signatures showing who the County Parliamentarians then were. On 4 June the besiegers went on with their works at Barbourne, some skirmishing took place on Pitchcroft. This resulted in the besiegers bringing down next day 500 foot and 200 horse as a guard to protect their works. In the city a council of war was held. They ordered all shovels, spades, and mattocks to be seized and brought to certain named places. All the coal, wood, and lime in St Johns was brought into the city. All unnecessary people were sent out. A clearance round the walls, so as to make a road for cavalry to pass all round the town, was made. No one was allowed to enter or to leave without a pass. The next three days were quiet. On 9 June the besiegers pushed on into Henwick (on the western side of the Severn by the Bromyard Road), and some as far as St Johns; one of their officers was killed. The next day a flag of truce was sent to ask for the body; it was given up, and escorted to the besiegers' lines by a number of gentlemen and a troop of horse. They were met by a number of the besiegers and drank wine together. Richard Baxter, the well known Kidderminster theologian, who was present with the besiegers, as chaplain to one of the regiments, utilised the occasion by discussing points of divinity with one of the Royalist chaplains, Dr. Thomas Warmestry. The first was "whether there is any difference between a church and any common place". After several hours' controversy the two divines are said to have parted good friends. On 11 June, the besiegers began the bombardment with their great guns, some of the shots from which weighed 17, 19, 24, and 31 lb. One ball fell in the pantry of the Bishop's Palace. In the afternoon the guns the besiegers had placed at St Martins and the Blockhouse opened on the town, but did no damage. In their turn the besieged made a sortie against Henwick, but no result followed. The parliamentary artillery was directed by the mathematician and master gunner Nathaniel Nye, whose scientific approach to artillery was later detailed in his 1647 book The Art of Gunnery. On 12 June, the besiegers occupied St Johns, lined the village with musketeers, and about 15:00 they placed a number of foot