Townies is an American television sitcom that aired on ABC from September 18 to December 4, 1996. Created by Matthew Carlson , the series stars Molly Ringwald , Jenna Elfman , and Lauren Graham .
115-483: Set in Gloucester, Massachusetts , Townies follows the lives of three 20-something lifelong friends who work in a restaurant together. No matter how badly they want to leave for the big city, something is always tying them down. All 15 episodes, including the 5 unaired, currently run on Sunday night on LAFF More streaming FAST channel. As of 2024, the show has a 30% critic rating on Rotten Tomatoes and according to
230-593: A Parliamentarian army in London, Charles and Rupert travelled to Oxford on 26 August, where they held a two-day council of war. With no intelligence of Essex's plans, the Royalists bolstered the defences of Oxford with troops earmarked for the siege of Gloucester while the Royalist garrison at Bristol was urged to send all the forces it could spare to Gloucester. Believing that Essex could muster no more than 6,000 troops,
345-415: A Parliamentarian army some 14,500 strong, the Royalist army of 9,000 infantry and 6,000 cavalry was slightly inferior in the quantity of infantry but superior in cavalry by a factor of three to two. The arrival of additional guns ordered from Oxford during the siege gave the Royalists parity in artillery. Essex's objective after the siege was to evade the Royalist army and return his own intact to London. In
460-597: A Royalist campaign led by King Charles I to take control of the Severn Valley from the Parliamentarians . Following the costly storming of Bristol on 26 July, Charles invested Gloucester in the hope that a show of force would prompt it to surrender quickly and without bloodshed. When the city, under the governorship of Lieutenant-Colonel Edward Massey , refused, the Royalists attempted to bombard it into submission. Massey adopted an aggressive defence, and
575-423: A Royalist, plotted its capture. As the war came to an end Massey returned to and was elected as the member of parliament for Gloucester. After the restoration of the monarchy in 1660, King Charles II ordered Gloucester's walls to be demolished. In 1956 Professor David Daube suggested that the nursery rhyme Humpty Dumpty originated from a siege engine used at Gloucester, based on a contemporary account of
690-482: A Star Tribune review shortly prior to airing, the series relied heavily on sexual humor . The show is considered similar to Mystic Pizza , but is described as falling short. This article relating to a comedy television series in the United States is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Gloucester, Massachusetts Gloucester ( / ˈ ɡ l ɒ s t ər / GLOST -ər )
805-412: A conservative estimate of Royalist casualties as 1,200 killed, wounded and sick, with another 800 lost to desertion. The siege had come close to succeeding, and by the end of it the defenders were down to their last barrels of gunpowder. It is unlikely they would have been able to withstand an assault, but because of Charles's aversion to casualties, none was ever attempted. Massey's aggressive tactics were
920-456: A council of war. He arrived on 2 August, and over the next five days consulted with his advisers on the best course of action. The strategic situation since Edgehill had improved significantly for the Royalists, with victories in the north of England, the arrival of reinforcements and materiel in June, and an opposition that had fallen into disarray. Rupert's plan to consolidate the Royalist grip on
1035-425: A critical factor in the successful defence of the city, and ensured that morale never dropped to the low levels witnessed before the siege began. The Royalists specifically identified his countermining as the reason for lifting the siege. The Royalist artillery proved inadequate to the task of siege work, and the 300–400 large cannonballs and 20+ mortar bombs that were fired on the city failed to blow any major breach in
1150-496: A feint designed to draw Charles away from his intended route back to London, Essex marched north to Tewkesbury , where he could better supply his army and threaten Royalist Worcester. When Charles marched his army after him, Essex retraced his steps back to Cheltenham. With the Royalists concentrated around Evesham and Pershore , Essex was able to march back up into the Cotswolds in the direction of Cirencester, where he defeated
1265-544: A fight. Gloucester's strength lay in its location. To the west, the River Severn formed a natural defence against an assaulting army. To the north and north-east the marshy ground was unsuitable for siege operations, and the River Twyver and a tributary stream added to the obstacles. This left the higher and drier ground to the east and south as the only feasible directions for an attack. In the preceding centuries
SECTION 10
#17327907603971380-401: A median income of $ 41,465 versus $ 30,566 for females. The per capita income for the city was $ 25,595. About 7.1% of families and 8.8% of the population were below the poverty line , including 11.8% of those under age 18 and 11.2% of those age 65 or over. Gloucester is a city, with a strong mayor-council system. The current mayor of Gloucester is Gregory P. Verga as of January 2022. The Mayor
1495-484: A more direct march on Gloucester, was not in a position to harass the Parliamentarians, and returned to Gloucester. There he covered the Royalist army as it lifted the siege and withdrew to Matson, 2 miles (3.2 km) south-east of the city. Charles had already departed his headquarters there and ridden ahead to Painswick . The defenders inside the city did not know how close Essex was and, not quite believing
1610-458: A public schoolhouse. This requirement was met in 1698, with Thomas Riggs standing as the town's first schoolmaster. In 1700, the selectmen of Gloucester recognized the claim of Samuel English, grandson of Agawam sachem Masconomet, to the land of the town, and paid him seven pounds (equal to £1,327 today) for the quitclaim. The White-Ellery House was erected in 1710 upon the Town Green. It
1725-488: A red shrub or two to wave from a crevice, and a drip of water to flow down among gay weeds. Room for these dwellings is obtained by blasting the rocks. Formerly, people were frightened at fragments falling through the roof after a blasting: but now, it has become too common an occurrence to alarm any body. Gloucester is located at 42°37′26″N 70°40′32″W / 42.62389°N 70.67556°W / 42.62389; -70.67556 (42.624015, −70.675521). According to
1840-550: A relieving force, it could be easily defeated before it could reach the city. Most decisively, the Earl of Newcastle , whose support was necessary in any campaign against London, declared himself unable to march south while Hull remained in Parliamentarian hands, leaving Charles too weak to contemplate such a move. The first shots were fired in the afternoon as Sir Jacob Astley established his forces near Issold's House on
1955-471: A result of a lack of miners and engineers. Parliamentarian countermining at the east gate on 28 August was quickly abandoned because of springs that caused flooding, which accounts for the slow pace of the Royalist efforts there. Massey continued to harass the besiegers with sniping and artillery fire, and he resumed countermining operations at the east gate after a reconnaissance party had reported Royalists miners were still working on their mine. The progress of
2070-541: A time of legally mandated church attendance this was a long way to walk—or row—on a Sunday morning. In 1718 the settlers on the opposite shore of the river split off from the First Parish community at the Green and formed "Second Parish". While still part of the town of Gloucester, the people of Second, or "West", Parish now constructed their own meetinghouse and designated their own place of burial, both of which were in
2185-409: A village exists on Pole's Hill in the current Riverdale neighborhood. In 1606, Samuel de Champlain explored the harbor, and produced the first known map of Gloucester harbor titling it le Beau port . This map suggests substantial Native American settlement on the shores of the harbor. In 1614 John Smith again explored the area, identifying the indigenous inhabitants as Aggawom . In 1623 men from
2300-585: Is a city in Essex County, Massachusetts , United States. It sits on Cape Ann and is a part of Massachusetts's North Shore . The population was 29,729 at the 2020 U.S. Census . An important center of the fishing industry and a popular summer destination, Gloucester consists of an urban core on the north side of the harbor and the outlying neighborhoods of Annisquam , Bay View, Lanesville, Folly Cove, Magnolia , Riverdale, East Gloucester, and West Gloucester. The boundaries of Gloucester originally included
2415-525: Is also reserved a seat on the School Committee . City offices are elected every two years (those ending with odd numbers). In 2007, over 40 people ran for the 15 elected seats in the city's government. The city is divided into five Wards, each split into two precincts: As late as the mid-20th century, Gloucester had as many as eight wards, but they have been since reorganized into the current number. On November 7, 2005, incumbent Mayor John Bell
SECTION 20
#17327907603972530-450: Is divided from the rest of Massachusetts Bay by Eastern Point, extending some 2 miles (3 km) outward from the mainland. There are several parks in the city, the largest of which are Ravenswood Park , Stage Fort Park and Mount Ann Park. Gloucester lies between Ipswich Bay to the north and Massachusetts Bay to the south. The city is bordered on the east by Rockport , and on the west by Ipswich , Essex and Manchester-by-the-Sea to
2645-663: Is the birthplace of Marvel character Dane Whitman whose superhero alter ego is the Black Knight . National Geographic Channel films its reality television series Wicked Tuna , documenting and chronicling the lives of commercial tuna fishermen, and the lucrative bluefin tuna industry, in Gloucester. Route 66 season 2, episode 6, "Once To Every Man" (October 27, 1961) was set and filmed in Gloucester. Bewitched season 7, episode 5, "Darrin On A Pedestal" (October 22, 1970)
2760-1040: The Ashcan School such as Edward Hopper , John Sloan , Robert Henri , William Glackens , Emile Gruppe, Carl W. Illig, and Maurice Prendergast . Smith Cove is home to the Rocky Neck Art Colony, the oldest art colony in the country. Folly Cove was the home of the Folly Cove Designers , influential to this day in print design and technique. Several important sculptors have lived and worked in East Gloucester, Annisquam , Lanesville and Folly Cove. They include George Aarons, Anna Hyatt Huntington , Charles Grafly , Paul Manship and his daughter-in-law Margaret Cassidy Manship, Walker Hancock , and George Demetrios. In addition, Aristides Demetrios grew up in Folly Cove. Gloucester
2875-528: The Dorchester Company established a permanent fishing outpost in the area. At the Cape Ann settlement, a legal form of government was established, and from that Massachusetts Bay Colony sprung. Roger Conant was the governor under the Cape Ann patent, and as such, has been called the first governor of Massachusetts. Life in this first settlement was harsh and it was short-lived. The area
2990-535: The Earl of Stamford 's Regiment of Foot, recruited from London and Leicestershire, and a locally recruited regiment known as the Town Regiment. The remainder comprised a company of trained band , 100 dragoons and a troop of cavalry. The city's dozen or so artillery pieces ranged in size from light cannon to two nine-pounder demi-culverins . Stamford's regiment was experienced and well led, though of uncertain discipline. The Town Regiment lacked experience but
3105-459: The First Battle of Newbury , but failed to defeat him, allowing the Parliamentarians to reach the safety of their London stronghold four days later. Gloucester resumed its role as a logistic base for local operations and remained a Parliamentarian centre for the rest of the war, though Massey was removed as governor in 1645 over suspicions about his loyalty. By 1649 the burden of maintaining
3220-647: The North Shore to Boston's North Station . The nearest airport is the Beverly Municipal Airport , with the nearest national and international air service being at Boston's Logan International Airport . As of the 2000 census , there were 30,273 people, 12,592 households, and 7,895 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,166.0 inhabitants per square mile (450.2/km ). There were 13,958 housing units at an average density of 537.6 per square mile (207.6/km ). The racial makeup of
3335-551: The United States Census Bureau , the city has a total area of 41.5 square miles (107.5 km ), of which 26.2 square miles (67.8 km ) is land and 15.3 square miles (39.6 km ), or 36.88%, is water. Gloucester occupies most of the eastern end of Cape Ann, except for the far tip, which is the town of Rockport. The city is split in half by the Annisquam River , which flows northward through
3450-409: The " Gloucester Fisherman's Memorial Cenotaph "), dedicated to "They that go down to the sea in ships", which is a quote from Psalm 107:23–32. Gloucester's largest annual event is St. Peter's Fiesta , sponsored by the local Italian-American community. It is held the last weekend in June, which is typically the weekend closest to the saint's feast day . Preceded by a nine-day novena of prayers,
3565-465: The 400-strong Royalist garrison on 16 September. Essex believed he had established a commanding lead over Charles and, not wishing to drive his hungry army too hard, slowed his pace on the march to Swindon . He was further slowed after Swindon when Rupert's cavalry caught up, and the resulting Battle of Aldbourne Chase on 18 September allowed the rest of the Royalist army to close the distance. Charles finally brought Essex to battle on 20 September in
Townies - Misplaced Pages Continue
3680-476: The Blynman Canal and passing through downtown towards Rockport. It then re-enters Gloucester near Folly Cove, running opposite of its usual north–south orientation towards its terminus at Route 128. Route 133 also terminates within the city, entering from Essex and terminating just west of the Blynman Canal at Route 127. Besides the bridge over the Blynman Canal, there are only two other connections between
3795-601: The Catholic celebration, St Peter's Fiesta, relatives of fishermen past and present carry oars representing many of the fishing vessels which call Gloucester their home. Saint Peter is the patron saint of the fishermen. Gloucester remains an active fishing port, and in 2013 ranked 21st in the United States with respect to fish landings. In that year, 62 million pounds of fish were caught bringing in an estimated $ 42 million. Gloucester's scenery, active fishing industry, and arts community have attracted and inspired painters since
3910-464: The Cotswolds for four days. The Bristol garrison was being stripped for reinforcements and orders had been sent to Oxford for ten field guns and the equipment necessary to make the guns already at Gloucester mobile, should it become necessary to redeploy them from siegework to use in open battle. By the end of 3 September Essex's lead element, the London brigade, was at Oddington , 2 miles (3.2 km) east of Stow-on-the-Wold . The Parliamentarian army
4025-577: The GSC, was also its artistic director from 1979 to 2006. Over the years, plays developed at the Gloucester Stage Company have gone on to critical acclaim, on and off Broadway , nationally and internationally. The group draws theatre-goers from Gloucester, neighboring North Shore districts, and the greater Boston area, as well as seasonal residents and tourists. The city has much significant architecture , from pre-Revolutionary houses to
4140-516: The King in the Siege of Gloucester of 1643. This new permanent settlement focused on the Town Green area, an inlet in the marshes at a bend in the Annisquam River . This area is now the site of Grant Circle, a large traffic rotary at which Massachusetts Route 128 mingles with a major city street (Washington Street/ Rt 127 ). Here the first permanent settlers built a meeting house and therefore focused
4255-427: The King's enemies in the rest of the country. Although it was likely that Rupert would have been able to storm a city that was less well defended than Bristol, Charles was not willing to risk the casualties an assault would incur. On 6 August the Parliamentarian governor of Gloucester, Lieutenant-Colonel Edward Massey , refused to surrender the city, but in a secret communication he let it be known that he would do so if
4370-561: The King, rather than Rupert, led the army on Gloucester. Charles decided the next day that this was the best chance of securing Gloucester quickly and without bloodshed. This compromise plan pleased neither the Queen's faction, who saw it as an unnecessary diversion from the more decisive objective of London, nor Rupert, who remained in Bristol in the belief that the Royalist army was not strong enough to allow Massey to honourably surrender without
4485-399: The Parliamentarian war effort in the county, but Thomas Pury , the member of parliament for Gloucester , was the only committee member in the city. Civic authority was held by a forty-member council, though in practice an inner core of some fifteen aldermen , including the mayor, wielded power. As many of these were, like Pury, officers in the city's garrison, political and military command
4600-416: The Parliamentarians bolstered the earthwork defences around the south and north gates. On 16 August Rupert accompanied Charles to Oxford, and neither were at Gloucester to witness the most ambitious Parliamentarian raid yet. Just before sunset, 150 musketeers of Stamford's regiment sallied out of the north gate to attack the Royalist trenches east of the city. The Parliamentarians claimed 100 Royalist killed for
4715-454: The Parliamentarians placed a saker in a gun port they had been secretly building in east wall above the gallery protecting the Royalist miners. The medium-sized cannon was employed most of the day against the gallery, to little effect, until the Royalists targeted it with a cannon of their own, at which point it was withdrawn. The Royalists anticipated their mine would reach the east gate the next day, while they believed Essex could be delayed in
Townies - Misplaced Pages Continue
4830-400: The Royalist mines closer towards the walls, quickened by the arrival of Welsh miners on 29 August, led Massey to believe an assault was imminent. On 1 September he fortified Friars Orchard with an earthwork wall and sconce , a fort in which he placed four pieces of artillery that could be brought to bear on any Royalists who broke through the south-east corner or the east gate. On 3 September
4945-449: The Royalist positions outside the city were regularly disrupted by Parliamentarian raids. The Royalist artillery proved inadequate for the task of siege work and, faced with a shortage of ammunition, the besiegers attempted to breach the city walls by mining. With Royalist miners about to reach the city's east gate and the defenders critically low on gunpowder, a Parliamentarian army led by the Earl of Essex arrived and forced Charles to lift
5060-561: The Severn valley. On 26 July Rupert's Oxford Army, supported by the Western Army, seized Bristol . Royalist casualties were high, and despite Rupert's instructions to the contrary, the victorious troops plundered the city. Rupert was appointed governor of Bristol, but infighting within the Royalist leadership and concerns that an attack on Gloucester would result in the same high casualties prompted King Charles I to travel to Bristol for
5175-410: The United States in the mid-1830s, commented on the ubiquity of granite there: It has great wealth of granite and fish. It is composed of granite; and almost its only visitors are fish. **** The houses look as if they were squeezed in among the rocks. The granite rises straight behind a house, encroaches on each side, and overhangs the roof, leaving space only for a sprinkling of grass about the door, for
5290-458: The afternoon of 10 August the Royalist army, comprising some 6,000 infantry and 2,500 mounted troops, began assembling around the city. Charles set up his headquarters at Matson House. His demand for Gloucester's surrender was unanimously and somewhat insolently rejected, and the Parliamentarians set fire to the suburbs outside the city defences to clear lines of fire and deprive the Royalists of cover. Charles had decided to march on Gloucester in
5405-419: The age of 18 living with them, 48.8% were married couples living together, 10.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.3% were non-families. 30.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.38 and the average family size was 3.00. In the city, the population was spread out, with 22.0% under
5520-399: The age of 18, 6.5% from 18 to 24, 29.9% from 25 to 44, 26.1% from 45 to 64, and 15.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 92.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.8 males. The median income for a household in the city was $ 58,568, and the median income for a family was $ 80,970 from a 2007 estimate. Males had
5635-419: The attack, but without evidence that the rhyme was connected. The theory was part of an anonymous series of articles on the origin of nursery rhymes and was widely acclaimed in academia, but it was derided by others as "ingenuity for ingenuity's sake" and declared to be a spoof. In 2009 the annual Gloucester Day – a tradition begun after the siege to celebrate its lifting – was resurrected, having died out in
5750-413: The belief that the city would be quickly surrendered. Now that gambit had failed, he decided to besiege it. His pride had been wounded by the manner of the Parliamentarian rejection. His commanders, assessing the state of the city's defences, supplies and morale, persuaded him the city could be taken within ten days without an assault. Intelligence indicated that even if the Parliamentarians were able to send
5865-422: The city had grown beyond its medieval defences, of which only the ruined castle by the river and a stretch of wall that linked the south, east and original north gates, the last known as the inner north gate and now well within the city, still survived. From the south gate to the east gate the wall was high but not thick enough to withstand 17th-century artillery or mining operations. The fall of Bristol prompted
SECTION 50
#17327907603975980-447: The city was 96.99% White , 0.61% African American , 0.72% Asian , 0.12% Native American , 0.02% Pacific Islander , 0.50% from other races , and 1.03% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.48% of the population. 22.6% were of Italian , 16.2% Irish , 11.1% English , 8.5% Portuguese and 7.1% American ancestry according to Census 2000 . There were 12,592 households, out of which 27.6% had children under
6095-500: The city's resolve in the days immediately before the siege began. Officers and councillors with Royalist sympathies were given the opportunity to leave, and those who remained were required to restate an oath of allegiance to Parliament. The discipline of the troops was improved by paying them, and civilians were kept busy reinforcing the city's defences. As Charles marched north from Bristol, Royalist reinforcements were converging on Gloucester from Oxford, Worcester and Herefordshire. By
6210-651: The city, an earthwork was extended west from the end of the medieval wall at the inner north gate via Gloucester Cathedral to St Oswald's Priory , where it met the new outer earthwork. The outer north gate and Alvin Gate were fortified with earthwork bastions , a drawbridge was installed at Westgate Bridge and the Old Severn was dammed at Dockham, causing the ground to north-west of the city to flood. The garrison numbered no more than 1,500 troops. The bulk of these comprised two half-strength regiments each of some 600 men:
6325-456: The city. In the late 19th century, Gloucester saw an influx of Portuguese and Italian immigrants; they were seeking work in the town's flourishing fishing industry, and a better life in America. Some present-day fishermen of Gloucester are descendants of these early immigrants. The strong Portuguese and Italian influence is evident in the many festivals celebrated throughout the year. During
6440-401: The companies based in Gloucester. The town was an important shipbuilding center, and the first schooner was reputedly built there in 1713. The community developed into an important fishing port, largely due to its proximity to Georges Bank and other fishing banks off the east coast of Nova Scotia and Newfoundland . Gloucester's most famous (and nationally recognized) seafood business
6555-539: The cost of 2 injured, while Royalist sources report 24 Parliamentarians killed and more wounded, for the loss of 4 Royalists killed. Struggling with a shortage of gunpowder and with the guns quiet, the Royalists concentrated on mining operations to breach the city walls. Miners recruited from the Forest of Dean were set to work under a protective gallery to fill the 12-foot (3.7 m) deep by 30-foot (9.1 m) wide moat which, when completed, would allow them to undermine
6670-547: The decision was made to continue the siege, though contingency plans for the blockade of Gloucester were drawn up in case it had to be lifted. Lord Wilmot was instructed to muster 2,000 cavalry around Banbury . Their task would be to delay the Parliamentarians in the Cotswolds until Rupert could come up with the rest of the Royalist cavalry in support, should Essex march to the relief of Gloucester. Essex began his march from Colnbrook , west of London, on 26 August. His plan
6785-443: The defenders with woolsacks and gabions . Royalist engineers mining towards the walls from trenches at the green succeeded in draining the ditch below the walls, but this was not followed up with an assault. By the end of the day the Royalist guns had fallen silent; the evidence suggests they had run out of ammunition. The following day Vavasour received a reinforcement of 500 Glamorgan militia and 450 musketeers from Bristol, while
6900-756: The early 19th century. The first Gloucester painter of note was native-born Fitz Henry Lane , whose home still exists on the waterfront. The premier collection of his works is in the Cape Ann Museum , which holds 40 of his paintings and 100 of his drawings. Other painters subsequently attracted to Gloucester include William Morris Hunt , Winslow Homer , Childe Hassam , John Twachtman , Frederick Mulhaupt, Frank Duveneck , Cecilia Beaux , Jane Peterson , Gordon Grant, Harry DeMaine, Emile Gruppe , Stuart Davis , Joseph Solman , Mark Rothko , Milton Avery , Barnett Newman , William Meyerowitz , Joan Lockhart, Theresa Bernstein , and Marsden Hartley , and artists from
7015-441: The east gate, where they discovered and began boring down on the deeper Royalist mine, while inside the gate an earthwork was completed across the road and the buildings either side were turned into blockhouses . They were critically low on gunpowder, but buoyed by the sight of fires lit on nearby Wainlode Hill signalling the approach of Essex. The Royalists, meanwhile, were readying the heavy guns to move. On 5 September Essex took
SECTION 60
#17327907603977130-809: The eastern and western halves of town, the A. Piatt Andrew Memorial Bridge, carrying Route 128, and the Boston & Maine Railroad Bridge, just north of the Blynman Canal. Gloucester is home to the Cape Ann Transportation Authority , which serves the city and surrounding towns. Two stops (in West Gloucester and in downtown Gloucester ) provide access to the Newburyport/Rockport Line of the MBTA Commuter Rail , which extends from Rockport along
7245-414: The eastern side of the city. Lord Forth , who had been given overall command of the siege, set up a fortified leaguer to the rear of the ruined Llanthony Secunda Priory and established his forces to the south of the city. By dawn on 11 August, a line of trenches had been dug some 130 yards (120 m) from the walls, placing the two sides within musket range of each other, stretching from Gaudy Green on
7360-474: The festival highlights include the blessing of the fleet and the greasy pole contest. Siege of Gloucester 51°51′50″N 2°14′38″W / 51.864°N 2.2438°W / 51.864; -2.2438 1643 1644 1645 1646 The siege of Gloucester took place between 10 August and 5 September 1643 during the First English Civil War . It was part of
7475-468: The first regular troops were garrisoned in Gloucester. In February 1643 the Royalist commander Prince Rupert easily defeated a militia garrison at Cirencester, prompting the Parliamentarians to recall their outposts at Berkeley , Sudeley and Tewkesbury . The next day Rupert appeared before Gloucester, but lacked the strength to enforce his demand for the city's surrender. Later that month an army of 2,000 Welshman led by Lord Herbert of Raglan arrived on
7590-409: The garrison was generating divisions within the city. In 1651 a Scottish army moved south in support of the Royalists, prompting the city to restore its fortifications and raise a new town regiment. The garrison was withdrawn two years later, but in 1659, the city became increasingly divided as support for Parliament dissipated. Pury raised 300 troops to defend Gloucester for Parliament, while Massey, now
7705-511: The hills near the marshes behind Wingaersheek Beach. The meetinghouse is gone now, but deep in the woods on the Second Parish Road, Old Thompson road, one can still find the stone foundation and memorial altar, as well as scattered stones of the abandoned burial ground. Other parts of town later followed suit. Third Parish, in northern Gloucester, was founded in 1728. Fourth Parish split off from First Parish in 1742. Finally, in 1754,
7820-491: The hilltop 1870 City Hall, which dominates the town and harbor. It also has exotic waterfront homes now converted to museums, including Beauport , built 1907–1934 by designer Henry Davis Sleeper in collaboration with local architect Halfdan Hanson, said to raise eclecticism to the level of genius. In addition, it has Hammond Castle , built 1926–1929 by inventor John Hays Hammond, Jr. , as a setting for his collection of Roman , medieval and Renaissance artifacts . Gloucester
7935-407: The hurried reinforcement of the existing defences. New earthworks and a narrow water-filled ditch completed the line of fortifications from the south gate to the Severn. Another earthwork was extended north from Whitefriars Barn on the north-east corner of the medieval wall to the outer north gate. From there the River Twyver formed a moat as the earthwork followed it north-west to Alvin Gate then on to
8050-414: The island became known as the "Commons", the "Common Village", or " Dogtown ". Small dwellings lay scattered here amongst the boulders and swamps, along roads that meandered through the hills. These dwellings were at times little more than shanties; only one was even two stories tall. Despite their size, several generations of families were raised in such houses. One feature of the construction of these houses
8165-421: The largest in the country, exploded on its first use. When it became evident the Royalists were focusing their efforts on the south-east corner of the city defences, Massey quickly buttressed the medieval walls with up to 5 feet (1.5 m) of earth, which ensured that the defences held. Meanwhile, the majority of Vavasour's troops completed their crossing of the Severn, leaving behind a small contingent to blockade
8280-416: The largest of the Royalist's eight cannon, along with a 12-pounder to target the south wall. Another artillery emplacement was positioned nearby to target the east wall. With the artillery in place, the Royalists began bombarding the walls, the main effort beginning at 11:00 on 13 August. The cannon were too light to have any significant impact, and of the two mortars the Royalists possessed, one, reputed to be
8395-617: The middle of the city into Ipswich Bay. At its southern end, it is connected to Gloucester Harbor by the Blynman Canal. The land along the northwestern shore of the river is marshy, creating several small islands. Gloucester Harbor is divided into several smaller coves, including the Western Harbor (site of the Fisherman's Memorial) and the Inner Harbor (home to the Gloucester fishing fleet). The eastern side of Gloucester Harbor
8510-417: The moat after dark was beaten back by musket fire. The objective of forcing the surrender of Gloucester by siege in ten days had failed, partly due to the city's resolve and Massey's spoiling attacks, but mainly due to the inadequacy of the Royalist artillery. The Parliamentarians mounted another raid at dawn on 21 August. It was a two-pronged attack designed to disable the Royalist artillery south and east of
8625-440: The moat would allow the besiegers to reach the east wall on 24 August. A second effort to bridge the moat to the south was begun, as was a more complicated project to tunnel towards the east gate. Royalist agents attempted to persuade the garrison to surrender, and Royalist cavalry staged a mock battle in an unsuccessful attempt to lure the garrison out of the city in the belief that a relief force had arrived. A desultory bombardment
8740-547: The nexus of their settlement on the "Island" for nearly 100 years. Unlike other early coastal towns in New England , development in Gloucester was not focused around the harbor as it is today, rather it was inland that people settled first. This is evidenced by the placement of the Town Green nearly two miles from the harbor-front. The Town Green is also where the settlers built the first school. By Massachusetts Bay Colony Law, any town with 100 families or more had to provide
8855-493: The people of Sandy Bay (what would later be called Rockport) split off from First Parish to found Fifth Parish. The Sandy Bay church founding was the last religious re-ordering of the colonial period. All of these congregations still exist in some form, with the exception of Fourth Parish, the site of whose meeting house is now a highway. At one time, there was a thriving granite industry in Gloucester. English writer Harriet Martineau , who visited Gloucester during her travels in
8970-488: The quickest way off the open country of the Cotswold hills down into the relative safety of the Severn valley. This meant descending the steep escarpment at Prestbury Hill towards Cheltenham , rather than heading directly to Gloucester. His lead elements began the difficult descent at dusk, but the baggage train and rearguard were forced to spend the night in worsening weather in the hills. Rupert, who appears to have expected
9085-413: The recall. The Parliamentarians suffered eight casualties, the Royalists more than twenty. Such raids were proving risky and wasteful of the garrison's limited ammunition, and this was the last large-scale operation mounted by the Parliamentarians. As the Royalists set about replenishing their stocks of ammunition, they intensified their mining efforts. It was anticipated that the original effort to bridge
9200-557: The reinforcements from Herefordshire and Worcester under the command of Sir William Vavasour, 1st Baronet of Copmanthorpe arrived on the west bank of the Severn and began crossing the river to take up positions at Kingsholm, to the north of the city. This force increased the size of the besieging army by another 2,400 infantry and over 300 cavalry. They too were the target of a Parliamentarian raid which inflicted up to fifteen casualties. Later on 12 August, Forth completed an earthwork square on Gaudy Green, in which he placed two 24-pounders,
9315-410: The river's junction with the Old Severn. This easternmost channel of the River Severn had dried up by the 19th century, but at the time of the civil war it was still a navigable river. The earthwork then followed the Old Severn south-west to a point a short distance north of Westgate Street, from where it was extended the other side of the Old Severn to the River Severn just above the west gate. Inside
9430-400: The siege was over, remained vigilant behind their defences rather than attempt to harass the retreating Royalists. Royalist casualties during the siege were claimed to be in the range of 1,000 to over 1,500, the Parliamentarian losses ranging from 30 to 50. Royalist sources concede 120 killed during the siege, with reports of sick and wounded giving numbers of 900, 400 and 300. Jon Day gives
9545-400: The siege, when 150 musketeers and 40 cavalry mounted an ineffectual attack on Royalist positions to the east of the city. Charles, meanwhile, was on his way back to Gloucester with another 1,000 reinforcements. By the morning of 19 August, two 6-pounder cannon had been installed in a third emplacement opposite the east gate, bringing all the original artillery online. At 10:00, the bombardment
9660-645: The siege. Following the Royalist defeat at the Battle of Edgehill in October 1642, King Charles I's control of the south was limited to Cornwall , Wales and the Marches , and a pocket of the Thames Valley around Oxford , where he based his wartime capital. The ruling Puritan elite of Gloucester ensured the city of some 5,000 inhabitants would be from the outset a staunchly Parliamentarian stronghold in
9775-404: The size of Essex's force and the skill with which it was handled, and had completely failed in his mission to delay it. In Gloucester the Parliamentarians could see the evacuation of some 400 sick or wounded Royalists and the dispatch of some artillery away from the siege, but also the arrival of 2,000 infantry and 500 mounted reinforcements from Bristol. The defender's countermine reached outside
9890-404: The society, making it much more closely knit with extended families interlocking in business relationships. Early Gloucestermen cleared great swaths of the forest of Cape Ann for farm and pasture land, using the timber to build structures as far away as Boston. The rocky moors of Gloucester remained clear for two centuries until the forest reclaimed the land in the 20th century. The inland part of
10005-418: The south side to Issold's House on the east. Massey responded with spoiling tactics in an attempt to hinder Royalist siege operations and delay the assault he was expecting. At midnight a small raiding party succeeded in disrupting Royalist entrenching operations on Gaudy Green, and a larger raid on the green the next morning, 12 August, resulted in the capture of Royalist men, tools and weapons. By this time,
10120-633: The struggle against an anti-Puritan King and his Catholic Queen Henrietta Maria . Possession of Gloucester, along with Bristol to the south, threatened both Oxford and access to the Royalist recruiting grounds of Wales. An unsuccessful attempt to rally Royalist support in Cirencester in August 1642 prompted Parliamentarians in Gloucestershire to muster the militia , and in November
10235-454: The targets of a Parliamentarian raid that morning that was even larger than previous efforts; a diversionary attack by 50 men and a main force of 400. All four of Vavasour's cannon were disabled, the Parliamentarians claiming over 100 Royalist casualties for the loss of 6, the Royalists admitting 28 casualties and claiming to have killed 27 Parliamentarians. Another Parliamentarian raid the same day involved their only recorded use of cavalry during
10350-545: The town of Rockport , in an area dubbed "Sandy Bay". The village separated formally from Gloucester on February 27, 1840. In 1873, Gloucester was reincorporated as a city. Native Americans inhabited what would become northeastern Massachusetts for thousands of years prior to the European colonization of the Americas . At the time of contact, the area was inhabited by Agawam people under sachem Masconomet . Evidence of
10465-445: The two forces clashed. Although Rupert enjoyed superior numbers, he was dissuaded from pressing his advantage by the appearance of Edmund Harvey with a regiment of Parliamentarian cavalry and two of infantry. When Essex arrived with the rest of the Parliamentarian army, Rupert was forced into a steady retreat to the area of Andoversford and Compton Abdale , while Essex's army ended the day around Naunton . Rupert had been surprised by
10580-456: The walls, start any significant fires or cause more than a handful of casualties. Although the failure at Gloucester adversely affected Royalist morale, the campaign presented Charles with an opportunity to inflict a decisive blow against his enemy. The Parliamentarian army and its trained band reserves had effectively been lured out of a strong position behind the London defences, into open country where they could be more easily defeated. Against
10695-400: The walls. It was slow work, estimated to need a week to complete. The faster alternative was to forgo the protection and fill the moat with fascines . An attempt to do this was beaten back by musket fire from the walls, and resulted in the desertion of the miners. By 18 August Vavasour had deployed three cannon in front of his main camp at Kingsholm and another opposite Alvin Gate. These were
10810-422: The walls. One detachment travelled by boat down the Severn, landed between Forth's camp and a redoubt opposite the castle and successfully stormed the redoubt. The second detachment of 200 musketeers sallied from the north gate. Intending first to attack the battery opposite the east gate, this force became lost and blundered into Royalist infantry camps. When Massey saw that the raid was not going to plan, he sounded
10925-541: The west bank of the Severn opposite the city, but lacked the strength for an assault across the river. Its presence caused great consternation in Gloucester until a Parliamentarian army commanded by Sir William Waller defeated it on 24 March. The defeat of Waller in the Battle of Roundway Down on 13 July by the Royalist Western Army left both Bristol and Gloucester vulnerable, and on 18 July Rupert led another Royalist army out of Oxford to take control of
11040-418: The west bank. Reacting to rumours that Vavasour had received a reinforcement of artillery, the Parliamentarians mounted another raid to the north of the city on 14 August. They captured two prisoners but failed in their primary objective of locating and spiking any guns. The Royalist bombardment continued through 14 August, but a breach blown in the wall by the larger guns on Gaudy Green was quickly plugged by
11155-553: The west by seizing Gloucester faced opposition from those in the King's camp, led by his wife Queen Henrietta Maria, who believed a march on London could end the war. The capture of Gloucester would give Charles some advantages. It would allow the Royalist garrisons farther up the Severn at Worcester and Shrewsbury to be supplied from Bristol, with consequent benefit to the economy of that city. Gloucestershire – populous, wealthy and Parliamentarian – could be punitively taxed, and Welsh manpower and money could be freely deployed against
11270-557: The west. (The town line with Ipswich is located across Essex Harbor, and as such there is no land connection between the towns.) Gloucester lies 16 miles (26 km) east-northeast of Salem and 31 miles (50 km) northeast of Boston . Gloucester lies at the eastern terminus of Route 128 , which ends at Route 127A . Route 127A begins at Route 127 just east of the Route 128 terminus, heading into Rockport before terminating there. Route 127 enters from Manchester-by-the-Sea before crossing
11385-410: Was abandoned around 1626, and the people removed themselves to Naumkeag (in what is now called Salem, Massachusetts ), where more fertile soil for planting was to be found. The meetinghouse and governor's house were even disassembled and relocated to the new place of settlement. At some point in the following years (though no record exists), the area was slowly resettled by English colonists. The town
11500-602: Was also the home of feminist writer Judith Sargent Murray and John Murray , the founder of the first Universalist Church in America. Their house still exists as the Sargent House Museum . Many museums are located in the main downtown area, such as the Cape Ann Museum, and the museum/aquarium Maritime Gloucester. Gloucester's most noted landmark is the harborside Man at the Wheel statue (also known as
11615-474: Was built at the edge of a marsh for Gloucester's first settled minister, the Reverend John White (1677–1760). Early industry included subsistence farming and logging. Because of the poor soil and rocky hills, Cape Ann was not well suited for farming on a large scale. Small family farms and livestock provided the bulk of the sustenance to the population. Fishing, for which the town is known today,
11730-429: Was due north of Oxford with an army of some 10,500 infantry, no more than 4,500 mounted troops and an artillery train that is estimated at no more than 50 guns. Mining was now the principal tactic by which the Royalists hoped to bring the siege to a successful conclusion. Priority was given to tunnelling at the east gate, which caused progress on efforts to fill the moat below the south and east walls to slow, possibly as
11845-508: Was elected to serve a full two-year term on November 2, 2015, and re-elected again in 2017 and 2019. She was defeated for re-election in 2021 by Gregory P. Verga. The following schools are located within the Gloucester Public Schools District: Gorton's of Gloucester , Mighty Mac, Gloucester Engineering, Good Harbor Consulting, Para Research, Aid-Pack, Cyrk, and Varian Semiconductor are among
11960-466: Was formally incorporated in 1642. It is at this time that the name "Gloucester" first appears on tax rolls, although in various spellings. The town took its name from the city of Gloucester in southwest England, perhaps from where many of its new occupants originated but more likely because Gloucester, England, was a Parliamentarian stronghold, successfully defended with the aid of the Earl of Essex against
12075-416: Was founded in 1849 as John Pew & Sons. It became Gorton-Pew Fisheries in 1906, and in 1957 changed its name to Gorton's of Gloucester . The iconic image of the "Gorton's Fisherman", and the products he represents, are known throughout the country and beyond. Besides catching and processing seafood, Gloucester is also a center for research on marine life and conservation; Ocean Alliance is headquartered in
12190-449: Was largely integrated. In the days immediately following the fall of Bristol, morale in the city, both military and civilian, was low. It is possible that this was what prompted Massey to consider surrendering the city, though his message suggesting he would may have been a subterfuge designed to buy some time. There is strong evidence that the conduct and actions of the city elite, including Massey and particularly Pury, did much to stiffen
12305-431: Was largely untroubled by Wilmot's Royalist cavalry, and because of the differing rates of march it was strung out as far back as Chipping Norton , nearly 6 miles (9.7 km) to the east. Meanwhile, Rupert had led the rest of the Royalist cavalry from Gloucester and, having rendezvoused with Wilmot, ended the day with some 5,000 men camped around Bourton-on-the-Water , 4 miles (6.4 km) south-west of Stow. The next day
12420-512: Was limited to close-to-shore, with families subsisting on small catches as opposed to the great bounties yielded in later years. The fishermen of Gloucester did not command the Grand Banks until the mid-18th century. Historian Christine Heyrman, examining the town's society between 1690 and 1750, finds that at the beginning community sensibility was weak in a town that was a loose agglomeration of individuals. Commerce and capitalism transformed
12535-403: Was maintained, particularly by the mortars, until 25 August, when it was intensified. An attempt that day by Massey to disrupt it with a sally from the north gate was beaten back by cavalry, but as before, a shortage of ammunition – at one stage the Royalists resorted to firing stones – blunted the impact, and little damage was done to the city. Following news that the Earl of Essex was raising
12650-508: Was motivated by its ties to the city it was defending, although there is evidence that some of its men would refuse to oppose the King. The city could support itself with basic necessities, but it lacked sufficient gunpowder to withstand an assault or prolonged siege. Massey was an autocratic military commander, but his authority in the city was shared with the civilian administration. A committee had been established in December 1642 to manage
12765-580: Was re-elected to a third term in office. He stated his intention not to run for reelection and stepped down in January 2008. On November 6, 2007, Carolyn Kirk was elected as the Mayor of Gloucester. Kirk resigned in December 2014 to take a position in the administration of Massachusetts governor Charlie Baker . Sefatia Theken was then voted to be the interim mayor of Gloucester by the City Council. Theken
12880-403: Was resumed in a last effort to subdue the city by the original ten-day deadline. Constrained by the limited supplies of ammunition and gunpowder, the bombardment had little material effect, though it prompted Massey to hastily erect a breastwork in the open ground of Friar's Orchard, at the south east corner of the city where the Royalist artillery was being concentrated. A Royalist attempt to cross
12995-483: Was set and partially filmed on Gloucester. Spenser: For Hire , season 2, episode 1, "Widow's Walk" (October 4, 1986) was set and filmed in Gloucester. The Gloucester Stage Company stages five to eight plays each season, primarily in the summer months. Located in East Gloucester, the theatre sits at water's edge overlooking Smith's Cove. It was founded in 1979 by local arts and business leaders to encourage playwrights and their new works. Israel Horovitz , who founded
13110-470: Was that under one side of the floor was dug a cellar hole (for the keeping of food), supported by a foundation of laid-stone (without mortar). These cellar holes are still visible today along the trails throughout the inland part of Gloucester; they, and some walls, are all that remain of the village there. The town grew, and eventually colonists lived on the opposite side of the Annisquam River. In
13225-409: Was to relieve Gloucester without provoking a major battle in which, with the Royalist superiority in cavalry, he would be at a disadvantage. His route was dictated by the desire to minimise the amount of open country favourable to cavalry operations he would have to pass through, and took him north of Oxford via Aylesbury and Bicester and then across the Cotswolds. At the beginning of September Essex
#396603