Wanted poster in hunt for a king up for auction in Shropshire

It was a time when the king of England was a wanted man – and the future of the monarchy hung on an upward glance as Charles II hid in an oak tree to avoid capture.

Oliver Cromwell was desperate to track down his foe after the royalists lost the Battle of Worcester and issued wanted posters across Shropshire offering a reward of £1,000 – £75,000 in today's money.

Now one of the original 360-year-old proclamations is due to be auctioned in Shropshire.

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It called for '...the discovery and Apprehending of Charls Stuart and other Traytors his Adherents and Abettors...'

It came after the king had escaped from the back of a house in Worcester as Cromwell's troops entered the front and involved hiding in an oak tree at Boscobel House on the Shropshire/Staffordshire border overnight.

Had he been captured and executed, the entire future of Britain would have been changed forever. As it was, the king went into exile and returned to reclaim the throne nine years later.

The poster, which is due to fetch between £700 and £1,000, is among a number of documents relating to the Civil War for auction at Ludlow Racecourse on Thursday.

Richard Westwood-Brookes, historical documents expert for Church Stretton-based Mullocks, which is holding the sale, said: "This document recalls one of the most famous incidents in our history.

"After the execution of Charles I in 1649, his son raised an army in order to regain the throne. It ended in defeat at Worcester and he made his escape to Boscobel in Shropshire and there he famously hid in the oak tree while the hue and cry were searching for him at the base of the tree.

"The proclamation demonstrates just why people were so eager to track down the young king and bring him before Parliament – where he would most certainly have faced execution.

"Had Charles been captured, it is most unlikely we would ever have returned to being a monarchy – in this year when we are celebrating the Diamond Jubilee of our Queen, it is worth remembering that the event would never be taking place had someone been successful in collecting the reward offered for the king's head in 1651."

Other items under the hammer include a police ledger showing what life was like in Shropshire in the Victorian era.

For more information about the auction visit www.mullocksauctions.co.uk