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    Nostalgia Central
    Home»Television»Shows by Decade»1980s Television
    1980s Television Drama Shows B UK TV 3 Mins Read

    By the Sword Divided

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    1 9 8 3 – 1 9 8 5 (UK)
    20 x 50 minute episodes

    This epic BBC series presented the split loyalties of the Lacey family (brought about by a marriage in the family) during the English Civil War.

    The Laceys – headed up by aristocratic widower Sir Martin Lacey (Julain Glover) – were a Royalist family and loyal to King Charles I (Jeremy Clyde, pictured below). But their loyalties were torn apart when their eldest daughter, Anne (Sharon Maughan) married a parliamentarian.

    Her new husband, John Fletcher (Rob Edwards) came from a puritan family who were very rich but “in trade”, and were loyal to Oliver Cromwell (Peter Jeffrey).

    Series one dealt with the lead-up and fighting during the English civil war as King Charles raised an army from Catholic Ireland, with the Protestant parliamentarians out to stop him.

    The Lacey family home, Arnescote Castle, was besieged by Parliamentary forces under Colonel Hannibal Marsh (Malcolm Stoddard) and handed over to John Fletcher and Anne, while Anne’s twin brother Tom Lacey (Tim Bentinck) was to be sent to the Tower of London until his sister made a last plea to him to change his allegiance.

    He was ultimately exiled to France, to return in series two with revenge in his heart.

    Series two presented the aftermath of the civil war with Cromwell now in power and evidently not trying to replace the monarchy with parliamentary democracy, but proving to be a Machiavellian dictator who wants to replace tyranny with more tyranny.

    The final episode saw King Charles II (Simon Treves) restored and John Fletcher hauled off to stand trial.

    By The Sword Divided was devised by John Hawkesworth, the creator of Upstairs Downstairs and The Duchess of Duke Street. Location filming took place at Rockingham Castle in Northampton.

    Anne Lacey/Fletcher
    Sharon Maughan
    John Fletcher
    Rob Edwards
    Sir Austin Fletcher
    Bert Parnaby
    Nathaniel Cropper
    Andrew MacLachlan
    Lady Lucinda Ferrar
    Lucy Aston
    Sir Thomas Lacey
    Tim Bentinck
    Sir Martin Lacey
    Julian Glover
    Minty
    Eileen Way
    Goodwife Margaret
    Rosalie Crutchley
    Emma Bowen
    Janet Lees-Price
    Hannah Jackman
    Johanna Myers
    Walter Jackman
    Edward Peel
    Major General Horton
    Gareth Thomas
    Mrs Dumfry
    Claire Davenport
    Hugh Brandon
    Simon Butteriss
    Dick Skinner
    Peter Guinness
    Susan Protheroe
    Judy Buxton
    Rachel
    Debbie Goodman
    Will Saltmarsh
    Simon Dutton
    Sam Saltmarsh
    Michael Parkhouse
    Captain Leckie
    Andrew McCulloch
    Matthew Saltmarsh
    Frank Mills
    Charles Pike
    Mark Burns
    Reverend Butterworth
    Jonathan Elsom
    Lord Edward Ferrar
    Tim Brierley
    Oliver Cromwell
    Peter Jeffrey
    King Charles I
    Jeremy Clyde
    Joshua
    Ronny Cush
    Colonel Hannibal Marsh
    Malcolm Stoddard
    Henry Snelling
    Christopher Neame
    Sir Ralph Winter
    Robert Stephens
    King Charles II
    Simon Treves

    Episodes

    Gather ye Rosebuds – May 1640 | This War Without an Enemy | The Sound of Drums | A Silver Moon | The Edge of the Sword | Outrageous Fortune | A Sea of Dangers | Ring of Fire | Ashes to Ashes | Not Peace, But a Sword || Conflicts | Cruel Necessity | Cromwell at Arnescote | Witch Hunt | Escape | Fateful Days | Forlorn Hope | The Mailed Fist | Retribution | Restoration

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