LORD RALPH HOPTON

Lord Hopton was one of the very brave Generals of the Royalist army fighting along-
Side King Charles 1st, Prince Maurice,Lord Wilmot and Prince Rupert.During the battle of Torrington Lord Hopton was one of the key people fighting there and then.

When the battle in Torrington was in full flow, Lord Hopton,calling himself brave, retreated back to the ‘BLACK HORSE INN’ the headquarters for the royalists during the
great battle. He was said to of been found eating his supper with a few more generals until the alarm to indicate that the barricades had broken sounded.Hopton and his generals charged out side to find ranks and ranks of Parliamentarian pikesmen pouring in.
At this Lord Hopton jumped onto his horse and paraded towards the Roundhead soldiers
relentless of the hundreds of pikesmen targeting him and his horse.As he came into full view of the Parliamentarian army a sharp blow came to his face,he then realising a pike
had cut through his cheek knocking some teeth out and appeared under his ear.
Lord Hopton had then returned alive to the ‘BLACK HORSE INN’ on an very badly
injured horse which then dropped dead at the doorstep.Ralph Hopton met a few of his army back at the inn,they then fussing over Lord Hoptons wound and then he piping up about it only being a flesh wound and riding back into battle on one of the inns ponys.
This time as he rode into battle there were no pikes in the face but just the explosion
from the church,as Hopton had payed a Northern man to blow the Royalist gunpowder
store happening to be at the church up before the Parliamentarians could get their hands
on it.Even though the blast killing every one of the hundreds of Royalists imprisoned by the Roundheads,Hopton was still satisfied about what he had done.By the time that had happened the Parliament had taken charge of Torrington and were moving on leaving a bewildered Lord Hopton behind.

BY DUNCAN MARTYN