Battlefields›Bolton Assault and Massacre 1644
English Civil War

Bolton Assault and Massacre 1644

1644
England
Era
English Civil War
Battle Type
Pitched Battle
Location
England
Status
Unregistered
The Combatants

Who Fought

Defeated
Parliamentarians
Forces
Parliamentary garrison of Colonel Alexander Rigby with approximately 4,000 defenders
VS
Victor
Royalists
Forces
Prince Rupert with approximately 6,000 Royalists
Outcome
Royalist victory; town taken by storm with heavy Parliamentary casualties estimated at 1,500 killed during assault and aftermath.
The Battle

History & Significance

Prince Rupert stormed Bolton, a strongly Puritan town, on 28 May 1644 en route to relieve York. After a brief resistance the town was sacked and several hundred defenders and civilians killed in what became known as the Bolton Massacre.

Questions & Answers

Frequently Asked Questions

Protected heritage nearby

Scheduled Monuments near Bolton Assault and Massacre 1644

Chequerbent embankment of Bolton and Leigh Railway
Scheduled monument · ~3.1 miles
Ringley Old Bridge
Scheduled monument · ~3.7 miles
Affetside Cross at Affetside 75m north west of the Pack Horse Inn
Scheduled monument · ~3.7 miles
Round cairn 280m west of Old Harpers Farm
Scheduled monument · ~3.9 miles
Stone circle, ring cairn and two round cairns on Cheetham Close
Scheduled monument · ~4.2 miles
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