By the Sword Divided

*By the Sword Divided*
By the Sword Divided
Genre	Historical drama
Created by	John Hawkesworth
Directed by	Henry Herbert, Brian Farnham, Diarmuid Lawrence, Michael Custance
Starring	Julian Glover; Sharon Maughan; Jeremy Clyde
Country of origin	United Kingdom
Original language	English
No. of series	2
No. of episodes	20
Production
Production company	BBC
Original release
Network	BBC1
Release	16 October 1983 –; 10 March 1985

By the Sword Divided is a British television series produced by the BBC between 1983 and 1985.

The series, created by John Hawkesworth, was a historical drama set during the mid-17th century, dealing with the impact of the English Civil War on the fictional Lacey family, made up of both Royalist and Parliamentarian supporters.

It follows the family as it is torn apart by the conflicting and changing loyalties of the war, as families were during that time, and the defeat of the Royalist forces at the end of the First English Civil War. Series two covers the second and third civil wars and the eventual Restoration of the Monarchy. The last episodes see the surviving members of the family (from both sides of the divide) witness the arrival of King Charles II on a visit to the ancestral Lacey home.

Cast

Regular Cast

Lucy Aston – Lucinda Lacey/Ferrar
Timothy Bentinck – Sir Thomas (Tom) Lacey
Simon Butteriss – Hugh Brandon
Judy Buxton – Susan Protheroe/Winter
Jeremy Clyde – HM King Charles I
Rosalie Crutchley – Goodwife Margaret
Rob Edwards – John Fletcher
Peter Guinness – Dick Skinner
Janet Lees Price – Emma Bowen/Skinner
Andrew McCulloch – Captain/Colonel Leckie
Andrew MacLachlan – Nathaniel Cropper
Sharon Maughan – Anne Lacey/Fletcher
Bert Parnaby – Sir Austin Fletcher
Edward Peel – Walter Jackman
Eileen Way – Minty

Series 1 only:

Ben Aris – Edmund Waller
Tim Brierley – Lord Edward Ferrar
Mark Burns – Captain Charles Pike
Simon Dutton – Will Saltmarsh
Julian Glover – Sir Martin Lacey
Charles Kay – Sir Henry Parkin
Frank Mills – Matthew Saltmarsh
Michael Parkhouse – Sam Saltmarsh
Malcolm Stoddard – Captain/Colonel Hannibal Marsh
Jerome Willis – John Pym

Series 2 only:

Cyril Appleton – Mayor of Swinford
Peter Birch – Lord Edward Ferrar
David Collings – John Thurloe
Peter Jeffrey – Oliver Cromwell
Joanna McCallum – Lady Frances Neville/Lacey
Christopher Neame – Henry Snelling
Sir Robert Stephens – Sir Ralph Winter
Malcolm Terris – Gabriel Rudd
Gareth Thomas – Major-General Horton
Simon Treves – HM King Charles II
John Woodvine – Solicitor General

Episodes

Series 1

#	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original airdate
1	"Gather ye Rosebuds"	Henry Herbert	Jeremy Paul	16 October 1983 (1983-10-16)
2	"This War Without an Enemy"	Henry Herbert	John Hawkesworth	23 October 1983 (1983-10-23)
3	"The Sound of Drums"	Henry Herbert	Alfred Shaughnessy	30 October 1983 (1983-10-30)
4	"A Silver Moon"	Henry Herbert	Jeremy Paul	6 November 1983 (1983-11-06)
5	"The Edge of the Sword"	Henry Herbert	Alexander Baron	13 November 1983 (1983-11-13)
6	"Outrageous Fortune"	Brian Farnham	Alfred Shaughnessy	20 November 1983 (1983-11-20)
7	"A Sea of Dangers"	Brian Farnham	John Hawkesworth	27 November 1983 (1983-11-27)
8	"Ring of Fire"	Brian Farnham	John Hawkesworth	4 December 1983 (1983-12-04)
9	"Ashes to Ashes"	Brian Farnham	Jeremy Paul	11 December 1983 (1983-12-11)
10	"Not Peace, But a Sword"	Brian Farnham	Alexander Baron	18 December 1983 (1983-12-18)

Series 2

#	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original airdate
11	"Conflicts"	Brian Farnham	Jeremy Paul	6 January 1985 (1985-01-06)
12	"Cruel Necessity"	Brian Farnham	John Hawkesworth	13 January 1985 (1985-01-13)
13	"Cromwell at Arnescote"	Brian Farnham	Carey Harrison	20 January 1985 (1985-01-20)
14	"Witch Hunt"	Brian Farnham	Alexander Baron	27 January 1985 (1985-01-27)
15	"Escape"	Brian Farnham	Jeremy Paul	3 February 1985 (1985-02-03)
16	"Fateful Days"	Michael Custance	Alexander Baron	10 February 1985 (1985-02-10)
17	"Forlorn Hope"	Michael Custance	Alexander Baron	17 February 1985 (1985-02-17)
18	"The Mailed Fist"	Michael Custance	Alexander Baron	24 February 1985 (1985-02-24)
19	"Retribution"	Diarmuid Lawrence	Jeremy Paul	3 March 1985 (1985-03-03)
20	"Restoration"	Diarmuid Lawrence	John Hawkesworth	10 March 1985 (1985-03-10)

Film locations

The filming for the programme took place at Fermyn Woods Hall, Rockingham Castle and Lilford Hall in Northamptonshire.^[1]

DVD release

By the Sword Divided is available on DVD in the UK, distributed by Acorn Media UK.

References

^ "By the Sword Divided". IMDb.

[1] "By the Sword Divided". IMDb.

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