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Wars of the Three Kingdoms
Part of Scottish Civil War and English Civil War

Oliver Cromwell in the Battle of Worcester
Date 3 September 1651
Location Worcester, England
Result Decisive English Parliamentary victory
Belligerents
English Parliamentary forces loyal to Oliver Cromwell English and Scottish Royalists loyal to King Charles II
Strength
31,000 less than 16,000
Casualties and losses
200 3,000 killed, more than 10,000 prisoners

The Battle of Worcester took place on 3 September 1651 at Worcester, England and was the final battle of the English Civil War. The Wars of the Three Kingdoms (sometimes known as the Wars of the Three Nations) formed an intertwined series of conflicts that took place in Scotland, Scottish Civil War can refer to a number of internecine wars in Scottish history, including War of the Scottish succession 1094-1097 the revolts The English Civil War (1642-1651 was a series of armed conflicts and political machinations between Parliamentarians and Royalists. Worcester (ˈwʊstə is a city and County town of Worcestershire, in the West Midlands of England. Oliver Cromwell (25 April 1599 Old Style &ndash 3 September 1658 Old Style) was an English military and political leader best known Charles II (Charles Stuart 29 May 1630 – 6 February 1685 was the King of England, Scotland, and Ireland. Events 36 BC - In the Battle of Naulochus, Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa, Admiral of Octavian, defeats Sextus Pompeius Worcester (ˈwʊstə is a city and County town of Worcestershire, in the West Midlands of England. The English Civil War (1642-1651 was a series of armed conflicts and political machinations between Parliamentarians and Royalists. Oliver Cromwell and the Parliamentarians defeated the Royalist, predominantly Scottish, forces of King Charles II. Oliver Cromwell (25 April 1599 Old Style &ndash 3 September 1658 Old Style) was an English military and political leader best known The Parliament of England was the Legislature of the Kingdom of England. Cavalier was the name used by Parliamentarians for a Royalist supporter of King Charles I during the English Civil War ( 1642 &ndash 1651 Scotland ( Gaelic: Alba) is a Country in northwest Europethat occupies the northern third of the island of Great Britain. Charles II (Charles Stuart 29 May 1630 – 6 February 1685 was the King of England, Scotland, and Ireland. The 16,000 Royalist forces were overwhelmed by the 28,000 strong "New Model Army" of Cromwell. The New Model Army was formed in 1645 by the Parliamentarians in the English Civil War.

Contents

Invasion of England

The king was aided by Scottish allies and was attempting to regain the throne that had been lost when his father Charles I was executed. Charles I, (19 November 1600 &ndash 30 January 1649 was King of England, Scotland and Ireland from 27 March 1625 until his execution. The broad definition of regicide is the deliberate killing of a Monarch, or the person responsible for it The commander of the Scots, Sir David Leslie, supported the plan of fighting in Scotland, where royal support was strongest. David Leslie Lord Newark (c 1600-1682 was a cavalry officer and General in the English Civil War and Scottish Civil Wars The son of the 1st Earl of Lindores Scotland ( Gaelic: Alba) is a Country in northwest Europethat occupies the northern third of the island of Great Britain. Charles, however, insisted on making war in England. England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland He calculated that Cromwell's campaign north of the River Forth would allow the main Scottish Royalist army which was south of the Forth to steal the march on the Roundhead New Model Army in a race to London. The New Model Army was formed in 1645 by the Parliamentarians in the English Civil War. He hoped to rally not merely the old faithful Royalists, but also the overwhelming numerical strength of the English Presbyterians to his standard. Presbyterianism is a family of Christian denominations within the Reformed branch of Protestant Western Christianity He calculated that his alliance with the Scottish Presbyterian Covenanters and his signing of the Solemn League and Covenant would encourage English Presbyterians to support him against the English Independent faction which had grown in power over the last few years. The Covenanters formed an important movement in the religion and politics of Scotland in the 17th century The Solemn League and Covenant was an agreement between the Scottish Covenanters and the leaders of the English Parliamentarians. The Royalist army was kept well in hand, no excesses were allowed, and in a week the Royalists covered 150 miles in marked contrast to the duke of Hamilton's ill-fated expedition of 1648. James Hamilton 1st Duke of Hamilton ( June 19, 1606 &ndash March 9, 1649) Scottish nobleman and Civil war General On 8 August the troops were given a well-earned rest between Penrith and Kendal. Events 1220 - Sweden is defeated by Estonian tribes in the Battle of Lihula. Penrith is a Market town in the county of Cumbria, England. It is in the Eden Valley just north of the River Eamont, and lies less than Kendal is a Market town and Civil parish within the South Lakeland district of Cumbria, England.

But the Royalists were mistaken in supposing that the enemy was taken aback by their new move. Everything had been foreseen both by Cromwell and by the Council of State in Westminster. The English Council of State, later also know as the Protector's Privy Council, was first appointed by the Rump Parliament on 14 February 1649 Westminster is an area of Central London, within the City of Westminster. The latter had called out the greater part of the militia on August 7. Events 322 BC - Battle of Crannon between Athens and Macedon following the death of Alexander the Great. Lieutenant-General Charles Fleetwood began to draw together the midland contingents at Banbury The London-trained bands turned out for field service no fewer than 14,000 strong. Charles Fleetwood (died 4 October 1692) English Parliamentary soldier and politician third son of Sir Miles Fleetwood of Banbury is a Market town located on the River Cherwell in northern Oxfordshire, England. Every suspected Royalist was closely watched, and the magazines of arms in the country-houses of the gentry were for the most part removed into the strong places. On his part Cromwell had quietly made his preparations. Perth passed into his hands on August 22, and he brought back his army to Leith by August 5. Perth (Peairt is a town and former Royal burgh in central Scotland. Events 392 - Arbogast has Eugenius elected Western Roman Emperor. Formerly a municipal Burgh, Leith (Lìte is a district in the north of the city of Edinburgh at the mouth of the Water of Leith and is the port Events 642 - Battle of Maserfield - Penda of Mercia defeats and kills Oswald of Bernicia. Thence he dispatched Lieutenant-General John Lambert with a cavalry corps to harass the invaders. John Lambert (Autumn 1619 - March 1684 served as an English Parliamentary general in the English Civil War. Major-General Thomas Harrison was already at Newcastle picking the best of the county mounted-troops to add to his own regulars. Thomas Harrison (1606&ndash October 13, 1660) was a Puritan soldier and later a leader of the Fifth Monarchists. On August 9, Charles was at Kendal, Lambert hovering in his rear, and Harrison marching swiftly to bar his way at the Mersey. Events 48 BC - Caesar's civil war: Battle of Pharsalus - Julius Caesar decisively defeats Pompey at Pharsalus Kendal is a Market town and Civil parish within the South Lakeland district of Cumbria, England. Thomas Fairfax emerged for a moment from his retirement to organize the Yorkshire levies, and the best of these as well as of the Lancashire, Cheshire and Staffordshire militias were directed upon Warrington, which Harrison reached on August 15, a few hours in front of Charles's advanced guard. Thomas Fairfax 3rd Lord Fairfax of Cameron (17 January 1612 &ndash 12 November 1671 was a general and parliamentary commander-in-chief during the English Civil War. Yorkshire is a historic county of Northern England and the largest in Great Britain. Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England, bounded to the west by the Irish Sea Cheshire (or archaically the County of Chester) is a county in North West England. Staffordshire (abbreviated Staffs) is a landlocked county in the West Midlands region of England. Warrington is a large town borough and Unitary authority area in Cheshire, England. Events 778 - The Battle of Roncevaux Pass, at which Roland is killed Lambert too, slipping round the left flank of the enemy, joined Harrison, and the English fell back (August 16), slowly and without letting themselves be drawn into a fight, along the London road. Events 1384 - The Hongwu Emperor of Ming China, Emperor Dong hears a case of a couple who tore paper money bills while fighting

The Worcester campaign

Oliver Cromwell
Oliver Cromwell

Cromwell meanwhile, leaving George Monck with the least efficient regiments to carry on the war in Scotland, had reached the river Tyne in seven days, and thence, marching 20 miles a day in extreme heat with the country people carrying their arms and equipment the regulars entered Ferrybridge on the August 19, at which date Lambert, Harrison and the north-western militia were about Congleton. George Monck 1st Duke of Albemarle, KG ( 6 December 1608 &ndash 3 January 1670) was an English soldier and politician The River Tyne is a River in England. It is formed by the confluence of two rivers the North Tyne and the South Tyne. Ferrybridge is a village situated on the A1 in West Yorkshire, England at a historically important crossing of the River Aire. Events 43 BC - Octavian, later known as Augustus compels the Roman Senate to elect him Consul. Congleton is a town and Civil parish in Cheshire, England, on the banks of the River Dane, and to the west of the It seemed probable that a great battle would take place between Lichfield and Coventry on or just after August 25, and that Cromwell, Harrison, Lambert and Fleetwood would all take part in it. Lichfield is a city and Civil parish in Staffordshire, England. Coventry ( is a city and Metropolitan borough in the County of West Midlands in England. Events 1248 - The Dutch city of Ommen receives city rights and fortification rights from Otto III the But the scene and the date of the denouement were changed by the enemy's movements. Shortly after leaving Warrington the young king had resolved to abandon the direct march on London and to make for the Severn valley, where his father had found the most constant and the most numerous adherents in the first war, and which had been the centre of gravity of the English Royalist movement of 1648. For other rivers named "Severn" see Severn River. The River Severn ( Welsh: Afon Hafren, Latin Sir Edward Massey, formerly the Parliamentary governor of Gloucester, was now with Charles, and it was hoped that he would induce his fellow Presbyterians to take arms. Sir Edward Massie (c 1619-c 1674/5 English Parliamentary soldier in the English Civil War, was the son of John Massie of Coddington Cheshire. Gloucester (ˈɡlɒstɚ) is a city, district and County town of Gloucestershire in the South West region of England. The military quality of the Welsh border Royalists was well proved, that of the Gloucestershire Presbyterians not less so, and, based on Gloucester and Worcester as his father had been based on Oxford, Charles II. History See also History of Gloucestershire Gloucestershire is a historic county mentioned in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle in the 10th century hoped, not unnaturally, to deal with an Independent minority more effectually than Charles I. had done with a Parliamentary majority of the people of England. But even the pure Royalism which now ruled in the invading army could not alter the fact that it was a Scottish army, and it was not an Independent faction but all England that took arms against it.

Charles II
Charles II

Charles arrived at Worcester on August 22, and spent five days in resting the troops, preparing for further operations, and gathering and arming the few recruits who came in. Events 392 - Arbogast has Eugenius elected Western Roman Emperor. It is unnecessary to argue that the delay was fatal; it was a necessity of the case foreseen and accepted when the march to Worcester had been decided upon, and had the other course, that of marching on London via Lichfield, been taken the battle would have been fought three days earlier with the same result. Lichfield is a city and Civil parish in Staffordshire, England.

Cromwell, the lord general, had during his march south thrown out successively two flying columns under Colonel Robert Lilburne to deal with the Lancashire Royalists under the Earl of Derby. Colonel Robert Lilburne (1613&ndash1665 was the older brother of John Lilburne, the well known Leveller, but unlike his brother who severed his relationship with James Stanley 7th Earl of Derby KG ( January 31, 1607 &ndash October 15, 1651) was a supporter of the Royalist cause in Lilburne entirely routed an Lancashire detachment of enemy on their way to join the main Royalist army at the Battle of Wigan Lane on August 25 and as affairs turned out Cromwell merely shifted the area of his concentration two marches to the south-west, to Evesham. The Battle of Wigan Lane was fought on August 25 1651 during the Third English Civil War, between Royalists under the command of the Earl of Derby Events 1248 - The Dutch city of Ommen receives city rights and fortification rights from Otto III the Evesham ( is a middle-sized rural Market town in Worcestershire, UK in the Local Authority District of Wychavon. Early on the August 28, Lambert surprised the passage of the Severn at Upton, 6 miles below Worcester, and in the action which followed Massey was severely wounded. Events 475 - The Roman General Orestes forces western Roman Emperor Julius Nepos to flee his Capital Upton-upon-Severn is a small Town in Malvern Hills district, Worcestershire, England, on the River Severn, often incorrectly called Fleetwood followed Lambert. The enemy was now only 16,000 strong and disheartened by the apathy with which they had been received in districts formerly all their own. Cromwell, for the first and last time in his military career, had a two-to-one numerical superiority.

On August 30 Cromwell delayed the start of the battle to give time for two pontoon bridges to be constructed one over the Severn and the other over the Teme close to their confluence. Events 1363 - Beginning date of the Battle of Lake Poyang; the forces of two Chinese rebel leaders— Chen Youliang and A pontoon bridge or floating bridge is a Bridge that floats on water supported by barge-or-boat-like pontoons to support the bridge deck and its dynamic The delay allowed Cromwell to launch his attack on September 3 one year to the day since his victory at the Battle of Dunbar. Events 36 BC - In the Battle of Naulochus, Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa, Admiral of Octavian, defeats Sextus Pompeius The Battle of Dunbar ( 3 September, 1650) was a battle of the Third English Civil War. [1]

The battle

Cromwell took his measures deliberately. Lilburne from Lancashire and Major Mercer with the Worcestershire horse were to secure Bewdley Bridge, 20 miles (32 km) north of Worcester and on the enemy's line of retreat. Bewdley Bridge is a three-span masonry Arch bridge over the River Severn at Bewdley, Worcestershire. [2] Fleetwood was to force his way across the Teme and attack St John's, the western suburb of Worcester. The River Teme ( Welsh Afon Tefeidiad) rises in Mid Wales, south of Newtown in Powys, and flows through Ludlow in Shropshire While Lambert commanded the Eastern Flank of the Army which would advance and encircle the Eastern walls of Worcester. Cromwell would lead the attack on the southern ramparts of the city.

Map Battle of Worcester
Map Battle of Worcester

The assault started on the morning of September 3 and initially the initiative lay with the Parliamentarians. Events 36 BC - In the Battle of Naulochus, Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa, Admiral of Octavian, defeats Sextus Pompeius Fleetwood forced the passage of the Teme over the pontoon bridges against Royalists under the command of Major General Montgomery. Colonel Richard Dean's initial attempts to cross the Powick Bridge (where Prince Rupert of the Rhine had won the Battle of Powick Bridge his first victory in 1642) failed against stubborn resistance by the Royalists (many of whom were battle hardened Scottish Highlanders) commanded by Colonel Keith. Rupert Count Palatine of the Rhine Duke of Bavaria (German Ruprecht Pfalzgraf bei Rhein Herzog von Bayern) commonly called Prince Rupert of the Rhine, (17 The Battle of Powick Bridge, fought on 23 September 1642, was the first major Cavalry engagement of the English Civil War and it was a victory By force of arms and numbers the Royalist army was pushed backwards by the New Model Army with Cromwell on the eastern bank of the Severn and Fleetwood on the western sweeping in a semicircle four miles long up towards Worcester. The New Model Army was formed in 1645 by the Parliamentarians in the English Civil War. [3]

The Royalists contested every hedgerow around Powick meadows. This stubborn resistance on the west bank of the Severn north of the Teme was becoming a serious problem for the Parliamenterians, so Cromwell led Parliamentary reinforcements from the eastern side of the town over the Severn pontoon bridge to aid Fleetwood. Charles II from his vantage point on top of Worcester cathedral's tower realised that an opportunity to attack the now-exposed eastern flank of the Parliamentary army. Worcester Cathedral is an Anglican Cathedral in Worcester, England situated on a bank overlooking the River Severn. As the defenders on the Western side of the city retreated in good order into the city (although during this manoeuvre Keith was captured and Montgomery was badly wounded), Charles ordered two sorties to attack the Parliamentary forces east of the city. Sortie is a term for deployment or dispatch of one military unit be it of Aircraft, Ship or in older times of columns of troops from a fort The north-eastern sortie through St. Martin's Gate was commanded by the Duke of Hamilton and attacked the Parliamentary lines at Perry Wood. William Hamilton 2nd Duke of Hamilton KG (1616&ndash September 12 1651) was a Scottish nobleman who supported both Royalist and The south-eastern one through Sidbury Gate was led by Charles II and attacked Red Hill. The Royalist cavalry under the command of David Leslie that was gathered on Pitchcroft meadow on the northern side of the city did not receive orders to aid the sorties and Leslie chose not to do so under his own initiative. Cromwell seeing the difficulty that his east flank was under rushed back over the Severn pontoon bridge with three brigades of troops to reinforce the flank. [4][5]

Although they were pushed back, the Parliamentarians under Lambert were too numerous and experienced to be defeated by such a move. After an hour in which the Parliamentarians initially retreated under the unexpected attack, when reinforced by Cromwell's three brigades, they in turn forced the Royalists to retreat back towards the city. [5]

The Royalist retreat turned into a rout in which Parliamentarian and Royalist forces intermingled and skirmished up to and into the city. A rout is commonly defined as a chaotic and disorderly retreat or withdrawal of troops from a battlefield resulting in the victory of the opposing party or following The Royalist position became untenable when the Essex militia stormed and captured Fort Royal, (a redoubt on a small hill to the south-east of Worcester overlooking the Sidbury gate), turning the Royalist guns to fire on Worcester. Fort Royal Hill, is in a park in Worcester and the site of the remains of an English Civil War fort A redoubt is a Fort or fort system usually consisting of an enclosed defensive emplacement outside a larger fort usually relying on earthworks though others [6][7]

The defences of the city were stormed from three different directions as darkness came on, regulars and militia fighting with equal gallantry. The few thousands of the Royalists who escaped during the night were easily captured by Lilburne and Mercer, or by the militia which watched every road in Yorkshire and Lancashire. Even the country people brought in scores of prisoners, for officers and men alike, stunned by the suddenness of the disaster, offered no resistance. [6][8]

Aftermath

Charles II escaped after many adventures, including one famous incident where he hid from a Parliamentarian patrol in an oak tree in the grounds of Boscobel House. The Escape of Charles II from England in 1651 is a key episode in his life The Royal Oak is the name given to the Oak tree within which King Charles II of England hid to escape the Roundheads following the Boscobel House ( on the Shropshire / Staffordshire border near Wolverhampton and Albrighton England, was built around 1632, when About 3,000 men were killed during the battle and a further 10,000 were taken prisoner at Worcester or soon afterwards. The Earl of Derby was executed, while the other English prisoners were conscripted into the New Model Army and sent to Ireland. The New Model Army was formed in 1645 by the Parliamentarians in the English Civil War. Around 8,000 Scottish prisoners were deported to New England, Bermuda and the West Indies to work for landowners as indentured labourers. History See also History of New England New England's earliest inhabitants were Algonquian -speaking Native Americans including the Ba (officially The Bermuda Islands or The Somers Isles) is a British overseas territory in the North Atlantic Ocean. The Caribbean (ˌkærəˡbiən kæ'rəbiən Cariben|Caraïben or Caraïben; Caraïbe or more commonly Antilles; Caribe is a Region consisting An indentured servant is a form of Debt bondage worker The Laborer is under Contract of an Employer for some period of time usually three to Parliamentary casualties numbered in the low hundreds. [9]

After the battle, Cromwell returned to Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, one of the parliamentarian strongholds and close to the seat of his late cousin the civil war hero John Hampden. See also Aylesbury Urban Area Aylesbury is the County town of Buckinghamshire in south east England. Buckinghamshire (abbreviated Bucks) is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan home county in South East England. The Parliament of England was the Legislature of the Kingdom of England. John Hampden (c 1595 &ndash 1643 was an English politician the eldest son of William Hampden of Hampden House, Great Hampden in Buckinghamshire He stayed at the aptly named King's Head Inn, Aylesbury and it was here that he received the thanks of Parliament for his final defeat of the Royalists. The King's Head Inn is notable as being one of the oldest Public houses with a coaching yard in the south of England.

The Parliamentary militia were sent home within a week. Cromwell, who had ridiculed "such stuff" six months ago, knew them better now. "Your new raised forces," he wrote to the Rump Parliament, "did perform singular good service, for which they deserve a very high estimation and acknowledgement". The Rump Parliament was the name of the English Parliament after Colonel Pride on December 6 1648 had purged Long Parliament of those The result was, in brief, one of those rare victories in which a pursuit is superfluous a "crowning mercy", as Cromwell called it.

Legacy

In early April 1786, John Adams and Thomas Jefferson visited Fort Royal Hill at the battlefield at Worcester. John Adams (October 30 1735 July 4 1826 was one of the most influential Founding Fathers of the United States. Thomas Jefferson (April 13 1743 – July 4 1826 was the third President of the United States (1801–1809 the principal author of the Declaration of Independence David McCullough wrote in his definitive biography John Adams that Adams was "deeply moved" but disappointed at the locals' lack of knowledge of the battle, giving the townspeople an "impromptu lecture":

“ The people in the neighborhood appeared so ignorant and careless at Worcester that I was provoked and asked 'And do Englishmen so soon forget the ground where liberty was fought for? Tell your neighbors and your children that this is holy ground, much holier than that on which your churches stand. David Gaub McCullough (mə-kŭl'ə (born July 7, 1933 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania) Born and raised in Pittsburgh McCullough later attended All England should come in pilgrimage to this hill, once a year. [10] ”

See also

References

Further reading

Footnotes

  1. ^ Trevor Royal References Page 600
  2. ^ Distance and Journey Times from Worcester to the county’s main towns website of Worcestershire county council
  3. ^ Battle of Worcester - dawn attack BBC website
  4. ^ Battle of Worcester - Cromwell intervenes (1)
  5. ^ a b Battle of Worcester - Charles intervenes BBC website
  6. ^ a b Battle of Worcester - Cromwell intervenes (2) BBC website
  7. ^ Fort Royal Hill, where liberty was fought for
  8. ^ Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition: Great Rebellion
  9. ^ Trevor Royal References Page 602
  10. ^ President John Adams on Oliver Cromwell
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