The Breretons of Cheshire, England

The Breretons of Cheshire
SECOND WILLIAM, LORD BRERETON (1610 - 1664)
Brereton - Goring Connection
Copyright © B. F. Brereton-Goodwin 2001 (brereton.faye@gmail.com) January 2013 (website edition)
Page 32 of 58
In 1630, William Brereton became the 2nd Lord Brereton and two years later, at the age of 22, he married
Elizabeth Goring, daughter of George Goring.
George Goring, known as a remarkable character was celebrated at court as a wit. He was also famous as a
Cavalier leader in the Civil War and was raised to the Earldom of Norwich. He also participated in negotiating
the marriage of King Charles I with Hanrietta Maria. Goring took over the Mulberry Gardens in London from
Lord Aston and established Goring House which was renamed as it changed owners, become Arlington House,
Buckingham House, Queen's House and finally Buckingham Palace.
In 1641 the income of George Goring was estimated at 26,000 pounds a year; however, when he died in 1662 he
left only 450 pounds a year to his heir.
Mantle-piece commemorating the marriage of Lord Brereton and Elizabeth Goring
A little zest may have been added to the celebrations owing to the fact that the marriage must have caused
intense annoyance to the Malpas Breretons who were not favorably disposed towards the Royal Family or to the
generals in the King's Army. The Brereton’s of Brereton who were loyal to the Crown were even more bound to
the King through the marriage of Lord Brereton to Elizabeth, daughter of the courtier-general George Goring.
Meanwhile, the Malpas branch had adopted strong Parliamentarian views – perhaps in part because just a
century ago, his ancestor William Brereton had been ruthlessly executed by Henry VIII (in connection with the
Anne Boleyn episode).
In 1642, civil war broke out between Royalists and Roundheads. This gave Sir William Brereton of Malpas, a
man of experience who had travelled a great, a chance to prove his military prowess. In time, he was appointed
a commander of the Parliamentarian forces and by early he had defeated the Royal Army, relieved Nantwich
and was advancing on Brereton Hall.
There is a legend that he besieged his relative who was in residence there. Whether Lord Brereton waited within
the walls for a siege or not is uncertain, but the conclusion was that the Royalist Lord William fled from Brereton
Hall with his wife and son to the fortified Biddulph Hall in Staffordshire. It is said that the young heir of
Brereton scratched on one of the window panes in the Hall the defiant verse, found in an old ballad -
On yonder hill my uncle stands
But he will not come near
For he is a roundhead
And I am a cavalier
At the end of three months the besieging forces, still being unsuccessful in breaching the wall of Biddulph Hall,
fetched a large cannon from Stafford, named Roaring Meg and planted on the west side. Later, having been
informed by the locals that the east side of the hall was more vulnerable, the gun was moved. An ancient record
states that from this side the artillery-men battered furiously for some time, then at last a cannon ball
accidentally struck the end of a beam supporting the Biddulph Hall, giving the building such a shake that its
defenders thought it would fall down. Upon the earnest entreaties of a very frightened Lady Brereton, they
surrendered on February 20th, 1644.
Lord and Lady Brereton, their son and heir, Captains Biddulph, Shackerley and Minshull and about 150 soldiers
were taken prisoners and transported to Stafford. Lord Brereton was compelled to pay a ransom for the e release