The English Civil War in Walton le Dale…
The Battle of Preston
The Battle of Preston (August 17–19, 1648)
A three-day battle that brought the Second Civil War to an end.
At the close of the First Civil War, King Charles I was a prisoner of Parliament. The Roundheads tried to negotiate limits to his power, but Charles secretly plotted a fresh uprising.
In the spring of 1648, Royalist risings broke out in South Wales, Kent, Essex, and the North of England. In July, a Scottish army known as the Engagers—Presbyterians who had struck a deal with the King—crossed into England under the command of the Duke of Hamilton. Their force may have numbered as many as 20,000, though some historians believe it was closer to 9,000.
As the Scots advanced through Lancashire, they were shadowed by a smaller Roundhead cavalry force under John Lambert, who harried their march and slowed them down. The Engagers eventually turned toward Wales to link up with Royalist allies.
At that time, Oliver Cromwell was in Wales, having just defeated the local Royalist rebellion. His army was worn out and badly equipped, but he immediately marched into England. Passing through the Midlands, his men were re-supplied with new boots and stockings. When Cromwell joined forces with Lambert, they commanded around 8,600 soldiers—outnumbered, but better disciplined, faster moving, and more effectively led. By contrast, Hamilton’s army was strung out along twenty miles of road, poorly coordinated, and hampered by bad leadership.
The battle opened in heavy rain. On August 17, Cromwell struck first at Preston Moor, where about 3,500 Engagers under Sir Marmaduke Langdale tried to hold the line. Langdale fought with determination but was pushed back into Preston. Meanwhile, the main Scottish army defended the crossings at Ribble Bridge (Walton Bridge) and along the River Darwen. Fighting was fierce, but Cromwell broke their resistance.
Hamilton’s army retreated south, with Cromwell in pursuit. At a narrow pass three miles outside Warrington, the Scots made a last stand. It took Cromwell three assaults to force a way through. By August 19, the remnants of the Engager army had surrendered at Warrington. Around 2,000 Scots were killed, thousands more captured, and many later transported overseas as forced labourers. Cromwell’s own losses were fewer than a hundred.
The victory at Preston effectively ended the Second Civil War. Duke Hamilton was captured and later executed. Langdale escaped abroad in disguise. With the Royalists defeated once more, Parliament resolved to put Charles I on trial—leading to his execution the following year.