Battle of Stourbridge Heath facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Battle of Stourbridge Heath |
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| Part of the First English Civil War | |||||||
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| Belligerents | |||||||
 Royalists |
 Parliamentarians |
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| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
| Sir Gilbert Gerard | Colonel "Tinker" Fox | ||||||
The Battle of Stourbridge Heath happened on March 26, 1644. It was a small fight during the First English Civil War. In this battle, a group of Parliamentarian soldiers led by Colonel "Tinker" Fox lost to a bigger Royalist army. The Royalists were commanded by Sir Gilbert Gerard, who was the Governor of Worcester.
Why the Battle Happened
In 1644, Colonel Fox led a surprise attack. He successfully captured Stourton Castle for the Parliamentarians. His brother then defended the castle.
However, a Royalist army soon arrived. Sir Gilbert Gerard, the Royalist Governor of Worcester, led this force. They began to surround and attack Stourton Castle.
Colonel Fox asked for help from Basil Feilding, Earl of Denbigh. Denbigh was a Parliamentarian commander. But Fox received no support from him. So, Fox had to lead his own soldiers from Edgbaston to help the castle.
Fox's group was stopped near Stourbridge by the Royalists. He did get 110 more men from Coventry. But without Denbigh's help, Fox's army was much smaller than Gerard's.
Where the Battle Took Place
We don't know the exact spot of the battle. The two armies met near Stourbridge on March 26, 1644.
The area south of Stourbridge used to be open heathland. This is near where Mary Stevens Park is today.
The Battle Itself
The Royalists won this battle easily. Colonel Fox's soldiers were completely defeated and ran away. The Royalists even joked that Fox was the first to flee.
We don't know how many people were hurt or killed. But Royalist reports say they chased the Parliamentarian soldiers for three miles. Many were killed during this chase.
The Royalists definitely captured some prisoners. Later in 1644, Fox was upset that these captured men were not traded for a high-ranking Royalist prisoner. Fox often had disagreements with his Parliamentarian commanders. He felt they didn't support him enough.
What Happened After
With no help coming, the Parliamentarian soldiers at Stourton Castle had to give up.
After this defeat, Colonel Fox never tried to fight a large Royalist army directly again. Instead, he became very successful with clever tactics. He used his network of spies to gather information. For example, he attacked Bewdley and raided Dudley. He did this just hours after Royalist forces had left Dudley.
Colonel Fox ended the war as an important officer. He was part of the County Committee for Worcestershire. Sir Gilbert Gerard continued fighting for the Royalist side. He died in 1646 and is buried in Worcester.
