The Battle of St Neots on 10 July 1648 was a skirmish during the
Second English Civil War
The Second English Civil War took place between February to August 1648 in Kingdom of England, England and Wales. It forms part of the series of conflicts known collectively as the 1639-1651 Wars of the Three Kingdoms, which include the 1641†...
at
St Neots
St NeotsPronunciation of the town name: Most commonly, but variations that ''saint'' is said as in most English non-georeferencing speech, the ''t'' is by a small minority of the British pronounced and higher traces of in the final syllable ...
in
Cambridgeshire
Cambridgeshire (abbreviated Cambs.) is a Counties of England, county in the East of England, bordering Lincolnshire to the north, Norfolk to the north-east, Suffolk to the east, Essex and Hertfordshire to the south, and Bedfordshire and North ...
. A
Royalist
A royalist supports a particular monarch as head of state for a particular kingdom, or of a particular dynastic claim. In the abstract, this position is royalism. It is distinct from monarchism, which advocates a monarchical system of governme ...
force led by the
Earl of Holland
Earl of Holland was a title in the Peerage of England. It was created in 1624 for Henry Rich, 1st Baron Kensington. He was the younger son of Robert Rich, 1st Earl of Warwick, and had already been created Baron Kensington in 1623, also in the Pe ...
and Colonel
John Dalbier
John Dalbier, also known as Jan Dalbiere, (died 11 July 1648) was a professional soldier from the Rhineland who fought in the Thirty Years War and the War of the Three Kingdoms, serving in both the Parliamentarian and Royalist armies. He was kill ...
was defeated by 100 veteran troops from the
New Model Army
The New Model Army was a standing army formed in 1645 by the Parliamentarians during the First English Civil War, then disbanded after the Stuart Restoration in 1660. It differed from other armies employed in the 1639 to 1653 Wars of the Th ...
, commanded by Colonel
Adrian Scrope
Colonel Adrian Scrope, also spelt Scroope, 12 January 1601 to 17 October 1660, was a Parliamentarian soldier during the Wars of the Three Kingdoms, and one of those who signed the death warrant for Charles I in January 1649. Despite being promi ...
.
Taken by surprise in the early hours, the Royalists were quickly overpowered; Dalbier and several others were killed, while Holland was taken prisoner and executed for treason on 9 March 1649. Although a relatively minor action,
Parliamentarian troops were struggling to deal with a series of local risings and victory ensured there was no central focus for Royalist groups in the
East Midlands
The East Midlands is one of nine official regions of England at the first level of ITL for statistical purposes. It comprises the eastern half of the area traditionally known as the Midlands. It consists of Leicestershire, Derbyshire, Li ...
.
Background
When the
First English Civil War
The First English Civil War took place in England and Wales from 1642 to 1646, and forms part of the 1639 to 1653 Wars of the Three Kingdoms. They include the Bishops' Wars, the Irish Confederate Wars, the Second English Civil War, the Anglo ...
ended with
Royalist
A royalist supports a particular monarch as head of state for a particular kingdom, or of a particular dynastic claim. In the abstract, this position is royalism. It is distinct from monarchism, which advocates a monarchical system of governme ...
defeat in May 1646, most
Parliamentarians assumed
Charles I Charles I may refer to:
Kings and emperors
* Charlemagne (742–814), numbered Charles I in the lists of Holy Roman Emperors and French kings
* Charles I of Anjou (1226–1285), also king of Albania, Jerusalem, Naples and Sicily
* Charles I of ...
would be forced to agree significant political concessions. This proved a fundamental misunderstanding of his character and for the next two years he refused to comply.
Parliament
In modern politics, and history, a parliament is a legislative body of government. Generally, a modern parliament has three functions: Representation (politics), representing the Election#Suffrage, electorate, making laws, and overseeing ...
went to war in 1642 to curb the power of the monarchy, not remove it, and despite their religious differences, the vast majority of
Puritans
The Puritans were English Protestants in the 16th and 17th centuries who sought to purify the Church of England of Roman Catholic practices, maintaining that the Church of England had not been fully reformed and should become more Protestant. P ...
viewed monarchy as divinely ordered.
This made Charles essential to a settlement, while his opponents were deeply divided between moderates who dominated Parliament and radicals within the
New Model Army
The New Model Army was a standing army formed in 1645 by the Parliamentarians during the First English Civil War, then disbanded after the Stuart Restoration in 1660. It differed from other armies employed in the 1639 to 1653 Wars of the Th ...
. In April 1648, his
Scottish supporters gained a majority in the
Parliament of Scotland
The Parliament of Scotland ( sco, Pairlament o Scotland; gd, PĂ rlamaid na h-Alba) was the legislature of the Kingdom of Scotland from the 13th century until 1707. The parliament evolved during the early 13th century from the king's council o ...
and agreed to restore him to the English throne. This put the pieces in place for a rising by Scots and English
Royalists
A royalist supports a particular monarch as head of state for a particular kingdom, or of a particular dynastic claim. In the abstract, this position is royalism. It is distinct from monarchism, which advocates a monarchical system of governme ...
, supported by some English Presbyterians, and Scots
Covenanters
Covenanters ( gd, CĂąmhnantaich) were members of a 17th-century Scottish religious and political movement, who supported a Presbyterian Church of Scotland, and the primacy of its leaders in religious affairs. The name is derived from ''Covenan ...
.
When the
Second English Civil War
The Second English Civil War took place between February to August 1648 in Kingdom of England, England and Wales. It forms part of the series of conflicts known collectively as the 1639-1651 Wars of the Three Kingdoms, which include the 1641†...
began in April 1648, the plan was to tie down the New Model with co-ordinated risings in
South Wales
South Wales ( cy, De Cymru) is a loosely defined region of Wales bordered by England to the east and mid Wales to the north. Generally considered to include the historic counties of Glamorgan and Monmouthshire, south Wales extends westwards ...
and England, allowing time for the Scottish army to invade. By the end of June, the revolts in Wales and
Kent
Kent is a county in South East England and one of the home counties. It borders Greater London to the north-west, Surrey to the west and East Sussex to the south-west, and Essex to the north across the estuary of the River Thames; it faces ...
had been suppressed, while a Royalist garrison in
Colchester
Colchester ( ) is a city in Essex, in the East of England. It had a population of 122,000 in 2011. The demonym is Colcestrian.
Colchester occupies the site of Camulodunum, the first major city in Roman Britain and its first capital. Colches ...
was besieged by the New Model under Sir
Thomas Fairfax
Thomas Fairfax, 3rd Lord Fairfax of Cameron (17 January 161212 November 1671), also known as Sir Thomas Fairfax, was an English politician, general and Parliamentary commander-in-chief during the English Civil War. An adept and talented command ...
. On 4 July, a petition was presented to Parliament demanding the resumption of negotiations with Charles; on the same day, 400 cavalry were raised by the
Earl of Holland
Earl of Holland was a title in the Peerage of England. It was created in 1624 for Henry Rich, 1st Baron Kensington. He was the younger son of Robert Rich, 1st Earl of Warwick, and had already been created Baron Kensington in 1623, also in the Pe ...
and
George Villiers, 2nd Duke of Buckingham
George Villiers, 2nd Duke of Buckingham, 20th Baron de Ros, (30 January 1628 – 16 April 1687) was an English statesman and poet.
Life
Early life
George was the son of George Villiers, 1st Duke of Buckingham, favourite of James I ...
in an attempt to seize
London
London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...
.
This was insufficient for the task and when the Royalists retreated through
Surrey
Surrey () is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in South East England, bordering Greater London to the south west. Surrey has a large rural area, and several significant urban areas which form part of the Greater London Built-up Area. ...
towards
Reigate
Reigate ( ) is a town status in the United Kingdom, town in Surrey, England, around south of central London. The settlement is recorded in Domesday Book in 1086 as ''Cherchefelle'' and first appears with its modern name in the 1190s. The earlie ...
, they were scattered outside
Surbiton
Surbiton is a suburban neighbourhood in South West London, within the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames (RBK). It is next to the River Thames, southwest of Charing Cross. Surbiton was in the historic county of Surrey and since 1965 it has ...
by Sir
Michael Livesey
Sir Michael Livesey, 1st Baronet (1614 - circa 1665), also spelt Livesay, was a Puritan activist and Member of Parliament who served in the Parliamentarian army during the Wars of the Three Kingdoms. He was one of the regicides who approved the ...
, Buckingham's younger brother Francis being one of the few casualties. Most of the Royalists deserted but Holland reached
St Neots
St NeotsPronunciation of the town name: Most commonly, but variations that ''saint'' is said as in most English non-georeferencing speech, the ''t'' is by a small minority of the British pronounced and higher traces of in the final syllable ...
on Sunday 9 July, along with 100 to 200 men and Colonel
John Dalbier
John Dalbier, also known as Jan Dalbiere, (died 11 July 1648) was a professional soldier from the Rhineland who fought in the Thirty Years War and the War of the Three Kingdoms, serving in both the Parliamentarian and Royalist armies. He was kill ...
, an experienced German mercenary who fought for Parliament during the First Civil War. At the same time, Fairfax detached 100 veteran cavalry under Colonel
Adrian Scrope
Colonel Adrian Scrope, also spelt Scroope, 12 January 1601 to 17 October 1660, was a Parliamentarian soldier during the Wars of the Three Kingdoms, and one of those who signed the death warrant for Charles I in January 1649. Despite being promi ...
to prevent them establishing a hub for attracting Royalist supporters in the
East Midlands
The East Midlands is one of nine official regions of England at the first level of ITL for statistical purposes. It comprises the eastern half of the area traditionally known as the Midlands. It consists of Leicestershire, Derbyshire, Li ...
.
Battle
![River Ouse Riverside Park St Neots](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5f/River_Ouse_Riverside_Park_St_Neots.jpg)
The Royalists were weary, hungry and demoralised; a few men under Dalbier guarded the bridge into the town while their comrades rested. At 2.00 am on 10 July, they were assaulted by Scrope's men and Dalbier was killed in the early stages, although some reports suggest he died of wounds later in the day.
The skirmish was fiercely fought but the Royalists were taken by surprise and quickly overwhelmed. Holland was captured at an inn in the centre of town, while Buckingham managed to escape and eventually made his way to France; in addition to Dalbier, five others were killed including the eldest son of
Kenelm Digby
Sir Kenelm Digby (11 July 1603 – 11 June 1665) was an English courtier and diplomat. He was also a highly reputed natural philosopher, astrologer and known as a leading Roman Catholic intellectual and Blackloist. For his versatility, he is d ...
, a senior advisor to Charles I, who drowned with two others trying to swim across the
River Great Ouse
The River Great Ouse () is a river in England, the longest of several British rivers called "Ouse". From Syresham in Northamptonshire, the Great Ouse flows through Buckinghamshire, Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Norfolk to drain into the Wa ...
.
Aftermath
Holland was taken to
Windsor Castle
Windsor Castle is a royal residence at Windsor in the English county of Berkshire. It is strongly associated with the English and succeeding British royal family, and embodies almost a millennium of architectural history.
The original cast ...
, where he was held for the next six months; the Second Civil War ended after the Scots were defeated at
Battle of Preston in August. Although Scrope had promised to spare his life, Holland had already narrowly escaped being tried for treason by Parliament after defecting to the Royalists in 1643, then returning.
Attitudes had hardened, particularly towards those previously pardoned; in December, moderates were removed from Parliament by
Pride's Purge
Pride's Purge is the name commonly given to an event that took place on 6 December 1648, when soldiers prevented members of Parliament considered hostile to the New Model Army from entering the House of Commons of England.
Despite defeat in the ...
, leading to the
Execution of Charles I
The execution of Charles I by beheading occurred on Tuesday, 30 January 1649 outside the Banqueting House on Whitehall. The execution was the culmination of political and military conflicts between the royalists and the parliamentarians in Eng ...
on 30 January 1649. Holland was tried for treason on 27 February and was executed on 9 March along with
Lord Capell and the
Duke of Hamilton
Duke of Hamilton is a title in the Peerage of Scotland, created in April 1643. It is the senior dukedom in that peerage (except for the Dukedom of Rothesay held by the Sovereign's eldest son), and as such its holder is the premier peer of Sco ...
, captured at Preston.
References
Sources
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{{coord missing, Cambridgeshire
1648 in England
St Neots 1648
Conflicts in 1648