Sir Charles Vavasour, 1st Baronet, of Killingthorpe ( – 1644) was an English soldier who fought the insurgents in the Irish Rebellion of 1641 where he excelled at the

Battle of Liscarroll The Battle of Liscarroll was fought on 3 September 1642 in northern County Cork, Munster, between Catholic Irish insurgents and government troops. The battle was part of the Irish Rebellion, which had started in the north in 1641 reac ...

in 1642 but was defeated in the Battle of Cloughleagh of the ensuing Irish Confederate Wars. After the cease-fire of September 1643 he was sent to England to fight the Parliamentarians in 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 ...

, but his regiment mutinied and he resigned his commission, dying soon after in

Oxford Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to the ...

Birth, origins, and early life

Charles was born the third but became the eldest surviving son of Sir Thomas Vavasour of Copmanthorpe, County York, and his wife Mary Dodges. He must not be confused with his younger brother who was to become

Sir William Vavasour, 1st Baronet of Copmansthorpe ''Sir'' is a formal honorific address in English for men, derived from Sire in the High Middle Ages. Both are derived from the old French "Sieur" (Lord), brought to England by the French-speaking Normans, and which now exist in French only as ...

, and would pursue a similar military career but rising to major general, outshining his brother. Vavasour succeeded his father in 1620. He was created Baronet of Killingthorpe on 22 June 1636 but with a precedence of 29 June 1611. It seems that in his youth he fought in the

Thirty Years' War The Thirty Years' War was one of the longest and most destructive conflicts in European history, lasting from 1618 to 1648. Fought primarily in Central Europe, an estimated 4.5 to 8 million soldiers and civilians died as a result of battle ...

in Germany.

Irish wars

During the Irish Rebellion of 1641 Vavasour commanded one of the three English regiments that reinforced the army of Sir

William St Leger Sir William St Leger PC (Ire) (1586–1642) was an Anglo-Irish landowner, administrator and soldier, who began his military career in the Eighty Years' War against Habsburg Spain. He settled in Ireland in 1624, where he was MP for Cork County ...

in February or early March 1642. Vavasour landed in February with his regiment in

Youghal Youghal ( ; ) is a seaside resort town in County Cork, Ireland. Located on the estuary of the River Blackwater, the town is a former military and economic centre. Located on the edge of a steep riverbank, the town has a long and narrow layout. ...

on the Irish south coast. He also brought St Leger the royal declaration of 1 January 1642 in which the King denounced the rebels. In March and April,

Donough MacCarty, 2nd Viscount Muskerry Sir Donough MacCarty, 1st Earl of Clancarty (1594–1665), was an Irish magnate, soldier, and politician. He succeeded as 2nd Viscount Muskerry in 1641. He rebelled against the government, demanding religious freedom as a Catholic and defendi ...

and

Maurice Roche, 8th Viscount Fermoy Maurice Roche, 8th Viscount Fermoy (1597–1670) was an magnate and soldier in southern Ireland, and a politician of the Irish Catholic Confederation. He joined the rebels in the Irish Rebellion of 1641 in January 1642, early for Munster, by be ...

. with 4,000 men besieged St Leger in Cork City. On 13 April 1642 Vavasour fought under Murrough O'Brien, 6th Baron of Inchiquin, an Irish Protestant, in the sally that lifted the siege by driving the rebels from their base at Rochfordstown. Next Vavasour commanded the foot at the Battle of Liscarrol on 3 September 1642, again under Inchiquin who was commander-in-chief and commanded the horse. and pursued the Irish when they finally fled. He was then appointed to succeed

Lewis Boyle, 1st Viscount of Kinalmeaky Lewis may refer to: Names * Lewis (given name), including a list of people with the given name * Lewis (surname), including a list of people with the surname Music * Lewis (musician), Canadian singer * "Lewis (Mistreated)", a song by Radiohead ...

, who had been killed at the battle, as governor of Bandon. In the ensuing Irish Confederate Wars Vavasour was defeated on 4 June 1643 by

James Tuchet, 3rd Earl of Castlehaven James Tuchet, 3rd Earl of Castlehaven ( - 11 October 1684) was the son of Mervyn Tuchet, 2nd Earl of Castlehaven and his first wife, Elizabeth Barnham (1592 - ). Castlehaven played a prominent role in the Wars of the Three Kingdoms that took pla ...

at the Battle of Cloughleagh and taken prisoner.

First English Civil War

On 15 September 1643 James Butler, 1st Marquess of Ormond, the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland signed a ceasefire, called the Cessation, with the

Irish Catholic Confederation Confederate Ireland, also referred to as the Irish Catholic Confederation, was a period of Irish Catholic self-government between 1642 and 1649, during the Eleven Years' War. Formed by Catholic aristocrats, landed gentry, clergy and military ...

. Ormond sent five regiments to England to fight the Parliamentarians in the

. Vavasour with his regiment landed in October in

Bristol Bristol () is a city, ceremonial county and unitary authority in England. Situated on the River Avon, it is bordered by the ceremonial counties of Gloucestershire to the north and Somerset to the south. Bristol is the most populous city in ...

. They became part of the army commanded by

Ralph Hopton, 1st Baron Hopton Ralph Hopton, 1st Baron Hopton, (159628 September 1652), was an English politician, soldier and landowner. During the 1642 to 1646 First English Civil War, he served as Royalist commander in the West Country, and was made Baron Hopton of Stra ...

, but the regiment mutinied and Vavasour resigned his commission. The regiment was pacified and Matthew Appleyard succeeded Vavasour as its colonel.

Death

Sir Charles Vavasour died at Oxford unmarried in February 1644.

Notes and references

Notes

Citations

Sources

* * – 1642 to 1660 * * – 1625 to 1649 * * – 1642 to 1644 * – 1603 to 1860 * – Parliaments & Biographies (PDF downloadable from given URL) * * – (Preview) * * – History * – (Preview) {{Refend 1644 deaths 17th-century English soldiers Vavasour family Year of birth uncertain