First English Civil War, 1644 facts for kids

The year 1644 was the third year of the First English Civil War. This was a big fight between King Charles I and the Parliament of England. The King's side was losing ground. To try and stop the war, Parliament sent peace ideas called the Propositions of Uxbridge to the King in Oxford.

Early Battles of 1644

In January 1644, Parliament's army, led by Sir William Waller, took back the town of Arundel. Meanwhile, in the Midlands, the King's forces were having a tough time. Parliament's army, helped by young Sir Thomas Fairfax, won a big victory at Nantwich on January 25. Many captured Royalist soldiers, including Colonel George Monck, decided to join Parliament's side.

Parliament's power grew stronger in many areas like Cheshire and Lancashire. Royalist strongholds were falling. In Yorkshire, Lord Fairfax was active again. Even the important town of Newark was surrounded by Parliament's forces. More big news came from the north. The Scottish army, allied with Parliament, crossed the River Tweed on January 19. This meant the King's general, the Marquess of Newcastle, would soon be attacked from two sides.

Key Battles: Newark and Cheriton

Prince Rupert, a skilled Royalist general, quickly moved north to help his side. He gathered more soldiers as he marched. First, he helped Lord Byron in Cheshire. Then, he rushed to Newark. On March 21, 1644, Rupert not only relieved Newark but also defeated the Parliamentarian cavalry. The next day, Parliament's General Meldrum had to surrender. Rupert was a brilliant soldier, but he couldn't be everywhere at once. He had to return his borrowed troops and go back to Wales to raise a new army.

Meanwhile, on March 29, the Royalist general Hopton faced a big defeat at Cheriton, near New Alresford. At first, the Royalists were doing well. The Earl of Forth, a Royalist commander, wanted to stop the fight. But a young Royalist cavalry colonel charged without orders. This started a new fight. In the end, Sir William Waller's Parliamentarian army won a surprising victory.

Things were also getting worse for the King in Yorkshire and Scotland. King Charles I had agreed to a plan by James Graham, Marquess of Montrose, to raise a Royalist army in Scotland. However, this first attempt did not go well. In Yorkshire, Sir Thomas Fairfax joined his father, Lord Fairfax. They stormed the town of Selby on April 11. Because of this, the Marquess of Newcastle, who was fighting the Scots, quickly pulled back. He went with his foot soldiers into the city of York. Two days later, the Scottish general, Lord Leven, joined the Fairfaxes. They began to surround York.

War Plans for 1644

The "Committee of Both Kingdoms" was like Parliament's war cabinet. Their first plan was to combine the armies of Lord Essex and Lord Manchester to attack the King's main army. They wanted to meet near Aylesbury. Sir William Waller's troops were supposed to push back Hopton and take back the west of England. Fairfax and the Scots were to surround Newcastle's army.

In the Midlands, Parliament hoped that their generals, Brereton and the Lincolnshire forces, would keep the Royalists in check. But Waller's army had problems, and he couldn't use his victory at Cheriton. He had to retreat. Manchester's army was also delayed because of Rupert's actions at Newark. Lincoln, which Parliament had lost, was not taken back until May 6. Also, Lord Essex was having trouble getting enough soldiers and money.

Even though Parliament had problems, the Royalists felt their situation was hopeless. Prince Maurice was stuck trying to capture Lyme Regis. Gloucester was active again for Parliament. The situation in the north was very bad. Prince Rupert went to Oxford on April 25, 1644. He wanted his new army to be free to help Newcastle in the north. This was because Newcastle's army was now in danger.

There was no more talk of three armies marching on London. Prince Rupert and the Earl of Brentford (now an Earl) both agreed that the Oxford area should be the main base for the King's armies. Rupert wanted to keep all the defenses against Essex. Brentford thought they should pull back their defenses. King Charles I was undecided, as usual. He agreed to Rupert's plan but did what Brentford suggested. So, Reading was taken apart in early May, and Abingdon was given up soon after.

Battle of Cropredy Bridge

With Reading and Abingdon given up, Parliament's armies could now get closer to Oxford. On May 26, 1644, Waller's and Essex's armies met at Abingdon. Unfortunately for Parliament, they were still under separate commanders. Lord Essex marched directly towards Oxford. Waller moved towards Wantage to help Edward Massey, the governor of Gloucester.

Things looked bad for the King in the west. Prince Maurice was still unsuccessfully besieging Lyme Regis. So, the King sent Hopton to take charge of Bristol. Oxford was also in trouble. The King had given up his outer defenses. He was forced to fight in the open, hoping the enemy would make mistakes.

And the enemy did make mistakes. The King, likely advised by Brentford, skillfully moved his army around. Essex then marched west with most of his troops. He wanted to repeat his success at Gloucester by relieving Lyme Regis. Waller was left to keep the King away from Oxford and try to capture it.

At one point, King Charles I thought about marching north to join Rupert and Newcastle. But he soon decided to return to Oxford. Waller followed him closely. When the King turned to fight a Parliamentarian army, Waller arrived in time to prevent a disaster. The two armies then moved towards the upper River Cherwell.

Brentford and Waller were careful generals. They would not fight a big battle unless they had a good chance to win. On June 29, the Royalists won a series of small fights around Cropredy Bridge. This was seen as an important victory, even though Waller's main army got away safely. Meanwhile, on June 15, Essex had relieved Lyme Regis and taken Weymouth. He was preparing to go further west. The two Parliamentarian armies were now truly separated. Waller was left to do his best, and Essex would soon face a worse fate.

Marston Moor Campaign

While these events were happening, the war in the north was decided. Prince Rupert's bravery and energy were more likely to win battles than the careful approach of generals like Essex. On May 16, 1644, Rupert left Shrewsbury. He fought his way through enemy territory to Lancashire. There, he hoped to gather new forces. He captured Stockport on May 25. Then, he completely defeated the Parliamentarian forces besieging Lathom House at Bolton on May 28. Soon after, he received many more soldiers, including 5,000 cavalry, from General George Goring.

Rupert quickly captured the town of Liverpool. This only delayed him for a few days. He then turned towards Yorkshire with a much larger army. On June 14, he received a message from the King. It said that he had a limited time for his mission in the north. If York was lost or didn't need his help, Rupert was to rush south to Worcester. The King wrote, "If York be relieved and you beat the rebels' armies of both kingdoms, then, but otherways not, I may possibly make a shift upon the defensive to spin out time until you come to assist me."

King Charles I did manage to hold out for a while. But it was very important for Rupert to deal with York and the allied army quickly. Rupert's duty was clear: save York by defeating the Scots, or march quickly to Worcester. Newcastle's army was still holding out in York. Rupert reached Knaresborough on June 30.

Immediately, Lord Leven, Fairfax, and Manchester ended their siege of York and moved out to meet him. But Rupert, still moving very fast, rode around their right side and entered York from the north. Newcastle tried to tell Rupert not to fight, but Rupert said he had orders to fight. The Royalists marched towards Marston Moor on the morning of July 2, 1644.

The Parliamentarian commanders thought Rupert might try another trick. They had already started to retreat. But when it became clear a battle was about to happen, they turned back. The Battle of Marston Moor began around four in the afternoon. It was the first big test between the best soldiers on both sides. It ended before nightfall with a complete victory for Parliament. The Royalist cause in the north was completely crushed. Newcastle fled to Europe. Only Rupert, still determined, managed to escape with 6,000 cavalry. He rode away, still a very important figure in the war.

Changes in Parliament's Army

The victory at Marston Moor gave Parliament full control of the north. But it didn't solve the political problems. In fact, the winning generals argued about the King's role in a new government. This happened even before York surrendered. Within three weeks of the battle, the large Parliamentarian army was broken up.

The Yorkshire troops went on to capture Royalist strongholds in their county. The Scots marched to besiege Newcastle-on-Tyne. Rupert, in Lancashire, was ignored. Manchester and Cromwell, who were already disagreeing, marched into the Eastern Association area. With no enemy to fight, their army became idle. Cromwell and the growing group of "Independents" began to suspect Manchester was not fully committed to the cause. Waller's army also lost its spirit and stopped moving.

On July 2, 1644, Cromwell, frustrated with the current military system, suggested forming the New Model Army. He wrote, "My lords, till you have an army merely your own, that you may command, it is . . . impossible to do anything of importance." Parliament, worried by the poor behavior of some armies, decided to form a new, unified force on July 12. Meanwhile, Waller's and Browne's armies fell apart due to mutiny and soldiers leaving.

It was clear that many people were tired of the war. They wanted peace and to protect their homes. Only people like Cromwell, who deeply believed in their cause, kept fighting. Cromwell had already decided that the King's power must be taken away. His supporters felt the same. But they were a small group. Even some of Waller's soldiers had joined the unrest. Waller's idea of a professional army, despite its risks, seemed the only way to achieve the kind of peace Cromwell wanted.

There was a key difference between Waller's idea and Cromwell's plan. The professional soldiers of the New Model Army were disciplined and led by officers who were deeply religious and devoted to the cause. Cromwell chose officers based on their devotion and skill. He once told a Scottish general that a person's religious beliefs didn't matter as much as their commitment. He also told the committee of Suffolk:

"I had rather have a plain russet-coated captain that knows what he fights for and loves what he knows than that which you call a 'gentleman' and is nothing else."

Cromwell preferred gentlemen if they had these qualities. In fact, only seven out of 37 senior officers in the original New Model Army were not from noble families.

Lostwithiel Disaster

All these changes were still in the future. Lord Essex's military journey in the west of England was the main focus. At first, he was successful. He reached Plymouth and thought he could easily take over Devon. But he was convinced to go into Cornwall as well. This was a mistake. The Cornish people rose up against him, just as they had under Hopton. The King quickly marched from Oxford, ignoring Waller's and Browne's armies.

The poor state of these armies showed that the desire to fight was weakening on both sides. King Charles I found this out when he learned that Lord Wilmot, his cavalry general, was secretly talking with Essex. Wilmot was arrested and replaced by General Goring. It was clear that even some Royalist cavaliers had lost their fighting spirit. Wilmot believed the country would never have peace while Charles was King.

From this point on, the King's foot soldiers, who were now very professional, became better than his once-great cavalry. This was partly because they had fewer chances to plunder. However, the Royalists won a clear victory in the west. After some maneuvering, Essex's Parliamentarian army found itself surrounded and starving at Lostwithiel, near the Fowey river. They had no hope of help.

The cavalry managed to fight their way out. Essex himself escaped by sea. But Major-General Philip Skippon, his second-in-command, had to surrender with all the foot soldiers on September 2, 1644. The officers and men were allowed to go free to Portsmouth. But their weapons, cannons, and supplies were taken by the Royalists.

After this, Parliament had no reliable army south of the Humber river. Even the Eastern Association army was divided by religious differences. These differences now became more important than political arguments. Cromwell even suggested getting rid of the nobility, who seemed willing to make a weak peace. He had lost all respect for his general, Manchester. Manchester wanted a peace that combined King Charles I with Presbyterianism, which Cromwell thought was impossible. Manchester, for his part, became stubborn. He refused to move against Rupert or even besiege Newark. He even threatened to hang Colonel Lilburne for capturing a Royalist castle without orders.

Parliament's Armies Unite

After the victory at Lostwithiel, King Charles I's main army didn't need to stay in the far west. Meanwhile, Banbury and Basing House (near Basingstoke), important Royalist strongholds, were in danger. Waller, who had put together a small force of reliable troops, had already sent cavalry to help Essex. Now, he came with more soldiers to try and stop the King from returning to the Thames valley.

King Charles I was only with his permanent forces and parts of Prince Maurice's and Hopton's armies. The Cornish soldiers had gone home, as they usually did once the fighting moved away from their area. Manchester slowly advanced to Reading. Essex gradually reorganized his defeated army at Portsmouth. Waller, far to the west at Shaftesbury, tried to gain time and space for all the Parliamentarian armies to meet in Wiltshire. There, Charles would be far from Oxford and Basing, and outnumbered two to one.

But rearming Essex's troops was slow because there wasn't enough money. Manchester stubbornly refused to be rushed. He said his army was only for defending its own region, not for general service. He used the renewed activity of the Newark Royalists as an excuse. He forgot that Newark would have been captured if he had moved there instead of doing nothing for two months.

The command structure was so bad that when the three armies finally united, they formed a war council. This council included the three army commanders, several senior officers, and two civilian representatives. Once the majority voted on a plan, Essex, as the most senior general, would give the orders for everyone. With such a system, Waller's hopes for a big battle at Shaftesbury were unlikely to happen.

On October 8, 1644, Waller retreated, with the Royal army following him. They reached Whitchurch on October 10. Manchester arrived at Basingstoke on the 17th, Waller on the 19th, and Essex on the 21st. King Charles I found he couldn't relieve Basing House without risking a battle between his army and Oxford. So, he took the Newbury road and relieved Donnington Castle, near Newbury, on October 22.

Three days later, Banbury was also relieved by troops from the Oxford garrison. But for once, the Parliamentarian war council decided to fight. Their armies, encouraged by the idea of action and news of Newcastle-on-Tyne falling, marched quickly. On October 26, they appeared north of Newbury on the Oxford road. Like Essex in 1643, King Charles I found himself cut off from friendly fortresses. However, this battle was different from the first Battle of Newbury. This time, the Parliamentarians were eager to attack the King in his chosen position, especially since he had better supplies.

Second Battle of Newbury

The Second Battle of Newbury, fought on October 27, 1644, was important because it was the first major battle of movement in the Civil War. Parliamentarian leaders (Essex was sick) scouted the area. They saw that the King's foot soldiers held a strong defensive line behind the Lambourn brook. This line stretched from Shaw to Donnington. Shaw House was an advanced post. Behind the center, north of Newbury, was most of the Royalist cavalry. To the left rear, Prince Maurice's troops were at Speen, with advanced troops on the high ground west of the village. Donnington Castle, led by Sir John Boys, was a strong point covering this gap with cannon fire.

Parliament's leaders did not want to attack the Lambourn line head-on. A flank attack from the east would be difficult. So, they decided on a wide turning movement. They would go around to attack Prince Maurice's position. This was a brave and energetic decision. It led to some success, but not a complete victory. The flank march was carried out on time and precisely.

The troops for this march came from all three armies. They were led by the best fighting generals: Waller, Cromwell, and Essex's officers, Balfour and Skippon. Manchester, at Clay Hill, was to wait. He would launch a strong attack on Shaw House as soon as he heard Waller's cannons at Speen. But there was no single commander to coordinate the two separate forces. So, there was no cooperation.

Waller's attack was expected, and Prince Maurice was ready. Still, the rebels' first charge captured the defenses of Speen Hill. Speen itself was bravely defended but fell within an hour. Essex's infantry even recaptured some cannons they had lost at Lostwithiel. But Manchester, despite his officers' pleas, did not move from Clay Hill. He had already made one weak attack earlier that morning and had been badly beaten. He knew his own weaknesses as a general.

A year before, Manchester would have asked for and followed the advice of a good soldier like Cromwell. But now, he only wanted peace. He just tried to avoid defeat, hoping for a peaceful end to the war. Those who wanted to win through victory were pushing Maurice back towards Newbury. But every attempt to get out of the narrow lanes was stopped by the Royalist cavalry. King Charles I's officers had guessed Manchester's intentions. They almost stripped the front line of defenders to stop Waller's advance. Nightfall ended the fighting around Newbury. Then, too late, Manchester ordered the attack on Shaw House. It completely failed, even though his men fought bravely. Darkness was complete, so the attack was not tried again.

The battle was similar to the Battle of Freiburg, fought in the same year. But if Waller's role was like Turenne's, Manchester was not like Conde. The French won after three days of hard fighting, but their gains were small. For the English, the results were almost nothing. During the night, the Royal army quietly marched away through the gap between Waller's and Manchester's troops. The heavy cannons and supplies were left in Donnington Castle. King Charles I rode off with a small escort to meet Rupert. The main army reached Wallingford safely.

Waller and Cromwell tried to chase them with all the cavalry they could find. But they were not supported. The war council had decided to just besiege Donnington Castle. Later, after a brief attempt to move towards Oxford, they asked the committee for more instructions. Within a month, King Charles I joined Rupert at Oxford. He made Rupert the general of the Royalist forces instead of Brentford. Charles then reappeared near Newbury.

Donnington Castle was relieved again on November 9. The Parliamentarian army was in such bad shape that even Cromwell was against fighting. Some maneuvers followed. During these, Charles relieved Basing House. The Parliamentarian armies retreated, not in good order, to Reading. The season for fighting in the field was almost over. The Royal army went to enjoy good quarters and plenty of supplies around Oxford.

Self-Denying Ordinance

On Parliament's side, the disagreements between the generals became very clear. Parliament could no longer ignore the fact that the army needed big changes. Cromwell and Waller, from their places in Parliament, criticized Manchester's actions. Cromwell's criticism eventually turned into an attack on the Lords, who mostly agreed with Manchester. It also became an attack on the Scots, who tried to put Cromwell on trial. At the height of their bitter argument, Cromwell suddenly suggested that all officers who were members of Parliament should resign. This would affect him, Essex, and Manchester.

The first "Self-denying Ordinance" was proposed on December 9, 1644. It said that "no member of either house shall have or execute any office or command..." The Lords did not accept this. In the end, a second "self-denying ordinance" was agreed to on April 3, 1645. This one said that all concerned persons had to resign, but they could be reappointed. At the same time, the formation of the New Model Army was finally seriously considered. Sir William Waller's last military action was relieving Taunton, which was being besieged by General Goring's army. Cromwell served as his second-in-command on this occasion. Waller himself said that Cromwell was a wise, capable, and respectful subordinate. Under a leader like Waller, Cromwell was happy to obey, knowing the cause was in good hands.

Royalist Decline

During the early winter of 1644/45, the Royalists mainly carried out a raid by Goring's cavalry into Surrey. They also made an unsuccessful attack on General Browne at Abingdon. It was no longer easy for the Royalists. More and more Royalists, including Rupert himself, wanted peace. Many loyal gentlemen had lost money because their estates had not earned rent for three years. They had no hope of winning. They were going to Westminster to surrender to Parliament and pay fines. In these circumstances, the old strategy of seeking decisive battles was impossible.

The new plan, probably suggested by Rupert, had already been tried successfully in the summer of 1644. It involved using Oxford as a central point. From there, the army would strike out in different directions at any good target. Napoleon later called this "maneuvering about a fixed point."

It showed how much the Royalist cause had declined. In 1643, the "fixed point" had been the King's main army. It was based on its large fortified camp around Banbury, Cirencester, Reading, and Oxford. But it was free to move and fight the enemy anywhere. Now, the "fixed point" was the fortified camp itself. It was weaker because its outer posts had been lost or given up. It could not stop the enemy if they chose to ignore it. This limited what the King's last field army could do.

New Army Ordinance

For now, King Charles I's cause was falling apart more from its own weaknesses than from enemy attacks. New peace talks began on January 29, 1645, at Uxbridge. These talks took up the attention of the Scots and their Presbyterian friends. The rise of the Independents and Cromwell was another distraction. The Lords and Commons in Parliament strongly disagreed about the new army and the Self-Denying Ordinance.

But in February, a new mutiny in Waller's army scared the arguing parties. The "treaty" of Uxbridge ended like the treaty of Oxford in 1643. A plan for army reform was agreed upon on February 15. Although the second, changed version of the ordinance was not agreed to by both Houses until March 25, Sir Thomas Fairfax and Philip Skippon (who were not members of Parliament) had already been approved as the new army's general and infantry commander on January 21. The position of cavalry commander was left open for a while. But it was clear who would eventually get it.

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