Rice Powell was a Welsh Colonel in the Parliamentary army during the

First English Civil War The First English Civil War took place in England and Wales from 1642 to 1646, and forms part of the 1639 to 1653 Wars of the Three Kingdoms. They include the Bishops' Wars, the Irish Confederate Wars, the Second English Civil War, the Anglo ...

. In the

Second English Civil War The Second English Civil War took place between February to August 1648 in Kingdom of England, England and Wales. It forms part of the series of conflicts known collectively as the 1639-1651 Wars of the Three Kingdoms, which include the 1641� ...

he allied himself with the Royalist cause. He fought in South

Wales Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the Bristol Channel to the south. It had a population in ...

and played a significant part in events between 1642 and 1649 including a senior role during the

Battle of St. Fagans The Battle of St Fagans was a pitched battle during the Second English Civil War in 1648. A detachment from the New Model Army defeated an army of former Parliamentarian soldiers who had rebelled and were now fighting against Parliament. ...

Background

His background is uncertain but he is probably the son of a Lewis Powell and is from South Pembrokeshire, first coming to notice for his service in

Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...

prior to the start of what was to become the

, playing a part in quelling an insurrection in Ireland which was presumably his first taste of military life.

English Civil War

In 1642 and the start of the war he returned to Pembrokeshire, apparently still owed arrears of pay for his Irish service and joined with John Poyer and

Rowland Laugharne Major General Rowland Laugharne (1607 – 1675) was a member of the Welsh gentry, and a prominent soldier during the Wars of the Three Kingdoms, in which he fought on both sides. Laugharne began his career as a page to Robert Devereux, 3rd ...

in the defence of

Pembroke Castle Pembroke Castle ( cy, Castell Penfro) is a medieval castle in the centre of Pembroke, Pembrokeshire in Wales. The castle was the original family seat of the Earldom of Pembroke. A Grade I listed building since 1951, it underwent major restorati ...

and offensive actions throughout Pembrokeshire. He was appointed governor of Cardigan Castle by Laugharne in 1644 as soon as it was captured and successfully defended it against a Royalist attack led by Sir

Charles Gerard, 1st Earl of Macclesfield Charles Gerard, 1st Earl of Macclesfield, PC (c. 16187 January 1694) was an English aristocrat, soldier and courtier. Early life The eldest son of Sir Charles Gerard, he was a member of an old Lancashire family, his great-grandfather having ...

Rebellion

In 1646 he was governor of

Tenby Castle Tenby Castle ( cy, Castell Dinbych-y-pysgod) was a fortification standing on a headland separated by an isthmus from the town of Tenby, Pembrokeshire, Wales. The remaining stone structure dates from the 13th century but there are mentions of the ...

and by 1648 he was deputising for Laugharne when he was called to London and held command of all the forces in

West Wales West Wales ( cy, Gorllewin Cymru) is not clearly defined as a particular region of Wales. Some definitions of West Wales include only Pembrokeshire, Ceredigion and Carmarthenshire, which historically comprised the Welsh principality of ''Deheub ...

at the time of the order for supernumeraries to lay down their arms. Rice Powell followed John Poyer's lead and resisted this order, making a joint declaration in favour of the Royalist cause. Apparently the rebels has been assured of Royalist support for their stance and at

Carmarthen Carmarthen (, RP: ; cy, Caerfyrddin , "Merlin's fort" or "Sea-town fort") is the county town of Carmarthenshire and a community in Wales, lying on the River Towy. north of its estuary in Carmarthen Bay. The population was 14,185 in 2011, ...

Powell's forces met those of Colonel Fleming and Colonel Horton, who attempted to bring Powell's force to battle near

Llangathen Llangathen () is a community located in Carmarthenshire, Wales. The population taken at the 2011 census was 507. The parish church of St Cathen is a Grade II* listed building and houses the tomb of Anthony Rudd, an Elizabethan Bishop of St Dav ...

resulting in a skirmish during which Fleming in retreat was shot and Horton was forced to withdraw as far as

Brecon Brecon (; cy, Aberhonddu; ), archaically known as Brecknock, is a market town in Powys, mid Wales. In 1841, it had a population of 5,701. The population in 2001 was 7,901, increasing to 8,250 at the 2011 census. Historically it was the coun ...

to resupply. Powell now led his forces to seize Swansea, then Neath before advancing into the

Vale of Glamorgan The Vale of Glamorgan ( cy, Bro Morgannwg ), often referred to as The Vale, is a county borough in the south-east of Wales. It borders Bridgend County Borough to the west, Cardiff to the east, Rhondda Cynon Taf to the north, and the Bristol ...

with Royalists rising in support en route, with Cardiff as their aim. Horton headed south from Brecon rapidly and caught Powell's force camped at St Fagans within view of Cardiff and drew them to battle at what became known as the

in May 1648. Laugharne returned in time to retake command but was routed by Hortons force in a decisive victory. Powell fled back to Pembrokeshire and Tenby castle where he was pursued and after a brief

siege A siege is a military blockade of a city, or fortress, with the intent of conquering by attrition, or a well-prepared assault. This derives from la, sedere, lit=to sit. Siege warfare is a form of constant, low-intensity conflict characteriz ...

was persuaded to an

unconditional surrender An unconditional surrender is a surrender in which no guarantees are given to the surrendering party. It is often demanded with the threat of complete destruction, extermination or annihilation. In modern times, unconditional surrenders most ofte ...

after which he was

Court Martial A court-martial or court martial (plural ''courts-martial'' or ''courts martial'', as "martial" is a postpositive adjective) is a military court or a trial conducted in such a court. A court-martial is empowered to determine the guilt of memb ...

ed and sentenced to death. In 1649 he was offered a Pardon and following the

Restoration Restoration is the act of restoring something to its original state and may refer to: * Conservation and restoration of cultural heritage ** Audio restoration ** Film restoration ** Image restoration ** Textile restoration * Restoration ecology ...

he was released. He last comes to notice in 1665 appealing to Charles II of England for payment of debts Powell accrued in the Royalist cause. There is no record of his debts being paid.

External links

Rice Powell at the National Library of Wales Dictionary of Welsh Biography
{{DEFAULTSORT:Powell, Rice People from Pembrokeshire Roundheads Cavaliers