BattlefieldsEnglish Army Muster at Selby — First Bishops War Preparation 1639
English Civil War

English Army Muster at Selby — First Bishops War Preparation 1639

1639
England
Era
English Civil War
Battle Type
Pitched Battle
Location
England
Status
Unregistered
The Combatants

Who Fought

Forces
Not recorded in historical accounts
Forces
Yorkshire trained bands and impressed levies
VS
Victor
Not recorded in historical accounts
Forces
Royal army under Charles I mustering approximately 20,000 men
Outcome
English army mustered though poorly equipped and trained; marched north to confront Scots; ended in Treaty of Berwick without major battle
The Battle

History & Significance

As Charles I mobilised for the First Bishops War in early 1639, Yorkshire became the principal muster ground for the royal army marching north. Selby on the Ouse was a staging post and muster point for forces moving toward York and then Newcastle. The Yorkshire musters of 1639 exposed the weakness of the militia system and the reluctance of many gentry to serve, foreshadowing the deeper constitutional crisis.

Questions & Answers

Frequently Asked Questions

Aubrey Research

Explore the landscape around this battlefield

Aubrey generates in-depth historical research for any location in Britain — drawing on Domesday records, scheduled monuments, Victorian OS maps, geological data and archaeological archives to tell the full story of a place.

Research a location near this battlefield