Weymouth 1645
Aug 1643 Weymouth and Melcombe surrender to the Earl of Carnarvon's royalist forces, who break a pledge not to plunder the town.
Jun 17
1644		 Essex's parliamentarians capture the towns which face each other across the harbour, joined by a single bridge.
Feb 9
1645		 Col. William Sydenham commands the parliamentarian garrison of about 900 men. There are plenty of Royalist sympathisers in the town, and that evening, a number of them let in Royalist soldiers from the Portland garrison who attack the two Weymouth forts (Nothe and Chapel). A force from Sherborne under Sir Lewis Dyve fails to turn up so Melcombe remains in Roundhead hands. Locally known as the Crabchurch conspiracy.
The Governor's brother Major Francis Sydenham leads a counter-assault to try to take back the Chapel fort, but fails to do so. Major Francis Sydenham was mortally wounded in this attack.
Feb 10 Midday. Sir Lewis Dyve finally arrives and helps mop up remaining resistance.
Over the next days, Dyve bombards the parliamentarians across the harbour in Melcombe, destroying a large number of buildings. In response, fire ships are sent back to the southern side of the harbour. A cannonball which can be seen still lodged in the walls is said to be from this time.
The Roundhead defenders are strengthened by 200 re-enforcements delivered by Vice Admiral Batten from Poole and Liut. Col. James Heane delivers 100 horsemen. 
Goring arrives at (and ransacks) Dorchester with 4500 men and moves on to Weymouth. Goring thinks that Melcombe can be taken later and returns to Dorchester. 6000 royalists now face the 1200 defenders in Melcombe.
A supply wagon sent from Goring to Weymouth is attacked before it reaches the town and Dyve sends men out to rescue it. 
Sydenham siezes the moment and sends 150 musketeers across the bridge to attack the surprised royalists in Weymouth. The Royalists now only held Nothe fort. This attack is led by a Major Wilson and a Captain Langford.
Feb 27 Vice Admiral Batten sails into the harbour with 100 men to join Sydenham ready to repulse the expected royalist counter-attack.
Feb 28 Goring brings 6000 men to avenge the Royalist embarrassment. He divides his force into two - half to attack Melcombe and half to attack Weymouth where Sydenham had set up his defenses.
The Roundhead lines hold for a while but are forced back down the narrow streets of the town. The Royalists give chase but get caught in an ambush of musket and cannon fire. Hand-to-hand fighting follows and the Royalists turn and run back. 70 Royalists were killed in this ambush and many wounded.
The garrison in Chapel fort is attacked and the men from Nothe fort came out to join the fierce fighting. The royalists are eventually put to flight along the quayside, many falling into the cold sea waters. William Sydenham had his horse shot from beneath him during the fight.
Goring retreats to Wyke and later moves away towards Taunton.

Many of the original conspirators are hanged at a gallows on the Nothe headland.

 Vice Admiral Batten writes later that the King's troops were 'gallantly repulsed by our men with the loss of some hundreds of the enemy. The Governor Sydenham behaving himself like a gallant man, as he hath done in all the siege'.
William Sydenham sat and wrote a letter to the Parliamentary Authorities on behalf of his own soldiers who had served him so well during the battle for Weymouth, outnumbered as they were by six to one by the royalists . He wrote... 'My soldiers, horse and foot , have all had very hard service of it day and night , I shall entreat you to write to the Parliament for something for their encouragement . They have neither money nor clothes, and yet unwearied in this business' . The parliament agreed saying that, along with the Dorset town of Lyme , who withstood a similar siege , 'Divers orders passed for the payment of monies to the garrisons of Lyme, Weymouth and other places . But especially Lyme and Weymouth be remembered by more gallant action. May we always remember the famous services of Sydenham and Ceeley (Governor of Lyme). May they be a pattern of imitation to others in like cases of xtremity’.

 

 The victory was considered to be of such significance to the Parliamentary cause that a special Service of Thanksgiving was celebrated in London, attended by the Lord Mayor and members of both Houses of Parliament.