Battle of Marston Moor

Prelude

In early 1644, the English Civil War widened when a Scottish army under the Earl of Leven invaded northern England, on the side of Parliament. The Royalist army under the Marquess of Newcastle disputed the border country, but had to hastily retreat to York when that city was threatened by a Parliamentarian army under Lord Fairfax and his son, Sir Thomas Fairfax.

Related Topics:
Earl of Leven - Royalist - Marquess of Newcastle - York - Lord Fairfax - Sir Thomas Fairfax

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Leven and Fairfax began a siege of York on April 22nd. Newcastle's cavalry under George, Lord Goring broke out of the city, and made their way to Lancashire. On June 3rd, the besiegers were joined by another Parliamentarian army, that of the "Eastern Association" under the Earl of Manchester and siege operations began in earnest.

Related Topics:
George, Lord Goring - Eastern Association - Earl of Manchester

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On June 14th, King Charles I wrote to his nephew Prince Rupert, then restoring Royalist fortunes in Lancashire, ordering him to relieve York. These orders were hastily written, as the King himself was hard-pressed by Parliamentarian armies, and contained some ambiguous sentences.

Related Topics:
King Charles I - Prince Rupert

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Rupert marched across the Pennines with an army of 6000 horse and 8000 foot. His army was a mixture of experienced and raw troops. Its hard core was his own regiments of horse and foot, and a small army under Lord Byron from Cheshire. English regiments which had recently returned from Ireland made up the largest single contingent of infantry. In addition, there were several regiments of recent recruits from Lancashire, and he had also been joined by Goring's cavalry with a contingent from Derbyshire.

Related Topics:
Lord Byron - Cheshire - Ireland

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On June 30th, he reached Knaresborough, a day's march north-west of York. The Allied armies abandoned the siege and concentrated at Marston Moor, on the flank of Rupert's expected direct march to York (along Ermine Street, the modern A59). However, Rupert made a flank march via Boroughbridge and Thornton Bridge, which put the River Ouse between himself and the Allied Armies. Late on July 1st, his forces captured a bridge of boats across the Ouse constructed by the Parliamentarian Armies at the village of Poppleton, a few miles north of York, and gained touch with the garrison from the north-east.

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