At the outbreak of the Civil War, Henry Brooke declared his support for Parliament in 1642 by signing the Cheshire Remonstrance. In so doing, he became the only major Parliamentary supporter in the northwest of the Bucklow Hundred.[3] In 1643 he was appointed a colonel in the parliamentary army and in 1644 he was made High Sheriff of Cheshire, a post he held for four years.[4]
By early 1643 most of Brooke's immediate neighbours were powerful Royalists, in particular John Savage, 2nd Earl Rivers of Rocksavage and Sir Thomas Aston of Aston. Further afield the Royalist leader of Lancashire was James Stanley, 7th Earl of Derby. Brooke's house, Norton Priory had been well prepared for an attack. On 28 February 1643, Royalist forces arrived at Norton Priory. Despite being heavily outnumbered, their attack was repelled and the Royalists withdrew to Halton Castle. Norton Priory then provided a base from which to mount a successful attack on Warrington in May. The following month Sir Henry's forces besieged Halton Castle which was surrendered after three weeks. Norton Priory was not threatened again during the Civil War.[3]