Timeline of the English Civil War facts for kids

This is a timeline of important events that happened before, during, and after the English Civil Wars. These wars were a series of conflicts in England, Scotland, and Ireland during the 1600s. They were fought between supporters of the King and supporters of Parliament.

Road to War: Events Before 1642

Growing Tensions: 1620s and 1630s

• 1626 – Parliament tried to remove George Villiers, 1st Duke of Buckingham, a close friend of King Charles I. The King got angry and closed Parliament.
• 1628 – Charles I called Parliament back. Parliament made the Petition of Right, which limited the King's power. Charles I reluctantly agreed. Later, someone murdered George Villiers.
• 1629 – King Charles I closed Parliament again. He ruled without Parliament for 11 years. This time was called the Personal Rule.
• 1633 – William Laud became the Archbishop of Canterbury, a very important church leader.
• 1637 – Charles I tried to make the Scottish church more like the English church. This made many Scottish people, especially the Presbyterians, very angry. It led to the National Covenant, a promise to defend their church.
• 1639–1640 – Conflicts known as the Bishops' Wars began in Scotland because of the church changes.

Key Moments in 1640

• 13 April – The Short Parliament met for the first time.
• 5 May – King Charles I quickly closed the Short Parliament.
• 28 October – Charles I was forced to sign the Treaty of Ripon after losing the Bishops' Wars.
• 3 November – The Long Parliament began. It would last for many years.
• 11 December – The Root and Branch Petition was given to the Long Parliament. It asked for big changes to the Church of England.

Changes and Rebellions: 1641

• July – The Long Parliament passed a law to get rid of the Star Chamber, a special court the King used.
• July – Charles I went to Scotland and agreed to many demands from the Scottish Covenanters.
• August – The Root and Branch Bill, which wanted to remove bishops from the church, was rejected by Parliament.
• October – A major Irish Rebellion of 1641 started in Ireland.
• 1 December – The Grand Remonstrance, a long list of complaints against the King, was given to him.
• December – The Long Parliament passed the Bishops Exclusion Act. This law aimed to remove bishops from the House of Lords.

The Start of Open Conflict: 1642 Events

• 4 January – King Charles I tried to arrest five Members of Parliament (John Pym, John Hampden, Denzil Holles, Sir Arthur Haselrig, and William Strode) right in the House of Commons. He failed.
• January – Parliament ordered Sir John Hotham, 1st Baronet to take control of the weapons store at Kingston upon Hull.
• 5 February – Bishops were officially removed from the House of Lords by the Bishops Exclusion Act.
• 23 February – Queen Henrietta Maria left for the Netherlands, taking the crown jewels with her.
• 5 March – The Long Parliament passed the Militia Ordinance. This law gave Parliament control over the army.
• 15 March – Parliament declared that people must follow the Militia Ordinance, even though the King had not approved it.
• April – Sir John Hotham, 1st Baronet refused to let King Charles I enter Kingston upon Hull.
• May – The Irish rebellion ended.
• 2 June – Parliament sent the Nineteen Propositions to the King, asking him to give up more power. He rejected them.
• 3 June – A large meeting happened on Heworth Moor near York. Charles I gathered support for his side.
• July – Charles I unsuccessfully attacked Hull.
• July – Parliament created the English Committee of Safety to manage the war effort.
• 29 September – The Treaty of Neutrality (Yorkshire) was signed, trying to keep peace in Yorkshire.
• 23 October – The Battle of Edgehill was the first major battle of the war.
• 1 December – Battle of Piercebridge.
• 7 December – Battle of Tadcaster.
• 18 December – The first Sieges of Bradford took place.

The First English Civil War: 1642-1646

This was the main part of the war, where the King's Royalist forces fought against Parliament's armies.

Battles and Sieges: 1643

• 19 January – Battle of Braddock Down.
• 23 January – Battle of Leeds.
• 28 January – Parliament tried to negotiate peace with the King at the Treaty of Oxford, but it failed.
• 19 March – Battle of Hopton Heath.
• 30 March – Battle of Seacroft Moor.
• 3 April – Battle of Camp Hill, a victory for the Royalists.
• 8–21 April – The Royalists captured Lichfield after a siege.
• 25 April – Parliament won the Battle of Sourton Down.
• 16 May – Royalist victory at the Battle of Stratton.
• 21 May – Thomas Fairfax attacked Wakefield to take prisoners.
• 29–31 May – Parliament failed to capture Worcester during a siege.
• 16 June – The Long Parliament passed the Licensing Order, which controlled what could be printed.
• 18 June – John Hampden, a key Parliamentarian, was badly wounded at the Battle of Chalgrove Field and died a few days later.
• 30 June – Battle of Adwalton Moor.
• 1 July – The Westminster Assembly met for the first time to discuss religious changes.
• 2 July – The second Sieges of Bradford began.
• 4 July – Battle of Burton Bridge.
• 5 July – Battle of Lansdowne near Bath.
• 13 July – Battle of Roundway Down near Devizes.
• 20 July – Battle of Gainsborough.
• 26 July – The Royalists successfully attacked and took Bristol.
• 17 August – The Church of Scotland agreed to the Solemn League and Covenant.
• 2 September – The Siege of Hull (1643) began.
• 18 September – Battle of Aldbourne Chase.
• 20 September – The First Battle of Newbury was fought.
• 25 September – The Long Parliament and the Westminster Assembly also agreed to the Solemn League and Covenant. This agreement brought Scotland into the war on Parliament's side. The Committee of Both Kingdoms was formed.
• 11 October – Battle of Winceby.

Turning Points: 1644

The Scottish army marched south and joined Parliament's forces, threatening York.

• 26 January – Battle of Nantwich.
• 3 February – The Scots formally asked Newcastle to surrender during a siege.
• 29 March – Battle of Cheriton.
• 28 May – The Royalists attacked Bolton, leading to the Bolton Massacre.
• 29 June – Battle of Cropredy Bridge.
• 2 July – The Battle of Marston Moor was a huge victory for Parliament and their Scottish allies.
• 13 September – The second Battle of Aberdeen.
• 19 October – The Siege of Newcastle ended when Scottish soldiers stormed the city.
• 24 October – The Long Parliament passed a harsh law against Irish soldiers.
• 27 October – The Second Battle of Newbury was fought.
• 23 November – John Milton published his famous work, Areopagitica, arguing for freedom of speech.
• 4 November – Parliament sent peace proposals, called the Propositions of Uxbridge, to the King.

Decisive Battles: 1645

• 6 January – The Committee of Both Kingdoms ordered the creation of the New Model Army. This was a new, professional army for Parliament.
• 28 January – Parliament appointed people to meet with the King's representatives at Uxbridge.
• 22 February – Peace talks at Uxbridge failed.
• February–July – The Great Siege of Scarborough Castle took place.
• 23 April – The Long Parliament passed the Self-denying Ordinance. This law made Members of Parliament give up their military commands.
• 9 May – Battle of Auldearn.
• 30 May – Leicester was besieged and sacked.
• 14 June – The Battle of Naseby was a major victory for the New Model Army, severely weakening the King's forces.
• 2 July – Battle of Alford.
• 10 July – Battle of Langport.
• 15 August – Battle of Kilsyth.
• 13 September – Battle of Philiphaugh.
• 24 September – Battle of Rowton Heath.
• Leicester surrendered.
• October – Fear of Royalist attack in south Lincolnshire.
• Charles I went to Welbeck, Nottinghamshire.
• 17 December – The Siege of Hereford ended with the Royalist army surrendering.

Royalist Defeat: 1646

• 18 January – The Siege of Dartmouth ended with the Royalist army surrendering.
• 3 February – The Siege of Chester ended after 136 days with the Royalist army surrendering.
• 16 February – The New Model Army won the Battle of Torrington.
• 10 March – Ralph Hopton surrendered the last major Royalist army in Cornwall.
• 21 March – The Battle of Stow-on-the-Wold was the last major battle of the First Civil War. The New Model Army won.
• 13 April – The Siege of Exeter ended with the Royalist army surrendering.
• 5 May – King Charles I surrendered to the Scottish army at Southwell, Nottinghamshire.
• 6 May – Newark fell to Parliament's forces.
• 24 June – The Siege of Oxford ended with the Royalist army surrendering.
• 22 July – The Siege of Worcester ended with the Royalist army surrendering.
• 27 July – Wallingford Castle, the last Royalist stronghold in England, surrendered to Sir Thomas Fairfax.
• 19 August – The Royalist army at Raglan Castle in Wales surrendered.
• 9 October – The Long Parliament passed a law to get rid of archbishops and bishops in England and Wales.

After the First War: 1647

• 13 March – Harlech Castle, the last Royalist stronghold in Wales, surrendered.
• 29 May – The General Council of the Army created the Solemn Engagement, a promise to stand together.
• 3 June – A junior officer named George Joyce and his cavalry took the King from his Parliament guards. The King was now held by the New Model Army.
• 4–5 June – The New Model Army officers and men agreed to the Solemn Engagement.
• 8 June – General Fairfax sent the Solemn Engagement to Parliament. He explained that the Army now had the King.
• 1 August – The General Council of the Army offered the Heads of Proposals, their ideas for a new government.
• 31 August – Montrose escaped from the Highlands.
• October – A document called "An Agreement of the People" was presented. It suggested new rules for a peaceful country.
• 28 October – The Putney Debates began. Soldiers and officers discussed the future of England. They ended on November 11.
• 26 December – A group of Scottish Covenanters signed The Engagement with Charles I. This agreement promised Scottish help for the King.

The Second English Civil War: 1648-1649

This was a shorter conflict, sparked by the King's agreement with the Scots and Royalist uprisings.

Events of 1648

• 8 May – Battle of St. Fagans.
• 16 May(?) – 11 July – The Siege of Pembroke took place.
• 1 June – Battle of Maidstone.
• 13 June – 28 August – The Siege of Colchester occurred.
• 17 August – 19 August – The Battle of Preston was a major victory for Parliament.
• 19 August – Battle of Winwick.
• 28 August – After Colchester surrendered, Royalist leaders Charles Lucas and Sir George Lisle were executed.
• 15 September – The Treaty of Newport was signed, another attempt at peace with the King.
• November – Army leaders wrote the Remonstrance of the Army, demanding justice against the King.
• 6 December – Pride's Purge: Soldiers led by Colonel Thomas Pride removed members of Parliament who disagreed with Oliver Cromwell. This created the Rump Parliament.

The King's Execution and Republic: 1649

• 15 January – A new "Agreement of the People" was presented to the Rump Parliament.
• 20 January – The trial of Charles I of England began.
• 27 January – The order to execute Charles I was signed.
• 30 January – Charles I of England was executed by beheading. The Rump Parliament passed a law saying no one could be proclaimed King.
• 5 February – In Scotland, Charles I's eldest son, Charles, Prince of Wales, was proclaimed "king of Great Britain, France and Ireland."
• 7 February – The Rump Parliament voted to abolish the English monarchy.
• 9 February – Eikon Basilike, a book supposedly written by Charles I, was published.
• 14 February – The Rump Parliament created the English Council of State to govern the country.
• February – Charles II was also proclaimed king by Irish Royalists in Ulster.
• 9 March – Three Royalist leaders, Duke of Hamilton, Earl of Holland, and Lord Capel, were executed.
• 17 March – A law formally abolishing the kingship was passed by the Rump Parliament.
• 24 March – Pontefract Castle, which remained loyal to Charles II even after his father's death, surrendered.
• 1 May – An extended version of "AN AGREEMENT OF THE Free People of England" was published by Leveller leaders.
• October – John Milton published Eikonoklastes, a book that argued against Eikon Basilike.

English Invasion of Scotland: 1650-1651

This section covers the conflict when England invaded Scotland.

Events of 1650

• 1 May – The Treaty of Breda was signed between Charles II and the Scottish Covenanters.
• 23 June – Charles II signed the Solemn League and Covenant.
• 3 September – The Battle of Dunbar in Scotland was a major victory for Oliver Cromwell's English forces.
• 1 December – Battle of Hieton, a small fight in Scotland.

Events of 1651

• 1 January – Charles II was crowned King of Scots at Scone.
• 20 July – Battle of Inverkeithing.
• 25 August – Battle of Wigan Lane, a small fight.
• 28 August – Battle of Upton, marking the start of the encirclement of Worcester.
• 3 September – The Battle of Worcester was the final major battle of the wars. Cromwell's army decisively defeated Charles II's forces.
• 3 September – The escape of Charles II began after the battle.
• 6 September – Charles II famously hid in the Royal Oak tree to avoid capture.
• 16 October – Charles II successfully fled England and landed in Normandy, France.

After the Wars: The Interregnum and Restoration

After the wars, England was a republic without a king for a time.

• 1650–1660 – This period was called the English Interregnum, meaning "between reigns."
  • 1649–1653 – The first period of the Commonwealth of England, where England was a republic.
  • 20 April 1653 – Oliver Cromwell disbanded the Rump Parliament.
  • 1653–1658 – The Protectorate began, with Oliver Cromwell as Lord Protector.
  • 25 March 1655 – The Battle of the Severn was fought in Maryland, America. Puritans loyal to the Commonwealth defeated Royalists.
  • 13 April 1657 – Oliver Cromwell turned down the offer to become King of England.
  • 3 September 1658 – Oliver Cromwell died.
  • 1658–1659 – The Protectorate continued under Richard Cromwell, Oliver's son.
  • 7 May 1659 – Richard Cromwell restored the Rump Parliament.
  • 25 May 1659 – Richard Cromwell formally resigned as Lord Protector.
  • 13 October 1659 – The Rump Parliament was disbanded again.
  • 1659–1660 – The second period of the Commonwealth of England.

• 1660 – The English Restoration happened, bringing back King Charles II of England.
  • 30 January 1660 – Charles II was proclaimed King of England.
  • March 1660 – The Convention Parliament was elected.
  • 4 April 1660 – Charles II issued the Declaration of Breda, stating his conditions for becoming King.
  • 25 April 1660 – The Convention Parliament met for the first time.
  • 29 May 1660 – Charles II arrived in London, and the English monarchy was restored.
  • July 1660 – Richard Cromwell left England for France, using different names.
  • 29 December 1660 – Charles II disbanded the Convention Parliament.
  • 23 April 1661 – Charles II was crowned at Westminster Abbey.
  • 1660–1662 – Trials and executions took place for those who had signed the death warrant of Charles I.

See also

• Chronology of the Wars of the Three Kingdoms
• Cornwall in the English Civil War
• Shropshire in the English Civil War
• Timeline of the Wars of the Three Kingdoms (1639–1651)
• Worcestershire in the English Civil War