Soldiers stand guard outside a gunpowder arsenal.
Although an integral part of seventeenth century armies were gunpowder weapons, soldiers had to be careful when handling the dangerous substance. The ignorant or inexperienced soldiers could easily ignite the powder and cause severe injuries to themselves or their comrades. If they didn’t accidentally blow themselves up they could carelessly leave it exposed to rain, thus ruining the powder before it could be used in battle. Officers had to choose trustworthy guards to reduce the risks of keeping gunpowder, but despite their best efforts there were still many accidents throughout the Civil Wars.
One example of this was at Hoghton Tower in Lancashire. After Royalist officer Captain Starker captured the tower he began looting it with his men. One of his men found a room and took the time to light his pipe for a quick smoke. But what he had failed to realise was that he standing in the Parliamentarian gunpowder store, and the sparks from lighting the pipe ignited all the powder. The explosion destroyed the arsenal as well as killing himself, the captain and sixty other soldiers. The Parliamentarians commented on this incident with joy, stating that:
“O that this thundering alarm might ever sound in the ears of our Swearing, Cursing, Drunken, Tobacco-abusing commanders and soldiers.”
From Earl of Manchester's Regiment of Foote - definitely a smoking related death and an example of the dangers of smoking!