SIR ROBERT YEAMANS-ROYALIST

Sir Robert Yeamans was born in 1597 and died in 1643. He is a historic character in English history both in his town of Bristol and as a result of the English civil war.

Robert married his cousin Anne Yeamans on March 16, 1627 in Bristol, England. They had eight children together the last of which was born after his death. After his death, Ann married Thomas Speed to whom she had one child. Anne was born in 1602 and I do not know when she died. She was the daughter of William Yeamans and Ann Tomlinson.

Robert Yeamans was a well known merchant and counselor in Bristol. He also served as Sheriff of Bristol from 1641-1642. He was also a strong supporter of King Charles I. The Yeamans were very prominent in Bristol and later in the Barbados and Carolinas in America. In 1643, Robert was involved in a plot with other Royalists to aid in the capture of Bristol. The plot was discovered by the Parliamentarian Governor Nathaniel Fiennes. Yeamans was tried as a traitor by court martial, found guilty, and executed outside his home in Bristol.

Yeamans was a Royalist in his sympathies, and he obtained a commission from King Charles I  to raise troops from Bristol, but in December, before he could accomplish the task, the city was occupied by a parliamentary force under the command of Colonel Essex. In February 1643 Nathaniel Fiennes became the parliamentary military governor of the city.

Early in 1643 Yeamans conceived a plan for turning the city over to a Royalist army under the command of Prince Rupert. He communicated with Charles I, who was then at Oxford, and the king sent him a commission to enlist men in his service. Prince Rupert was to bring four thousand horse soldiers and two thousand foot soldiers to Durdham Down, and the Royalists in Bristol, who were estimated at two thousand, were to seize the Frome-gate and admit Rupert's forces. The plot was to take effect on the night of 7 March 1643.

Fiennes heard of the plot, and on 7 March, before they could execute the plan, Yeamans and his principal confederates were arrested in his house on Wine Street. A Brief Relation of the Plot was published by parliament on 13 March, various witnesses were examined in March and April, and on 8 May Yeamans was condemned to death by a court-martial as a traitor.

Charles made great efforts to save him, and Lord Forth threatened to execute a similar number of parliamentary prisoners in his hands. The threat proved useless, as Fiennes also held other notable Royalist prisoners recently captured by Sir William Waller on his raid into Herefordshire, so to forestall a blood bath King Charles ordered that no retaliatory executions should take place.

Yeamans was hanged, drawn and quartered opposite his house along with his co-conspirator and friend George Bouchier.  Yeamans remains were buried in Christ Church, Bristol. When Fiennes was himself on his trial his execution of Yeamans was one of the charges brought against him.



The Battle of Bristol makes for some fascinating reading as does the entire history of the English civil war. Sir Robert can be added to the many colorful characters that appear to make up our family.

Sir Robert Yeamans

Nathaniel Fiennes