Harley
and Henry Grey, 1st Earl of Stamford occupied the city without opposition. In
December they withdrew to Gloucester because of the presence in the area of a
Royalist army under Lord Herbert. The city was again occupied briefly from 23
April to 18 May 1643 by Parliamentarians commanded by Sir William Waller but it
was in 1645 that the city saw most action. On 31 July 1645 a Scottish army of
14,000 under Alexander Leslie, 1st Earl of Leven besieged the city but met
stiff resistance from its garrison and inhabitants. They withdrew on 1
September when they received news that a force led by King Charles was
approaching. The city was finally taken for Parliament on 18 December 1645 by
Colonel Birch and Colonel Morgan. King Charles showed his gratitude to the city
of Hereford on 16 September 1645 by augmenting the city's coat of arms with the
three lions of Richard I of England, ten Scottish Saltires signifying the ten
defeated Scottish regiments, a very rare lion crest on top of the coat of arms
signifying "defender of the faith" and the even rarer gold-barred
peer's helm, found only on the arms of one other municipal authority: those of
the City of London.
Nell Gwynne, actress and mistress of King
Charles II, is said to have been born in Hereford in 1650 (although other towns
and cities, notably Oxford, also claim her as their own); Gwynn Street is named
after her. Another famous actor born in Hereford is David Garrick (1717–1779).
The Bishop's Palace next to the Cathedral
was built in 1204 and continually used to the present day. Hereford Cathedral
School is also one of the oldest schools in England.
During World War I, in 1916, a fire at the
Garrick Theatre killed eight young girls who had been performing at a charity
concert
