First English Civil War, 1642 facts for kids

The First English Civil War began in 1642. This was a big fight between King Charles I and the English Parliament. By the end of 1642, neither side had won a clear victory. However, the King's army got very close to London. This was the closest the Royalist forces came to taking the city.

Starting the War: The 1642 Campaign

When King Charles I officially started the war in Nottingham on August 22, 1642, small battles were already happening. Both sides wanted to control important places like country houses, land, and especially weapons and money.

Even while these small fights went on, people tried to make peace. But Parliament sent a very strong message to the King. This message made the King and many people across the country decide to fight. Many who were unsure before now supported the King.

Soon, King Charles I had a large army. At first, he had fewer than 1,500 men. But his new army, though lacking good weapons, was almost as big as Parliament's army. Parliament's army had about 20,000 soldiers. They gathered near London in July, August, and September. Their leader, Lord Essex, then moved them to Northampton.

Who Fought Where?

At this time, the country was divided.

• The Marquess of Hertford was fighting for the King in South Wales.
• Hopton was fighting for the King in Cornwall.
• The Earl of Derby supported the King in Lancashire.
• Many small groups in the west and middle of England also fought for the King.
• North of the Tees, Newcastle, a powerful noble, was gathering soldiers and supplies for the King.
• Queen Henrietta Maria was in Holland. She was getting weapons and money for the King.

In Yorkshire, people were split. The King had more support in York and the North Riding. Parliament had more support in the clothing towns of the West Riding.

The important port city of Hull had many people who supported the King. But its military leader, Sir John Hotham, and his soldiers supported Parliament. Earlier that summer, the King tried to take weapons stored in Hull. But he was stopped by force.

Some nobles in Yorkshire tried to keep their county neutral. But fighting soon broke out. Newcastle then got ready to invade Yorkshire.

Most of the south and east of England supported Parliament. So did parts of the Midlands and the west. Important cities like Bristol and Gloucester were also on Parliament's side. A small Royalist force had to leave Oxford on September 10.

The Main Campaign Begins

The main fighting began on September 13. The King wanted more soldiers and weapons. He moved his army west to Shrewsbury. He hoped to find supporters and weapons there. He also wanted to connect with his trained soldiers in Ireland through Chester.

Lord Essex followed the King. He marched his army from Northampton to Worcester. On September 23, a cavalry battle happened near Worcester. This was the Battle of Powick Bridge. Prince Rupert led the King's cavalry. They easily defeated Parliament's cavalry. This victory made the Royalist horsemen very confident. They stayed confident until they met Oliver Cromwell's Ironsides.

Rupert soon went back to Shrewsbury. Many Royalist officers wanted to attack Essex's army at Worcester. But the path to London was open. So, the King decided to march towards London instead. They wanted to fight Essex before his army became too strong. Both sides were eager for a big battle.

The King's army left Shrewsbury on October 12. They had a two-day head start on Essex. They moved south-east through Bridgnorth, Birmingham, and Kenilworth. This worried Parliament.

Parliament ordered Essex to find the King and fight him. Their worry turned into determination when they learned the King was getting help from Catholics and foreign countries. The local soldiers around London were called up. A second army was formed in London. Essex rushed to catch up with the King. On October 22, he reached Kineton. This was only seven miles (eleven kilometers) from the King's camp at Edgecote.

Battle of Edgehill

Prince Rupert quickly told the King that Essex's army was near. Rupert's confidence helped the King decide to fight. On the morning of October 23, 1642, the Royalists lined up for battle. They were on top of Edge Hill, facing Kineton.

Essex was an experienced soldier. He had not forced a battle earlier when the King was weaker. Now, Charles was in a strong position. Both armies had about 14,000 soldiers. Some of Essex's soldiers were still far away. But Essex moved his army forward. The King's army then came down from the hill to fight. They had to fight or run out of food.

The Fight Begins

Prince Rupert led the King's cavalry on the right side. Lord Lindsey and Sir Jacob Astley led the foot soldiers in the middle. Henry Wilmot and the Earl of Forth led a smaller group of cavalry on the left. The King and a small group of reserve soldiers were behind the center. Essex's army was set up in a similar way.

Rupert attacked as soon as his cavalry was ready. He charged forward and quickly defeated Parliament's cavalry on his side. Some of Parliament's foot soldiers also suffered the same fate.

On the other side, Wilmot and Forth also swept away Parliament's cavalry. But the Royalist soldiers were not disciplined. They chased the fleeing enemy soldiers all the way to Kineton. There, John Hampden's foot soldiers stopped them. Hampden's soldiers were guarding Essex's cannons and supplies. Rupert could only bring a few of his cavalry squadrons back to the battle. By then, things were going badly for the King.

The Battle Continues

Parliament's foot soldiers on the right and center advanced strongly. They were well-armed and eager to fight. They fought fiercely against Lindsey's men and slowly pushed them back. Only the best soldiers on both sides kept their formation. The battle was decided by a few of Parliament's cavalry groups.

One of Essex's cavalry groups had been attacked by Wilmot. The other two were not seen at first. Every Royalist cavalry group, including the King's guards, joined the wild chase to Kineton. But Essex's life-guard cavalry, and some groups that had recovered from Rupert's charge (like Captain Oliver Cromwell's), were still on the battlefield. They attacked the left side of the King's foot soldiers.

The King's army slowly broke apart from left to right. Parliament's soldiers captured his cannons. Many Royalist groups broke formation. King Charles I stayed calm in the middle of the fight. But he could not direct the battle. The Royal Standard (flag) was captured and then taken back. Sir Edmund Verney, who carried the standard, was killed. Lindsey was also killed in a separate fight.

By the time Rupert returned, both armies were too tired to fight more. The Battle of Edgehill did not end the war. It was just the first of many big battles.

After Edgehill

On October 24, Essex's army left. King Charles I claimed victory and took control of Banbury and Oxford. By October 28, Charles was marching along the Thames river towards London.

Peace talks started again. Many people in London and Westminster wanted peace. But London also built new defenses. When Rupert attacked and robbed Brentford on November 12, London's trained soldiers immediately moved out. They took a position at Turnham Green, blocking the King's advance.

Hampden wanted Essex to attack the King's army from both sides. He suggested going through Acton and Kingston. But experienced soldiers told him not to trust the London soldiers to hold their ground. Hampden's idea was too soon. The London soldiers were not strong enough against Rupert's cavalry yet.

After a small cannon fight at the Battle of Turnham Green on November 13, the King had to retreat. Essex had twice as many soldiers. Turnham Green is called the "Valmy of the English Civil War." Like the Battle of Valmy, it was a victory without a big battle. The King's invasion stopped there and never came back.

Winter of 1642–43: A Cold War

During the winter, Essex's army stayed quiet at Windsor. But King Charles I slowly made his position stronger around Oxford. Oxford became a strong fort for the whole area. Other towns like Reading, Wallingford, Abingdon, Brill, Banbury, and Marlborough formed a defensive circle. More small forts were added over time.

Fighting in the North and West

In the North and West, fighting continued through the winter. One person joked, "It is summer in Yorkshire, summer in Devon, and cold winter at Windsor."

In early December 1642, Newcastle crossed the River Tees. He defeated Sir John Hotham, Parliament's leader in the North Riding. Newcastle then joined the Royalists in York. He set up his forces between York and Pontefract. Lord Fairfax and his son Sir Thomas Fairfax led Parliament's forces in Yorkshire. They had to retreat to the area between Hull and Selby. Newcastle was then free to attack the Puritan "clothing towns" in the West Riding. These towns were Leeds, Halifax, and Bradford.

But the people in these towns fought back strongly. Sir Thomas Fairfax rode through Newcastle's lines with cavalry to help them. By the end of January 1643, Newcastle gave up trying to take the towns.

Newcastle continued his march south. He gained ground for the King as far as Newark-on-Trent. This connected him with Royalists in Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire, and Leicestershire. These Royalists were strong enough to stop Parliament's local forces. Newcastle was also preparing for the Queen's supplies to arrive from overseas.

In the west, Hopton and his friends led the local soldiers. They drove Parliament's supporters out of Cornwall. Then they formed a small army and invaded Devonshire in November 1642. Later, Parliament's army, led by the Earl of Stamford, moved from South Wales to fight Hopton. Hopton had to retreat back into Cornwall. There, he used the local soldiers again. With more soldiers, he won a victory over part of Stamford's forces. This was the Battle of Bradock Down near Liskeard on January 19, 1643. Hopton then went on the attack again.

Around the same time, Hertford brought the Royalists from South Wales to Oxford. The fortified area around Oxford grew bigger when they captured Cirencester on February 2. Gloucester and Bristol were now the only important forts for the Roundheads (Parliament's supporters) in the west.

Midlands and Parliament's Struggles

In the Midlands, Parliament won a battle at Battle of Nantwich on January 28. Sir William Brereton led this victory. But the Royalists in Shropshire, Staffordshire, and Leicestershire soon spread their influence. They reached into Nottinghamshire and joined forces with their friends at Newark.

A new Royalist army was forming near Chester. Lord Byron led this army. Sir Sir John Brereton and Sir Sir John Gell, 1st Baronet, Parliament's main supporter in Derbyshire, struggled to hold their own. This was even before Newcastle's army became another enemy.

The Lord Brooke led Parliament's forces in Warwickshire and Staffordshire. Many thought he would replace Essex. But he was killed while attacking Lichfield Cathedral on March 2. The cathedral soon surrendered. But Gell and Brereton faced tough fighting at the Battle of Hopton Heath near Stafford on March 19. Prince Rupert then raided Bristol (March 7). He quickly marched north, attacking Birmingham along the way. He recaptured Lichfield Cathedral. However, he was soon called back to Oxford for the main campaign.

Parliament's situation was perhaps at its worst in January. The Royalist victories in November and December worried people. There was also a constant fear of other countries getting involved. Parliament also had to make people pay new taxes. This made many supporters lose hope. Riots broke out in London. Some rebels started thinking about asking Scotland for military help. But most people just wanted peace.

Parliament's Comeback

Soon, Parliament's situation improved. The Earl of Stamford in the west, and Brereton and Gell in the Midlands, were still fighting. Newcastle had failed to conquer West Riding. Sir William Waller had cleared Hampshire and Wiltshire of Royalists. He entered Gloucestershire in early March. He destroyed a small Royalist force at Highnam on March 24. This secured Bristol and Gloucester for Parliament.

Also, some of King Charles's secret plans came to light. People who were unsure before now saw that the King was not being honest. They rallied back to Parliament's side. Peace talks called the "Treaty of Oxford" ended in April. They had no more success than the talks before Edgehill and Turnham Green.

Around this time, Parliament created "associations" or groups of counties. These groups worked together for defense. The strongest and best organized was the Eastern Association. It was based in Cambridge. The danger of attack from the north made them work hard to prepare. But the danger was also far enough away not to stop their preparations. Most importantly, Colonel Cromwell guided and inspired the Eastern Association from the start.

The defenses built around London in the summer of 1642 were improved. New forts called the Lines of Communication were built around the City of London. Parliament ordered these in 1642, and they were finished in 1643.