asiers,"
"Thomas Levison, Esq.," and "Mrs. Lane and her sonne."

Within a couple of years Civil War had broken out in England, and
Willenhall had to endure its full share of suffering lying, as it did,
midway between two opposing strongholds--Dudley Castle, held for the King
(under Colonel Leveson), and Rushall Hall, garrisoned for the
Parliamentarian side.

Both sides in turn, as they were in a position to enforce payment, made
levies of money upon the unfortunate inhabitants of the district. While
Rushall Hall was a fortified position, first under its owner, Sir Edward
Leigh, and afterwards under its military governor, Captain Tuthill,
Willenhall was forced to pay to the support of the garrison there.

Here is the evidence of an official notice:--

April 8th, 1643.--Ordered that the weekly pay, and five weeks'
arrears, of Norton and Wirley, Pelsall, Rushall, and Goscote,
Willenhall, Wednesfield and Wednesbury, shall be assigned to Col.
Leigh for payment of his officers of horse and troopers

There is a similar military order, dated 22nd June, 1644, by which the
weekly pay of all these places is assigned to Captain Tuthill, governor
of Rushall, though in the parcelling out of contributory areas, Bushbury,
Wolverhampton, Bilston, and Bradley are included in another district.
The other side were employing forced labour for strengthening the defence
of Dudley Castle, and not improbably the Leveson tenants from Wednesfield
and Willenhall were impressed to go up there equipped with spade and
mattock.

Doubtless troops and detachments of armed men were frequently to be seen
passing through Willenhall; while Wolverhampton, owing to the influence
of the Levesons and the Goughs, was almost a Royalist rallying place.
Soon after the skirmish at Hopton Heath, near Stafford, in 1643, Charles
I. found shelter in the old Star and Garter Inn (then in Cock Street),
and to this hostelry came Mr. Henry Gough, who had accommodated Charles,
Prince of Wales, and his younger brother, James, Duke of York, at his
private residence, to proffer the King a willing war loan of 1,200
pounds.

The same year the King made the same hostelry his headquarters, dating a
letter which he addressed to the Lichfield magistrates, directing them to
send their arms to join the Royal standard at Nottingham, "Att our Court
at Wolverhampton, 17 August, 1642."

In 1643, Prince Rupert, after his memorable fight at Birmingham, made an
attac