Course:History 344 Nasty Families/The First English Civil War/Battle of Edgehill (Edge Hill)

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The Battle of Edgehill, the first battle of the First English Civil War, was fought between the Royalists and the Parliamentarians on Sunday, October 23, 1642 near Kineton and Edge Hill in Warwickshire, a few miles from Banbury.[1]

The Royalists

Around 15,000 troops, commanded by Prince Rupert, King Charles I's 23-year old nephew; the left wing cavalry was lead by Lord Henry Wilmot, the first Earl of Rochester.[2] The army was marching from Shrewsbury towards London.

The Parliamentarians

Over 15,000 troops, commanded by the third Earl of Essex, Robert Devereux.[3]

The Battle

The battle took place in a large area of agricultural land. After the realization by both armies that they were in close proximity of one another, the Royalists decided to attack. The Royalists were able to remove the Parliamentarians' horses from the field, leaving them on foot; in an act of overconfidence, Prince Rupert then had his men loot Essex's baggage train, wasting their energy.[4] Ultimately, both sides lost around 1500 men.[5] The battle lasted until nightfall, and although there was no clear win from either side, the Royalists claimed the battle as a victory as they had gained an important advantage. Essex had failed to break through and was forced to retreat with his forces northward, leaving the Royalists in control of the road to London.[6]


  1. ↑ David Scott, Politics and War in the Three Stuart Kingdoms, 1637-49 (Gordonsville, VA: Palgrave Macmillan, 2003), 39.
  2. ↑ David Scott, Politics and War in the Three Stuart Kingdoms, 1637-49 (Gordonsville, VA: Palgrave Macmillan, 2003), 39.
  3. ↑ David Scott, Politics and War in the Three Stuart Kingdoms, 1637-49 (Gordonsville, VA: Palgrave Macmillan, 2003), 38.
  4. ↑ David Scott, Politics and War in the Three Stuart Kingdoms, 1637-49 (Gordonsville, VA: Palgrave Macmillan, 2003), 39.
  5. ↑ David Scott, Politics and War in the Three Stuart Kingdoms, 1637-49 (Gordonsville, VA: Palgrave Macmillan, 2003), 39.
  6. ↑ Claude J. Summers, Pebworth, Larry, English Civil Wars in the Literary Imagination (Columbia, MO: University of Missouri Press, 1999), 38.
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