BattlefieldsSkirmish at Ware — Leveller Mutiny (1647)
English Civil War

Skirmish at Ware — Leveller Mutiny (1647)

1647
Hertfordshire, England
Also known as: Ware mutiny 1647 · Corkbush Field Ware
Era
English Civil War
Battle Type
Skirmish
Location
Hertfordshire, England
Status
Unregistered
The Combatants

Who Fought

Defeated
Leveller mutineers
Forces
Leveller mutineers c.1,000–1,500.
VS
Victor
Army command (Cromwell / Fairfax)
Forces
Army command c.1,500–2,000
Outcome
Mutiny suppressed; Leveller soldiers arrested; leader Arnald executed
The Battle

History & Significance

At the Corkbush Field rendezvous near Ware, two regiments appeared with Leveller 'Agreement of the People' manifestos in their hats against orders. Cromwell personally rode in and tore the papers from the soldiers' hats. The mutiny was crushed on the spot; the ringleader Private Richard Arnald was shot. The incident marked the beginning of Cromwell's suppression of the radical Leveller movement within the Army.

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