The Battle of Naseby was the key battle of the
firstThe First English Civil War commenced the series of three wars known as the English Civil War . "The English Civil War" was a series of armed conflicts and political machinations which took place between Parliamentarians and Royalists from 1642 until 1651, and includes the Second English Civil War...
English Civil WarThe English Civil War was a series of armed conflicts and political machinations between Parliamentarians and Royalists. The first and second civil wars pitted the supporters of King Charles I against the supporters of the Long Parliament, while the third war saw fighting between supporters of...
. On 14 June 1645, the main army of
King Charles ICharles I, , the second son of James VI of Scotland and I of England, was King of England, Scotland and Ireland from 27 March 1625 until his execution. Charles famously engaged in a struggle for power with the Parliament of England...
was destroyed by the
Parliamentarian"Roundhead" was the nickname given to the supporters of Parliament during the English Civil War. Also known as Parliamentarians, they were the supporters of Oliver Cromwell against King Charles I. Cromwell rose to prominence as a Member of Parliament and Parliamentary soldier, and eventually...
New Model ArmyThe New Model Army of Great Britain was formed in 1645 by the Parliamentarians in the English Civil War, and disbanded in 1660 after the Restoration. It differed from other armies in the same conflict in that it was intended as an army liable for service anywhere in the country, rather than being...
under
Sir Thomas FairfaxThomas Fairfax, 3rd Lord Fairfax of Cameron was a general and parliamentary commander-in-chief during the English Civil War.-Early life:...
and
Oliver CromwellOliver Cromwell was an English military and political leader best known for his involvement in making England into a republican Commonwealth and for his later role as Lord Protector of England, Scotland, and Ireland.He was one of the commanders of the New Model Army which defeated the royalists in...
.
The campaign
At the beginning of 1645, King Charles' advisors urged him to attack the New Model Army while it was still forming. However,
Prince Rupert of the RhineRupert, Count Palatine of the Rhine, Duke of Bavaria , commonly called Prince Rupert of the Rhine, , soldier, inventor and amateur artist in mezzotint, was a younger son of Frederick V, Elector Palatine and Elizabeth Stuart, and the nephew of King Charles I of England, who created him Duke of...
, recently appointed General of the Army and therefore the King's chief military adviser, proposed instead to march north to recover the north of England and join forces with the
RoyalistsCavalier was the name used by Parliamentarians for a Royalist supporter of King Charles I during the English Civil War . Prince Rupert, commander of much of Charles I's cavalry, is often considered an archetypical Cavalier.-Early usage:...
in
ScotlandScotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
under
MontroseJames Graham, 1st Marquess of Montrose , was a Scottish nobleman and soldier, who initially joined the Covenanters in the Wars of the Three Kingdoms, but subsequently supported King Charles I as the English Civil War developed...
. This course was adopted, even though the King's army had to be weakened by leaving a detachment (including 3,000
cavalryCavalry were soldiers or warriors who fought mounted on horseback in combat. Cavalry were historically the second oldest and most mobile of the combat arms...
) under
Lord GoringGeorge Goring, Lord Goring was an English Royalist soldier. He was known as Lord Goring as he was the eldest son of an earl.- The Goring family :...
, the Lieutenant General of Horse, to hold the
West CountryThe West Country is an informal term for the area of south western England roughly corresponding to the modern South West England government region. It is often defined to encompass the historic counties of Cornwall, Devon, Dorset and Somerset and the City of Bristol, while the counties of...
and maintain the
Siege of TauntonThe Siege of Taunton occurred during the English Civil War.Taunton Castle changed hands several times during the great Civil War of 1642-45 but only along with the town....
, in
SomersetSomerset is a county in South West England. The county town is Taunton, which is in the south of the county. The ceremonial county of Somerset borders the counties of Bristol and Gloucestershire to the north, Wiltshire to the east, Dorset to the south-east, and Devon to the south-west...
.
At the same time, after an aborted attempt to relieve
TauntonTaunton is the county town of Somerset, England. The town, including its suburbs, had an estimated population of 61,400 in 2001. It is the largest town in the shire county of Somerset....
, Parliament's
Committee of Both KingdomsThe Committee of Both Kingdoms was a committee set up during the English Civil War by the Parliamentarian faction, to oversee the conduct of the War. It succeeded the Committee of Safety late in 1643, when an alliance was concluded with the Scottish Covenanters...
had directed Fairfax to
besiege OxfordThe Siege of Oxford was a Parliamentarian victory late in the First English Civil War. Whereas the title of the event may suggest a single siege, there were in fact three individual engagements....
, the King's wartime capital. Initially, Charles welcomed this move, as Fairfax would be unable to interfere with his move north. Then at the end of May he was told that
OxfordOxford is a city, and the county town of Oxfordshire, in South East England. The city has a population of just under 165,000, with 151,000 living within the district boundary. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through Oxford and meet south of the city centre...
was short of provisions and could not hold out long. To distract Fairfax, the Royalists stormed the Parliamentarian garrison at
LeicesterLeicester is a city and unitary authority area in the East Midlands of England. It is the county town of Leicestershire. The city lies on the River Soar and at the edge of the National Forest...
on 31 May. Having done so, Prince Rupert and the King's council reversed their former decision and marched south to relieve Oxford. They sent messages ordering Goring to rejoin them, but that officer was reluctant to leave the West Country for several reasons.
Parliament had indeed been alarmed by the loss of Leicester, and Fairfax was now instructed to engage the King's main army. He accordingly marched north from Oxford on 5 June. His leading detachments of horse clashed with Royalist outposts near
DaventryDaventry is a market town in Northamptonshire, England, with a population of 22,367 . The town is also the administrative centre of the larger Daventry district, which has a population of 71,838. The town is 124 km north-northwest of London, 22.4 km west of Northampton and 16.4 km...
on 12 June, alerting the King to his presence. On 13 June, the Royalists, who were now making for Newark (
NottinghamshireNottinghamshire is an English county in the East Midlands, which borders South Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, Leicestershire and Derbyshire...
) so as to receive reinforcements, were at
Market HarboroughMarket Harborough is a market town in Leicestershire, England and in the district of Harborough. It has a population of 20,785 and is the administrative headquarters of Harborough District Council. Although it is in Leicestershire, its surrounding villages which form its natural hinterland are half...
(
LeicestershireLeicestershire or , abbreviation Leics.is a landlocked county in central England. It takes its name from the heavily populated City of Leicester, traditionally its administrative centre, although the City of Leicester unitary authority is today administered separately from the rest of Leicestershire...
).
Fairfax was eager to engage them, and held a
council of warA council of war is a term in military science that describes a meeting held to decide on a course of action, usually in the midst of a battle. Under normal circumstances, decisions are made by a commanding officer, optionally communicated and coordinated by staff officers, and then implemented by...
, during which
Oliver CromwellOliver Cromwell was an English military and political leader best known for his involvement in making England into a republican Commonwealth and for his later role as Lord Protector of England, Scotland, and Ireland.He was one of the commanders of the New Model Army which defeated the royalists in...
, recently re-appointed Lieutenant General, arrived with some
cavalryCavalry were soldiers or warriors who fought mounted on horseback in combat. Cavalry were historically the second oldest and most mobile of the combat arms...
reinforcements. The New Model Army moved in pursuit of the Royalist army, and late in the day
Henry IretonHenry Ireton , was an English general in the army of Parliament during the English Civil War. He was the son-in-law of Oliver Cromwell.-Early life:...
attacked a Royalist outpost at
NasebyNaseby is a small village in the District of Daventry in Northamptonshire, England.The village is 14 miles north of Northampton, 13.3 miles northeast of Daventry, and seven miles south of Market Harborough. It is 2.4 miles from Junction 2 of the A14 road giving it access to the national road system...
, to the south of the royalist army. The King now had to accept battle, or retreat with Fairfax at his heels. Early on 14 June, urged on by Rupert, he took the former course.
First contact
The morning of 14 June was foggy, preventing the opposing armies from sighting each other at first. The Royalist army occupied a strong position on a ridge between the villages of Little Oxenden and East Farndon about two miles south of
Market HarboroughMarket Harborough is a market town in Leicestershire, England and in the district of Harborough. It has a population of 20,785 and is the administrative headquarters of Harborough District Council. Although it is in Leicestershire, its surrounding villages which form its natural hinterland are half...
while the Royalist scoutmaster rode south for three or four miles but saw no sign of the Parliamentarians, perhaps through negligence. Rupert himself moved forward and saw some Parliamentarian cavalry apparently retiring. He determined to secure the commanding Naseby ridge and ordered the Royalist army to advance.
Fairfax initially considered occupying the northern slopes of Naseby ridge. Cromwell believed that this position was too strong, and that the Royalists would refuse battle rather than attack it. He is said to have sent a message to Fairfax, saying,
"I beseech you, withdraw to yonder hill, which may provoke the enemy to charge us". Fairfax agreed, and moved his army back slightly.
The Royalists did not see Fairfax's position until they reached the village of Clipston, just over a mile north of Naseby ridge. It was clearly impossible for the Royalists to withdraw to their original position without being attacked by the Parliamentarian cavalry while on the line of march and therefore at a disadvantage. Rupert therefore deployed the army to its right, where the ground appeared to be more favourable for his own cavalry and prepared for battle.
Royalists
The Royalist army occupied a front of about a mile and a half, between the Clipston-Naseby track on the left and the Sulby Hedges on the right. Their right wing consisted of 2000-3000 cavalry under Rupert and his brother
Prince MauricePrince Maurice von Simmern KG , Count Palatine of the Rhine, was the fourth son of Frederick V, Elector Palatine and Princess Elizabeth, only daughter of James I, King of England and Scotland and Anne of Denmark....
. The centre was organised as three infantry
tertiasThe Tercio , also known as Tercio Español, was a Renaissance era military formation similar to and derivative of the Swiss pike square and was a term used to describe a mixed infantry formation of about 3,000 pikemen, swordsmen and arquebusiers in a mutually supportive formation; it was also...
(brigades) commanded by
Lord AstleyJacob Astley, 1st Baron Astley of Reading , was a Royalist commander in the English Civil War.-Life:He came from an established Norfolk family, and was born at Melton Constable. His first experiences of war were at the age of 18 when he joined the Islands Voyage expedition in 1597 under the Earl of...
, with a regiment of horse under Colonel Howard in support. On the left were 1,500 "Northern Horse" under Sir
Marmaduke LangdaleSir Marmaduke Langdale was married to Ann Howard, a granddaughter of Thomas Howard, 4th Duke of Norfolk. He held the post of High Sheriff of Yorkshire before the English Civil War...
. The King commanded a small reserve, consisting of his own and Prince Rupert's regiments of foot and his
LifeguardA lifeguard is a person responsible for overseeing the safety of the users of a body of water and its environs, such as a swimming pool, a water park, or a beach. This differentiates them from life savers who partake in similar activities as a sport or practical life skill...
of Horse.
Parliamentarians
Fairfax had drawn up his army on the ridge a mile north of
NasebyNaseby is a small village in the District of Daventry in Northamptonshire, England.The village is 14 miles north of Northampton, 13.3 miles northeast of Daventry, and seven miles south of Market Harborough. It is 2.4 miles from Junction 2 of the A14 road giving it access to the national road system...
, although some of it was behind the crest on the reverse slope. Commissary-General Ireton's wing of five and a half
regimentA regiment is a military unit, composed of variable numbers of battalions, commanded by a Colonel. A regiment can be broken into two distinct categories, one being an administrative unit which is responsible for non-operational management of battalions , while the other being a deployable combat...
s of cavalry was on the left. The infantry under Sergeant-Major General Sir
Philip SkipponPhilip Skippon was an English soldier, who fought in the English Civil War.-To 1638:He adopted the military profession at an early age and in July 1620 volunteered to join Sir Horace Vere's expedition to aid Frederick V of Bohemia in the Palatinate and served in it until Bohemian defeat in 1623,...
was in the centre with five regiments in the front line and three in support. A
forlorn hopeA forlorn hope is a band of soldiers or other combatants chosen to take the leading part in a military operation, such as an assault on a defended position, where the risk of casualties is high. The term comes from the Dutch verloren hoop, literally "lost heap", and adapted as "lost troop"...
of 300 musketeers was deployed to the front, and two companies of Colonel Edward Harley's regiment was in reserve. A Parliamentarian engraving of the battle shows 11 pieces of
artilleryArtillery is a military combat Arm that employs weapons capable of discharging large projectiles in combat. They are generally capable of adding considerable fire power to the military capability of an armed force...
, in the intervals between the infantry regiments. They apparently played little part in the battle; their first
salvoA salvo is the simultaneous discharge of artillery or firearms including the firing of guns either to hit a target or to perform a salute.Troops armed with muzzleloaders required time in which to refill their arms with gun powder and shot...
s went high, and the Royalist and Parliamentarian infantry were subsequently too closely engaged for the guns to be used. Cromwell's wing, with six and a half regiments of cavalry, was on the right.
The Parliamentarian army occupied a front about two miles long. They outflanked the Royalist left, but their own left flank rested like the Royalists' right flank on the Sulby Hedges. At the last minute, as the Royalists began to advance, Cromwell sent a regiment of
dragoonDragoons were originally infantrymen deployed by horse, but later became cavalry. They were therefore trained in horse riding as well as infantry fighting skills. Dragoon regiments were established in most European armies during the late 17th and early 18th centuries...
s under Colonel Okey into the Sulby Hedges, where they could fire into the flank of Rupert's cavalry.
Action
The Royalist centre advanced first, Rupert apparently keeping his men in hand so that the horse and foot could hit the enemy simultaneously. Skippon's infantry moved forward over the crest of the ridge to meet the Royalist foot. There was apparently time for only one volley of musketry before both sides were fighting hand-to-hand, the veteran Royalist infantry using their swords and the butt ends of their muskets. Sir
Edward WalkerSir Edward Walker was an officer of arms and antiquarian who served as Garter King of Arms.-Early life:Walker was born in 1611 at Roobers in Nether Stowey, Somerset, and entered the household of the great Earl Marshal Thomas Howard in 1633.-Charles I:Walker was in almost constant attendance on...
, King Charles's secretary of war, stated
"The Foot on either side hardly saw each other until they were within Carabine Shot, and so made only one Volley; our falling in with Sword and butt end of the Musquet did notable Execution, so much as I saw their Colours fall and their Foot in great Disorder." Sir Philip Skippon was wounded by a bullet which splintered his armour and struck him under the ribs, although he stayed on the field to prevent panic spreading. Even so, the Parliamentarians were hard-pressed and forced back.
On the Parliamentarian left, the opposing wings of horse paused briefly to dress ranks before charging into each other. Ireton's own regiment apparently repulsed their Royalist opposite numbers, but Ireton then led part of them to the aid of the beleaguered Parliamentarian infantry. His troopers were driven off by Royalist pikemen, and Ireton himself was unhorsed, wounded in the leg and face and taken prisoner. At the same time, the second line of Royalist cavalry broke most of the Parliamentarian horsemen. Some of Ireton's regiments, on the far left, were saved from destruction by the fire from Okey's dragoons, but the others broke and fled, some not stopping until they reached
NorthamptonNorthampton is a large market town and local government district in the East Midlands region of England. It is about north-west of London and around south-east of Birmingham, and lies on the River Nene...
, away. The entire Royalist right wing had been committed to defeat Ireton, and none were left in reserve. Rupert either failed or was unable to rally the Cavalier horsemen, who galloped off the battlefield in pursuit of the fleeing Parliamentarians.
Meanwhile, the Parliamentarian right wing of horse under Oliver Cromwell and the Royalist Northern Horse faced each other, neither willing to charge to the aid of their infantry while the other could threaten their flank. Eventually after half an hour, the Royalist cavalry began to charge and Cromwell's troops moved to meet them. Langdale's men were not only outflanked and outnumbered two to one, but forced to charge up a slope broken up by bushes and a rabbit warren. After a brief contest they were routed.
Unlike Rupert, Cromwell had roughly half of his wing uncommitted, as only the front line of Cromwell's wing had taken part in the defeat of Langdale. He sent only four divisions (roughly two regiments) after Langdale, and turned his reserves against the left flank and rear of the Royalist centre. At about the same time, Okey's dragoons mounted their horses and charged from the Sulby hedges against the right wing of the Royalist infantry, as did some of Ireton's regiments which had partly rallied.
Some of the trapped Royalist infantry began to throw down their arms and call for quarter; others tried to conduct a fighting retreat. One regiment, apparently Prince Rupert's Bluecoats, stood their ground and repulsed all attacks. One eyewitness said
"they [the bluecoats] were like a wall of brass". Eventually, Fairfax led his own Regiment of Foot and his Regiment and Lifeguard of horse against them from all sides. The Bluecoats' resistance was broken and Fairfax is said to have taken their standard in person. Archaeological evidence (recovered musket balls etc) suggests that this episode took place in the vicinity of Long Hold Spinney, about behind the Royalist position at the start of the battle.
At some stage, the King attempted to lead his Lifeguard of Horse to the rescue of his centre or against Cromwell's troopers, but was prevented from doing so by the
ScottishScotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
Earl of CarnwathThe title Earl of Carnwath was created in the Peerage of Scotland in 1639 for the 2nd Lord Dalzell. His father, Sir Robert Dalzell, had been created Lord Dalzell in 1628. The 5th Earl was attainted and the peerage forfeit in 1716, due to the Lord Carnwath's Jacobitism and support for the Fifteen,...
, who seized his bridle, swore at him and said, "
Would you go upon your death?" Seeing the King apparently swerve away from the enemy, his Lifeguard also retreated in disorder for several hundred yards.
Behind the Parliamentarian lines, Rupert's men had reached Naseby and the Parliamentarian baggage. The Parliamentarian camp guards refused to surrender, and Rupert eventually rallied his men and led them back to the battlefield. It was now too late to save the remnants of the Royalist infantry, and Rupert could not induce his men to make another charge. Fairfax halted and reorganised his lines, and when he resumed his advance, Rupert's cavalry rode off the field.
Fairfax's forces pursued Royalist survivors fleeing north towards Leicester. Recovered musket and pistol shot suggests stands by fugitives and Royalist baggage guards on the slopes of Castle Yard (also known as Wadborough Hill), a wooded eminence which once had a motte and bailey castle, about behind the Royalist position at the start of the battle. Many Royalists were butchered when they mistakenly followed what they thought was the main road to Leicester into the
churchyardA churchyard is a patch of land adjoining or surrounding a church which is usually owned by the relevant church or local parish itself. In the Scots language or Northern English language this can also be known as a kirkyard or kirkyaird....
in the village of
Marston TrussellMarston Trussell is a village and civil parish in the Daventry district of the county of Northamptonshire in England. Marston Trussell is first recorded as 'Mersitone', meaning marsh settlement....
, and were unable to escape their pursuers. Parliamentarian troops also hacked to death at least 100 women camp-followers in the apparent belief they were
IrishThe Irish people are a Western European ethnic group who originate in Ireland, in north western Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolgs, Tuatha Dé Danann and the Milesians The Irish...
, though they were probably
WelshThe Welsh people are an ethnic group and nation associated with Wales and the Welsh language.John Davies argues that the origin of the "Welsh nation" can be traced to the late 4th and early 5th centuries, following the Roman departure from Britain, although Brythonic Celtic languages seem to have...
whose language was mistaken for Irish.
Aftermath
Fairfax recovered Leicester on 18 June. He immediately led his army southwest to relieve Taunton and capture the Royalist-held West Country.
Royalist military force had been shattered at Naseby. The King had lost his veteran infantry (including 500 officers), all his artillery, and many arms. He could never again raise an army of similar quality.
The Parliamentarians had also captured the King's personal baggage, with correspondence which showed he intended to seek support from the Irish Catholic Confederation, and Catholic nations in Europe. By publishing this correspondence, Parliament gained much support in favour of fighting the war to a finish. Within a year, the First Civil War ended in a Parliamentarian military victory.
See also
- The ship Naseby
HMS Royal Charles was an 80-gun First Rate three-decker ship of the line of the English Navy. She was originally called the Naseby, built by Peter Pett, and launched at Woolwich dockyard in 1655, for the navy of the Commonwealth of England, and named in honour of Oliver Cromwell's decisive 1645...
of the Commonwealth of EnglandThe Commonwealth of England, from 1653-1659 the Commonwealth of England, Scotland and Ireland, was the republican government which ruled first England and Wales, and then Ireland and Scotland from 1649 to 1660. Some would call this government a "crowned" republican government...
was named after the battle.
- English Civil War
The English Civil War was a series of armed conflicts and political machinations between Parliamentarians and Royalists. The first and second civil wars pitted the supporters of King Charles I against the supporters of the Long Parliament, while the third war saw fighting between supporters of...
- Wars of the Three Kingdoms
The Wars of the Three Kingdoms formed an intertwined series of conflicts that took place in England, Ireland, and Scotland between 1639 and 1651 after these three countries had come under the "Personal Rule" of the same monarch. The English Civil War has become the best-known of these conflicts...
- Naseby
Naseby is a small village in the District of Daventry in Northamptonshire, England.The village is 14 miles north of Northampton, 13.3 miles northeast of Daventry, and seven miles south of Market Harborough. It is 2.4 miles from Junction 2 of the A14 road giving it access to the national road system...
External links