escalated, the town found itself under siege. On September 25, 1642, Lord Strange, decided to have another go at Manchester. This time, commanding a few thousand Royalist troops.
His demands for the town to surrender its gunpowder and weapons were met with defiance. The defenders, under the leadership of Robert Bradshaw and William Radcliffe, received crucial advice from a German military engineer hired by Parliament on how to fortify this unwalled town. Even when this mercenary was offered a substantial bribe by the Royalists, Colonel Rosworm stood by his principles, declaring that honesty was worth more than gold. In true Manchester fashion, the seven days of the Royalist presence were marked by relentless rain, relentless assaults, and relentless determination. Strange's untrained army was losing heart. The Royalist Captain Standish fell to a sniper's shot from the church tower, adding to the chaos. On September 30, another desperate attack ensued, but the assault failed in the face of barricades and smoke from burning barns. As the smoke cleared, it was obvious that the Royalist assault had been repelled. Strange lifted the siege on October 1st, it was still raining. The Parliamentarians declared, "You came with fire, but God gave us water." According to the victors in Manchester, the battle's toll was evident. The Royalists suffered around 200 casualties, while the defenders only lost four, along with what they called 'a strange boy,' who was 'gazing about him.' There were no further hostilities in Manchester throughout the war. Following the victory, Manchester became the hub of Parliament in the Northwest. Lord Strange proved to be an ineffective military leader. His tactical blunders would continue, and he would eventually meet a tragic end, losing his head in 1644 for his command of Royalist forces in the Bolton massacre. With the eventual triumph of Parliament and the execution of Charles I, the town was rewarded with its first Member of Parliament. Sir Charles Worsley, a local gentleman from Platt Hall in Fallowfield, took up this role.
However, the political landscape shifted dramatically under the rule of Oliver Cromwell, ushering in an austere republican era. When Charles II was restored to the throne in 1661, his coronation was celebrated extravagantly, but Manchester paid a price. In an act of petty vengeance, the town lost its right to have an MP. It would be nearly two centuries before Manchester had political representation again. The rain that had plagued Manchester during those tumultuous days finally ceased on October 2, 1642, the day after Lord Strange lifted the siege.

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