Relief of Newark facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Relief of Newark |
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| Part of the First English Civil War | |||||||
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| Belligerents | |||||||
 Parliamentarians |
 Royalists |
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| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
| Sir John Meldrum Colonel Edward Rossiter |
Prince Rupert | ||||||
| Strength | |||||||
| 2,000 horse 5,000 foot 13 siege guns |
3,500 horse 3,000 foot 3 field guns |
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The Relief of Newark was a big win for the Royalist side during the First English Civil War. This battle happened on March 21, 1644. It was a special victory for Prince Rupert, a famous Royalist leader. Because of this win, the Royalists kept control of Newark-on-Trent almost until the war ended.
Why the Battle Happened
At the start of 1644, King Charles wanted to build a new army. He planned to bring soldiers back from Ireland. These soldiers were part of a deal he made with the Catholic Confederates.
Lord Byron was in charge of this army. But his forces lost badly at the Battle of Nantwich on January 26. Many soldiers from Ireland were hurt or captured. After this defeat, King Charles asked his nephew, Prince Rupert, for help. Rupert's job was to make the Royalist army strong again. He set up his main base in Shrewsbury on February 21.
Meanwhile, the Parliamentarian army moved to attack Newark-on-Trent. Newark was a very important town for the Royalists. It controlled the River Trent and threatened Parliamentarian areas. The town was naturally well-protected by the river. The Trent split above the town and joined again below it, surrounding Newark with water.
The Royalist commander in Newark, Richard Byron, made the town even stronger. He built earth walls and gun positions. The Parliamentarian army was led by Sir John Meldrum, a skilled Scottish soldier. On March 6, Meldrum's troops crossed the eastern part of the river. But their attack on the town on March 8 failed. After this, the Parliamentarians started building proper siege lines. They dug trenches and set up their guns.
On March 12, King Charles ordered Prince Rupert to go help Newark. Rupert quickly returned to Shrewsbury. He gathered soldiers, including his own cavalry and musketeers from Ireland. These Irish troops had not been at the Nantwich defeat. Rupert marched towards Newark, picking up more soldiers from towns like Wolverhampton and Ashby-de-la-Zouch.
The Battle Begins
Sir John Meldrum knew Prince Rupert was coming. But Rupert moved too fast for Meldrum to pull his army back. So, Meldrum arranged his soldiers near the "Spittal." This was the ruined St Leonard's Hospice, damaged in earlier fighting. It was on the east side of the River Trent.
Rupert worried that Meldrum might still escape. So, his cavalry rode forward in the moonlight. They attacked early on the morning of March 21. Rupert kept a small group of soldiers in reserve. He personally led his own cavalry on the left side of his army. Colonel Sir Richard Crane led Rupert's main cavalry group on the right.
The Parliamentarian cavalry was led by Colonel Edward Rossiter on their left. These were soldiers from Nottinghamshire. Colonel Francis Thornhalgh led the right side with troops from Lincolnshire. A third group of Parliamentarian cavalry was busy with the siege works. This meant the number of cavalry on both sides was about the same.
Fighting and Retreat
When Rupert attacked, the Parliamentarian right side quickly ran away. Prince Rupert himself was fighting hand-to-hand with the enemy. But the Parliamentarian left side pushed the Royalist right back. Colonel Gerard, a Royalist leader, was knocked off his horse and captured.
Eventually, Colonel Rossiter's Parliamentarian troops were surrounded. He had to pull his soldiers back. They retreated in an orderly way across a bridge of boats. This bridge led to the "Island," an area between the two parts of the River Trent.
When Rupert's foot soldiers arrived, they tried to capture the bridge of boats. But they were pushed back. Still, Meldrum's army was now stuck on the "Island." They only had food for a few days. The Parliamentarian officers also started arguing among themselves. One group of soldiers from Norfolk even refused to fight.
Because of this, Meldrum asked to surrender. His army was allowed to leave and go to other Parliamentarian bases. But they had to leave all their weapons and ammunition behind. The Royalists captured 3,000 muskets, 11 cannons, and two mortars.
What Happened After
The Relief of Newark was probably Prince Rupert's greatest personal success in the Civil War. He marched quickly and attacked with determination. This forced a larger Parliamentarian army to surrender.
Rupert could not keep his army together for long. The soldiers he had gathered on his march had to return to their own garrisons. He also did not have time to use his victory to gain more ground. The Royalists were having trouble in other parts of England, both in the north and the south.
