Battle of Naseby
Part of English Civil War
Battle memorial and beyond, the fields of Broad Moor, the site of the Battle
Date June 14, 1645 Location Naseby, near Market Harborough, Northamptonshire Result Decisive Parliamentarian victory
Combatants
Parliamentarians	Royalists
Commanders
Sir Thomas Fairfax Oliver Cromwell	King Charles I Prince Rupert of the Rhine
Strength
6,000 horse 7,000 foot	4,100 horse 3,300 foot
Casualties
150 total casualties[1]	approximately 1,000 killed, 5,000 captured[1]

The Battle of Naseby was the key battle of the first English Civil War. On June 14, 1645, the main army of King Charles I was destroyed by the Parliamentarian New Model Army under Sir Thomas Fairfax and Oliver Cromwell. Naseby is a village in Northamptonshire, England, with a population of around 500. ... The English Civil War consisted of a series of armed conflicts and political machinations that took place between Parliamentarians (known as Roundheads) and Royalists (known as Cavaliers) between 1642 and 1651. ... Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (2560 × 1920 pixel, file size: 1. ... June 14 is the 165th day of the year (166th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... // Events January 10 - Archbishop Laud executed on Tower Hill, London. ... Naseby is a village in Northamptonshire, England, with a population of around 500. ... , The stilted Old Grammar School Market Harborough is a market town in Leicestershire, England. ... Northamptonshire (abbreviated Northants or Nhants) is a landlocked county in central England with a population of 629,676 (2001 census). ... The English parliament in front of the King, c. ... Prince Rupert of the Rhine Cavaliers was the name used by Parliamentarians for the Royalist supporters of King Charles I during the English Civil War (1642–1651). ... Thomas Fairfax, 3rd Baron Fairfax of Cameron (January 17, 1612 - November 12, 1671), parliamentary general and commander-in-chief during the English Civil War, the eldest son of Ferdinando Fairfax, 2nd Baron Fairfax of Cameron, was born at Denton, near Otley, Yorkshire. ... Oliver Cromwell (25 April 1599 – 3 September 1658) 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. ... Charles I (19 November 1600 – 30 January 1649) was King of England, King of Scotland and King of Ireland from 27 March 1625 until his execution in 1649. ... Prince Rupert of the Rhine 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 December 1619 – 19 November 1682), soldier, inventor and amateur artist in mezzotint, was a younger son of Frederick V, Elector... The First English Civil War (1642–1646) was the first of three wars, known as the English Civil War (or Wars). The English Civil War refers to the series of armed conflicts and political machinations which took place between Parliamentarians and Royalists from 1642 until 1652, and includes the Second... The Siege of Hull in 1642 was the first major action of the English Civil War. ... 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 decisive victory for the Royalists who overthrew of the Parliamentary cavalry. ... The Battle of Edgehill (or Edge Hill) was the first pitched battle of the First English Civil War. ... On the 1st November 1642, Royalist forces, under the command of Prince Rupert engaged Aylesburys Parliamentarian garrison, at Holmans Bridge. ... The Battle of Brentford was fought in 1642 between Royalist and Parliamentarian forces. ... Combatants Parliamentarians Royalists Commanders Earl of Essex King King Charles I Strength 24,000[1] 7,000-12,000 Casualties very few very few The Battle of Turnham Green occurred 13 November 1642 near the village of Turnham Green, at the end the first campaigning season of the First English... 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 and Sir William Brereton and a Royalist force under Spencer Compton, 2nd Earl of Northampton. ... The Battle of Chalgrove was a skirmish of the English Civil War in the county of Oxfordshire. ... The English Civil War battle of Lansdowne (or Lansdown) was fought on July 5, 1643, near Bath. ... English Civil War battle fought near Devizes, on 13th July, 1643 Following the Battle of Lansdowne on 5th July, 1643, the same two armies faced each again at Rounday Down. ... The Battle of Adwalton Moor was a battle in the English Civil War on 30 June 1643. ... The Battle of Gainsborough was a battle in the English Civil War. ... The Battle of Winceby took place in 1643 during the English Civil War near the village of Winceby, Lincolnshire about 6 km east of Horncastle Sir Thomas Fairfax and Oliver Cromwell, leading the Parlimentary Forces, defeated the Royalists led by Sir John Henderson. ... Combatants Parliamentary army Royalist garrison Commanders Robert Devereux, 3rd Earl of Essex Sir Arthur Aston King Charles I Prince Rupert Strength 16,000+ 2,000+ See also: Battle of Reading (871) and Battle of Reading (1688) The Siege of Reading refers to the English Civil War military campaign waged to... Combatants Royalists Parliamentarians Commanders Charles I, Prince Rupert Colonel Edward Massey Strength about 35,000 1,500 regular troops unknown local militia Casualties exact number unknown, believed to be several thousand 50 The Siege of Gloucester took place took place between the 3rd of August and 5th of September, between... The two Battles of Newbury took place near Newbury, Berkshire during the English Civil War in 1643 and 1644. ... The Battle of Alton took place on December 13, 1643, during the English Civil War. ... Categories: Possible copyright violations ... The Battle of Nantwich designates a fight of the English Civil War between the forces of Parliament and of King Charles I to the northwest of the town of Nantwich in Cheshire on 26 January 1644 (some sources say 24 January). ... The Battle of Boldon Hill was a battle fought during the English Civil War in 1644, between a Royalist army based in Newcastle-Upon-Tyne and a Parliamentarian army based in Sunderland. ... Combatants Parliamentarians Royalists Commanders Sir John Meldrum Prince Rupert of the Rhine Strength 2,000 horse, 5,000 foot, 13 siege guns 3,500 horse, 3,000 foot, 3 field guns The Relief of Newark was a Royalist victory during the First English Civil War. ... The Siege of York in 1644 was a prolonged contest for York during the English Civil War, between the Scottish Army of the Solemn Oath and Covenant and the Parliamentarian Armies of the Northern Association and Eastern Association on the one hand, and the Royalist Army under the Marquess of... The Bolton Massacre, sometimes recorded as the Storming of Bolton was an episode in the English Civil War, on May 28, 1644, in which it was alleged that up to 1,600 of the towns defenders and citizens were slaughtered during and after its storm and capture by the... The Battle of Cropredy Bridge was the last battle won on English soil under the command of an English King. ... Combatants Scottish Covenanters, Parliamentarians Royalists Commanders Earl of Leven, Earl of Manchester, Lord Fairfax Prince Rupert of the Rhine, Marquess of Newcastle Strength 7,000 horse, 500+ dragoons, 14,000 foot, 30 - 40 guns 6,000 horse, 11,000 foot, 14 guns Casualties 300 killed 4,000 killed, 1,500... 1. ... Combatants Parliamentarians Royalists Commanders Earl of Essex Sir William Waller Earl of Manchester King Charles I Prince Maurice Strength 7,000 horse 12,000 foot 3,500 horse 5,000 foot Casualties unknown unknown The Second Battle of Newbury was a battle of the English Civil War fought on October... The Siege of Taunton was a siege of the English Civil War. ... The Battle of Langport was a Parliamentarian victory in the English Civil War, which destroyed the last Royalist field army, and ultimately gave Parliament control of the West of England, which had hitherto been a major source of manpower, raw materials and imports for the Royalists. ... The Battle of Rowton Heath was a Parliamentarian victory late in the English Civil War. ... Combatants Parliamentarians Royalists Commanders Sir William Brereton Colonel Thomas Morgan Sir Jacob Astley Strength 2,500 Foot 600 horse 3,000 Foot 500 horse Casualties unknown less 1,000 killed 1,000 prisoners The Battle of Stow-on-the-Wold took place during the English Civil War. ... The First English Civil War (1642–1646) was the first of three wars, known as the English Civil War (or Wars). The English Civil War refers to the series of armed conflicts and political machinations which took place between Parliamentarians and Royalists from 1642 until 1652, and includes the Second... The English Civil War consisted of a series of armed conflicts and political machinations that took place between Parliamentarians (known as Roundheads) and Royalists (known as Cavaliers) between 1642 and 1651. ... June 14 is the 165th day of the year (166th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... // Events January 10 - Archbishop Laud executed on Tower Hill, London. ... Charles I (19 November 1600 – 30 January 1649) was King of England, King of Scotland and King of Ireland from 27 March 1625 until his execution in 1649. ... The English parliament in front of the King, c. ... The New Model Army became the best known of the various Parliamentarian armies in the English Civil War. ... Thomas Fairfax, 3rd Baron Fairfax of Cameron (January 17, 1612 - November 12, 1671), parliamentary general and commander-in-chief during the English Civil War, the eldest son of Ferdinando Fairfax, 2nd Baron Fairfax of Cameron, was born at Denton, near Otley, Yorkshire. ... Oliver Cromwell (25 April 1599 – 3 September 1658) 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. ...

The Campaign

At the beginning of 1645, King Charles's advisors urged him to attack the New Model Army while it was still forming. However Prince Rupert of the Rhine, 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 Royalists in Scotland under Montrose. This course was adopted, even though the King's army had to be weakened by leaving a detachment (including 3000 cavalry) under Lord Goring, the Lieutenant General of Horse, to hold the west country and maintain the Siege of Taunton. // Events January 10 - Archbishop Laud executed on Tower Hill, London. ... Prince Rupert of the Rhine 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 December 1619 – 19 November 1682), soldier, inventor and amateur artist in mezzotint, was a younger son of Frederick V, Elector... James Graham, 1st Marquess of Montrose James Graham, 1st Marquess of Montrose (1612 - 21 May 1650), 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. ... George Goring, Lord Goring (14 July 1608 - 1657) was an English Royalist soldier. ... The Siege of Taunton was a siege of the English Civil War. ...

At the same time, after an aborted attempt to relieve Taunton, Parliament's Committee of Both Kingdoms had directed Fairfax to besiege the King's wartime capital at Oxford. 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 Oxford was short of provisions and could not hold out long. To distract Fairfax, the Royalists stormed the Parliamentarian garrison at Leicester on May 31. Having done so, Prince Rupert and the King's council reversed their former decision and decided to march south to relieve Oxford. The 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. ... This article needs additional references or sources for verification. ... Leicester city centre, looking towards the Clock Tower Leicester (pronounced ) is the largest city and unitary authority in the English East Midlands. ... is the 151st day of the year (152nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

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 June 5. His leading detachments of horse clashed with Royalist outposts near Daventry on June 12, alerting the King to his presence. On June 13, the Royalists, who were now making for Newark so as to receive reinforcements, were at Market Harborough. June 5 is the 156th day of the year (157th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Holy Cross Church Daventry is a market town in Northamptonshire, England with a population of 22,367 (2001 census). ... is the 163rd day of the year (164th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 164th day of the year (165th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Newark (also Newark-on-Trent) is a town in Nottinghamshire, located on the River Trent. ... , The stilted Old Grammar School Market Harborough is a market town in Leicestershire, England. ...

Fairfax was eager to engage them, and held a council of war, during which Oliver Cromwell, recently re-appointed Lieutenant General, arrived with some cavalry reinforcements. The New Model Army moved in pursuit of the Royalist army, and late in the day Henry Ireton attacked a Royalist outpost at Naseby, six miles (10 km) to the south of the royalist army. The King now had to accept battle, or retreat with Fairfax at his heels. On June 14, urged on by Rupert, he took the former course. A 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. ... Oliver Cromwell (25 April 1599 – 3 September 1658) 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. ... Henry Ireton Henry Ireton (1611 - November 26, 1651), was an English general in the army of Parliament during the English Civil War. ... June 14 is the 165th day of the year (166th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

The battle

Fairfax had drawn up his army on a ridge a mile north of Naseby, with Ireton's wing of cavalry (five and a half regiments) on the left, Cromwell's cavalry (six and a half regiments) on the right and the infantry (five large regiments in the front line and three in reserve) under Sir Philip Skippon in the centre. A Parliamentarian engraving of the battle^[2] (which is accurate in most respects) shows 11 pieces of artillery, in the intervals between the infantry regiments. They apparently played little part in the battle; their first salvos went high, and Royalist and Parliamentarian infantry were subsequently too closely engaged for the guns to be used. Naseby is a village in Northamptonshire, England, with a population of around 500. ... Philip Skippon (died 1660) was an English soldier in the English Civil War. ...

2500 Royalist horse under Rupert and his brother Prince Maurice faced Ireton, while 1500 truculent "Northern Horse" under Sir Marmaduke Langdale faced Cromwell. In the centre, the Royalist foot were organised as three "tertias" commanded by Lord Astley. The King commanded a small reserve of infantry (his own and Prince Rupert's regiments of foot) and his Lifeguard of Horse. Prince Maurice von Simmern KG (December 17, 1620 – September 1652), Count Palatine of the Rhine, was the fourth son of Frederick V, Elector Palatine and Elizabeth of Bohemia. ... Marmaduke Langdale (1598 - 1661) was married to Ann Howard, a granddaughter of Thomas Howard, 4th Duke of Norfolk. ... Tercio was a term used by the Spanish army to describe a mixed infantry formation of about 3,000 pikemen and musketeers, sometimes referred to by other nations as a Spanish Square. ... Baron Jacob Astley (1579–1652), was a royalist commander in the English Civil War. ...

Battle began when Parliamentarian dragoons under Colonel Okey occupied hedges on the Royalist right flank. They opened fire and goaded Rupert into a charge. After fierce fighting, most of Ireton's regiments were broken and put to flight, some not stopping until they reached Northampton. Rupert (or it may have actually been his brother Maurice) led his men in all-out pursuit, leaving some of Ireton's men behind them, only temporarily disordered. A light dragoon from the American Revolution A dragoon is a soldier trained to fight on foot, but transport himself on horseback. ... Northampton is a large market town and a local government district in central England on the River Nene, and the county town of Northamptonshire, in the English East Midlands region. ...

There followed a general advance of the Royalist infantry. Initially, the Royalist centre and left advanced while the right wing appeared to hesitate due to the Parliamentarian infantry being out of sight behind the crest of the ridge. Suddenly the roundhead infantry moved to the crest of the ridge and both sides fired a volley. With no time to reload, both sides closed with each other and after a short time the Parliamentarian centre started to strain under the pressure from the veteran Royalist foot. The Roundheads was the nickname given to the supporters of Parliament during the English Civil War. ... Infantry of the Royal Irish Rifles during the Battle of the Somme in World War I. Infantry are soldiers who fight primarily on foot with small arms in organized military units, though they may be transported to the battlefield by horses, ships, automobiles, skis, bicycles, or other means. ...

Ireton led the remnants of his horse to their support, and was unhorsed, wounded and captured: at this point the whole line of Parliamentary Foot might have crumbled and fled if not for the leadership of Philip Skippon, their Sergeant Major General of Foot. Skippon was badly wounded by a musket ball to the chest during this fighting. Philip Skippon (died 1660) was an English soldier in the English Civil War. ...

Meanwhile, on the Parliamentarian right, possibly commanded by Thomas Fairfax^{[citation needed]}, The Parliamentarian Horse faced the Royalist Northern horse, neither willing to charge to the aid of their infantry while the other could threaten their flank. Eventually after 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. Thomas Fairfax, 3rd Baron Fairfax of Cameron (January 17, 1612 - November 12, 1671), parliamentary general and commander-in-chief during the English Civil War, the eldest son of Ferdinando Fairfax, 2nd Baron Fairfax of Cameron, was born at Denton, near Otley, Yorkshire. ...

Unlike Rupert, Cromwell sent only two regiments after them, and turned his reserves against the Royalist centre. Okey's dragoons and some of Ireton's horse also attacked on the other flank. Outnumbered and surrounded, the Royalist foot were killed or forced to retreat after a desperate resistance. One regiment, Prince Rupert's Bluecoats, stood their ground and resisted the victorious Parliamentarian forces in a desperate last stand, but they too eventually succumbed to the sheer weight of numbers. Fairfax was at the centre of this meléê, and is said to have killed the Bluecoats' Ensign. The King attempted to lead his Lifeguard of Horse to their rescue, but was prevented from doing so by the Scottish Earl of Carnwath, who seized his bridle crying, "Would you go on your death so easily?", and forced him to halt. The title Earl of Carnwath was created in the Peerage of Scotland in 1639 for the 2nd Lord Dalzell. ...

Rupert's cavalry had galloped two miles and reached the Parliamentarian baggage train, defended only by a small guard. They refused his summons to surrender, and Rupert belatedly led his cavalry back to the battlefield, where they were too late to save the Royalist infantry. They reformed a mile north of their original positions, but would not make another attack. When Fairfax regrouped and advanced, they rode off the field.

Fairfax's forces pursued Royalist survivors fleeing north to Leicester in an attempt to destroy their army as a fighting force. Many Royalists were butchered when they mistakenly followed what they thought was the main road to Leicester into a church yard, 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 Irish, though they were probably Welsh whose language was mistaken for Irish. This massacre was widely celebrated by the Parliamentarians.^[3].

Aftermath

Fairfax recovered Leicester on June 18. He immediately led his army southwest to relieve Taunton and capture the Royalist-held West Country. is the 169th day of the year (170th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

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 was unable to take the field again until they had been replaced, and 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. Motto Pro Deo, Rege et Patria, Hibernia Unanimis(Latin) For God, King and Country, Ireland is United Capital Kilkenny Language(s) English, Irish Religion Government Monarchy King  - 1642–49 Charles I  - 1649–53 Charles II1 Lord Lieutenant of Ireland2  - 1643–46 James Butler, Marquis of Ormonde3  - 1646–48 Philip Sidney...

Images of the Battlefield

Battle of Naseby monument Image File history File links Download high resolution version (800x1200, 78 KB)Close up view of the Cromwell Monument at the site of the Battle of Naseby. ...	Plaque ImageMetadata File history File links Download high resolution version (3456x2304, 3812 KB) Plaque describing the Battle of Naseby. ...	Plaque - Map detail Image File history File links Battle_of_Naseby_monument_-_Plaque_-_Map_detail. ...	Central view towards the Royalist positions Image File history File links Battle_of_Naseby_monument_-_View_towards_Royalist_position. ...
Right view towards the Royalist positions Image File history File links Battle_of_Naseby_monument_-_View_towards_Royalist_position_-_Right_view. ...	Left view towards the Royalist positions Image File history File links Battle_of_Naseby_monument_-_View_towards_Royalist_position_-_Left_view. ...	Historical re-enactment Image File history File links Scene_from_recreation_of_Battle_of_Naseby. ...

See also

• The ship Naseby of the Commonwealth of England was named after the battle.
• English Civil War
• Wars of the Three Kingdoms
• Naseby Field

The painting Dutch attack on the Medway, June 1667 by Pieter Cornelisz van Soest, painted c. ... Motto: PAX QUÆRITUR BELLO (English: Peace is sought through war) Anthem: Multiple unofficial anthems Capital London Language(s) English Government Republic Lord Protector  - 1649-1658 Oliver Cromwell Legislature Rump Parliament Barebones Parliament History  - Declaration of Commonwealth May 19, 1649  - Declaration of Breda April 4, 1660 Area 130,395... The English Civil War consisted of a series of armed conflicts and political machinations that took place between Parliamentarians (known as Roundheads) and Royalists (known as Cavaliers) between 1642 and 1651. ... The Wars of the Three Kingdoms were an intertwined series of conflicts that took place in Scotland, Ireland, and England between 1639 and 1651 at a time when these countries had come under the Personal Rule of the same monarch. ... Naseby Field is the location of the Battle of Naseby it is located roughly 20 miles north of Northampton or roughly 7 miles southwest of the town of Market Harborough, and is just north of the A14 main road. ...

References

• Naseby 1645: The Campaign and the Battle by Peter Young ISBN 0-7126-0489-8
• Mark Stoyle, Soldiers and Strangers. An Ethnic History of the English Civil War, Yale: Yale University Press, 2005, ISBN 0-300-10700-5

Notes