Battle of Hopton Heath
Encyclopedia
The Battle of Hopton Heath, in Staffordshire
, was a battle of the First English Civil War
, fought on Sunday 19 March 1643 between Parliamentarian
forces led by Sir John Gell, 1st Baronet
and Sir William Brereton and a Royalist
force under Spencer Compton, 2nd Earl of Northampton
. The battle ended at nightfall, the victory remaining a matter of opinion: the fact that the Parliamentarian Foot were still in position at nightfall when, as the Royalists themselves admitted, they drew back a little; or the fact that next morning the Royalists occupied the field after the Parliamentarians retreated in the night. The Royalists had captured eight guns, but the Parliamentarians considered their killing of the enemy commander, the Earl of Northampton, of equal significance.
in Staffordshire and was on his way with about 1,500 men and some artillery
pieces to join Brereton in a projected attack on the town of Stafford
.
and were attacked there by the Royalists, whose force consisted of about 1,100 cavalry, 100 foot and artillery, including a large artillery piece called "Roaring Meg
".
After an artillery barrage the Royalist cavalry charged the entrenched Parliamentarians, putting Gell's dragoons and his and Brereton's horse to flight. A second charge was repelled by Gell's musketeers and Northampton was unhorsed. He refused to surrender and was killed.
while Gell marched through Uttoxeter
to Derby
, taking Northampton's body with him. He attempted to ransom the Earl's body for the return of the captured artillery pieces, without success. The royalists further refused a request to refund Gell for the cost of embalming their leader's body, which was then buried at All Hallows church, Derby.
Staffordshire
Staffordshire is a landlocked county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. Part of the National Forest lies within its borders...
, was a battle of the First English Civil War
First English Civil War
The First English Civil War began the series of three wars known as the English Civil War . "The English Civil War" was a series of armed conflicts and political machinations that took place between Parliamentarians and Royalists from 1642 until 1651, and includes the Second English Civil War and...
, fought on Sunday 19 March 1643 between Parliamentarian
Roundhead
"Roundhead" was the nickname given to the supporters of the Parliament during the English Civil War. Also known as Parliamentarians, they fought against King Charles I and his supporters, the Cavaliers , who claimed absolute power and the divine right of kings...
forces led by Sir John Gell, 1st Baronet
Sir John Gell, 1st Baronet
Sir John Gell, 1st Baronet was a Parliamentarian politician and military figure in the English Civil War.-Background:...
and Sir William Brereton and a Royalist
Cavalier
Cavalier was the name used by Parliamentarians for a Royalist supporter of King Charles I and son Charles II during the English Civil War, the Interregnum, and the Restoration...
force under Spencer Compton, 2nd Earl of Northampton
Spencer Compton, 2nd Earl of Northampton
Spencer Compton, 2nd Earl of Northampton , styled Lord Compton from 1618 to 1630, was an English peer, soldier and politician....
. The battle ended at nightfall, the victory remaining a matter of opinion: the fact that the Parliamentarian Foot were still in position at nightfall when, as the Royalists themselves admitted, they drew back a little; or the fact that next morning the Royalists occupied the field after the Parliamentarians retreated in the night. The Royalists had captured eight guns, but the Parliamentarians considered their killing of the enemy commander, the Earl of Northampton, of equal significance.
Background
Gell had successfully taken the town of LichfieldLichfield
Lichfield is a cathedral city, civil parish and district in Staffordshire, England. One of eight civil parishes with city status in England, Lichfield is situated roughly north of Birmingham...
in Staffordshire and was on his way with about 1,500 men and some artillery
Artillery
Originally applied to any group of infantry primarily armed with projectile weapons, artillery has over time become limited in meaning to refer only to those engines of war that operate by projection of munitions far beyond the range of effect of personal weapons...
pieces to join Brereton in a projected attack on the town of Stafford
Stafford
Stafford is the county town of Staffordshire, in the West Midlands region of England. It lies approximately north of Wolverhampton and south of Stoke-on-Trent, adjacent to the M6 motorway Junction 13 to Junction 14...
.
The battle
They met at Hopton HeathHopton Heath
Hopton Heath, or Hoptonheath, is a hamlet in Shropshire, England. The border with Herefordshire is close by. It lies on the border of the civil parishes of Clungunford and Hopton Castle....
and were attacked there by the Royalists, whose force consisted of about 1,100 cavalry, 100 foot and artillery, including a large artillery piece called "Roaring Meg
Roaring Meg (cannon)
Roaring Meg was the name of several powerful cannons used in the 17th century. It is not to be confused with Mons Meg, a medieval cannon preserved at Edinburgh Castle.-Created by Colonel Birch for the Siege of Goodrich Castle:...
".
After an artillery barrage the Royalist cavalry charged the entrenched Parliamentarians, putting Gell's dragoons and his and Brereton's horse to flight. A second charge was repelled by Gell's musketeers and Northampton was unhorsed. He refused to surrender and was killed.
Nighttime Withdrawals
During the night the Royalists retired towards Stafford to regroup, and the Parliamentarian troops withdrew towards Chartley, leaving a large part of Gell's artillery in Royalist hands. Brereton withdrew to NantwichNantwich
Nantwich is a market town and civil parish in the Borough of Cheshire East and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. The town gives its name to the parliamentary constituency of Crewe and Nantwich...
while Gell marched through Uttoxeter
Uttoxeter
Uttoxeter is a historic market town in Staffordshire, in the West Midlands region of England. The current population is approximately 13,711, though new developments in the town will increase this figure. Uttoxeter lies close to the River Dove and is near the cities of Stoke-on-Trent, Derby and...
to Derby
Derby
Derby , is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands region of England. It lies upon the banks of the River Derwent and is located in the south of the ceremonial county of Derbyshire. In the 2001 census, the population of the city was 233,700, whilst that of the Derby Urban Area was 229,407...
, taking Northampton's body with him. He attempted to ransom the Earl's body for the return of the captured artillery pieces, without success. The royalists further refused a request to refund Gell for the cost of embalming their leader's body, which was then buried at All Hallows church, Derby.