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. September 23 is the 266th day of the year (267th in leap years). ... Events January 4 - Charles I attempts to arrest five leading members of the Long Parliament, but they escape. ... The term English Civil War (or Wars) refers to the series of armed conflicts and political machinations which took place between Parliamentarians and Royalists from 1642 until 1651. ... Headline text Cavalier has multiple meanings: Cavalier is a male ballet dancer. ... The Roundheads was the nickname given to supporters of the Parliamentarian cause in the English Civil War. ...

Prelude

King Charles I of England had left London and raised his standard Nottingham on 22 August 1642. Although some skirmishing had occurred throughout the country, it was on 13 September, that the main campaign of the First English Civil War opened. Charles, in order to find recruits amongst his sympathisers and arms in the armouries of the Derbyshire and Staffordshire, trained bands and also, to be in touch with his disciplined regiments in Ireland by way of Chester, moved westward from Nottingham to Shrewsbury. The Earl of Essex with an army of about 20,000 followed suit by marching his army from Northampton to Worcester. Charles I (19 November 1600 – 30 January 1649) was King of England, Scotland, and Ireland, from 27 March 1625 until his execution in 1649. ... Nottingham is a city (and county town of Nottinghamshire) in the East Midlands of England. ... August 22 is the 234th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (235th in leap years), with 131 days remaining. ... September 13 is the 256th day of the year (257th in leap years). ... 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... An armory is a military depot used for the storage of weapons and ammunition. ... Derbyshire is a county in the East Midlands of England, and boasts some of Englands most attractive scenery. ... Staffordshire (abbreviated Staffs) is a landlocked county in the West Midlands region of England. ... Chester is the county town of Cheshire in North West England. ... Nottingham is a city (and county town of Nottinghamshire) in the East Midlands of England. ... Shrewsbury (pronounced either /ˈʃɹuːzbɹiː/ or /ˈʃɹəʊzbɹiː/) is a town of 70,059 [1] in Shropshire, England. ... Robert Devereux, 3rd Earl of Essex, (January 11 1591 – 14 September 1646), was the son and heir of the unfortunate Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex, and succeeded to his fathers title in 1604, three years after the previous earl had been executed for treason. ... Northampton Guildhall, built 1861-4, E.W. Godwin, architect Northampton is a large market town and a local government district in central England upon the River Nene, and the county town of Northamptonshire. ... The city of Worcester (pronounced ) is a city and the county town of Worcestershire in England. ...

Battle

Near Worcester, a sharp cavalry engagement, now known as the Battle of Powick Bridge, took place on 23 September between the advanced cavalry of Essex's army, and a force under Prince Rupert, which was engaged in protecting a small Royalist force which had been compelled to evacuate Oxford on 10 September. September 23 is the 266th day of the year (267th in leap years). ... for the city in British Columbia, see Prince Rupert, British Columbia Prince Rupert of the Rhine (1619-1682), soldier and inventor, was a younger son of Frederick V, Elector Palatine and Elizabeth Stuart, and the nephew of King Charles I of England. ... Oxford is a city and local government district in Oxfordshire, England, with a population of 134,248 (2001 census). ... September 10 is the 253rd day of the year (254th in leap years). ...

The result of the fight was the immediate overthrow of the Parliamentary cavalry, and this gave the Royalist troopers a confidence in themselves and in their brilliant leader, which was not shaken until they met Oliver Cromwell's Ironsides. Unfinished portrait miniature of Oliver Cromwell by Samuel Cooper, 1657. ... Ironside may refer to: Oliver Cromwell, the English political leader who was nicknamed Old Ironsides. Ironside, a cavalry trooper in the army formed by Cromwell. ...

Aftermath

Rupert soon withdrew to Shrewsbury, where he found many Royalist officers eager to attack Essex's new position at Worcester. But the road to London now lay open and it was decided to take it. The intention was not to avoid a battle, for the Royalist generals wanted to fight Essex before he grew too strong, and the temper of both sides made it impossible to postpone the decision. In the Earl of Clarendon's words: "it was considered more counsellable to march towards London, it being morally sure that Essex would put himself in their way". Accordingly, the army left Shrewsbury on 12 October, gaining two days' start on the enemy, and moved south-east. This had the desired effect. Edward Hyde, 1st Earl of Clarendon (February 18, 1609–December 9, 1674) was an English historian and statesman. ... October 12 is the 285th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (286th in leap years). ...

Parliament, alarmed for its own safety, sent repeated orders to Essex to find the King and bring him to battle. Alarm gave place to determination, when it was discovered that Charles was enlisting papists and seeking foreign aid. The militia of the home counties was called out. A second army under Earl of Warwick was formed round the nucleus of the London trained bands, and Essex, straining every nerve to regain touch with the enemy, reached Kineton, where he was only seven miles (eleven kilometres) from the King's headquarters at Edgecote, on 22 October. The inconclusive Battle of Edge Hill was fought the next day. Papist is a slur referring to Roman Catholics. It was coined during the English Reformation to indicate one who believed in Papal supremacy over all Christians. ... Robert Rich Robert Rich, 2nd Earl of Warwick (1587 - 1658) was an English colonial administrator and admiral. ... A kineton noseband is a type of noseband used on the bridle of a horse. ... Edgecote village no longer exists. ... October 22 is the 295th day of the year (296th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 70 days remaining. ... The Battle of Edgehill (or Edge Hill) was the first major engagement of the First English Civil War. ...

References

This article incorporates text from the Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition article ""THE GREAT REBELLION"", a publication now in the public domain. Encyclopædia Britannica, the 11th edition The Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition (1910–1911) is perhaps the most famous edition of the Encyclopædia Britannica. ... The public domain comprises the body of all creative works and other knowledge—writing, artwork, music, science, inventions, and others—in which no person or organization has any proprietary interest. ...

Further reading

• Battle of Powick Bridge part of the The Battlefields Trust Resource Centre of the The Battlefields Trust
• 1642: First campaigns of the English Civil War on the British Civil Wars & Commonwealth website
• Powick Bridge website of English Civil War