Battle of Braddock Down (1643)
Who Fought
History & Significance
The Battle of Braddock Down took place during the south-western campaign of the First English Civil War. It was fought on open ground in Cornwall, on 19 January 1643. An apparently easy victory for the Royalists under Sir Ralph Hopton secured Cornwall for King Charles and confirmed Hopton's reputation as a commander. Hopton also gained respect for the mercy shown to his foe, of whom 1,500 were captured during and after the battle. The precise location of the battlefield is a matter of dispute, though English Heritage believe it to be within parkland at Boconnoc.
Hopton had been attempting to march into Devon from Cornwall but was prevented from doing so by the Parliamentarian force at Plymouth under the Earl of Stamford and William Ruthven. He retreated across Bodmin Moor and on 17 January was able to replenish his food and ammunition stores from three Parliamentarian ships that sought refuge from a storm at Falmouth and were captured.
Sir Ralph Hopton's Royalist forces had been camped the night of 18/19 January at Boconnoc. On breaking camp, their dragoon vanguard encountered Parliamentarian cavalry to the east, and discovered Ruthven's army deployed on Braddock Down. Ruthven had been unwilling to wait for reinforcements sent by Stamford to arrive and had marched to face the Royalists in the hope of a quick victory. Ruthven initially believed he was facing stragglers from Hopton's main army but was instead lured into facing the entire Royalist force.
Ruthven had more cavalry, but Hopton had more infantry and also two light cannons. These he kept concealed during the first two hours of the battle, which was largely a long-range musket duel. After deciding to attack, Hopton ordered his Cornish foot under Sir Bevil Grenville to charge. The defending Parliamentarians, drawn from newly raised and inexperienced forces, fired just one volley at the Cornish, causing two casualties, then turned and fled.
The defeated Parliamentarians were pursued into Liskeard where over 1,200 were captured. In all, 1,500 Parliamentarians were captured and a further 200 killed with few losses on the Royalist side. Hopton drove another band of survivors out of Saltash, where they had fled after the battle. The battle cost the Royalists little but had severe consequences for the Parliamentarians, who lost the prospect of controlling Cornwall. Hopton's reputation as a commander was bolstered by his victory here and he was also commended for the mercy shown to his surrendered foe.
The location of the battle is a matter of dispute. English Heritage considers the location to be slightly south of Middle Taphouse. However traditional opinion places the battle within Boconnoc Park. The exact location is not likely to be discovered without archaeological excavation.
The ground they fought on
The site of Battle of Braddock Down (1643) lies on Middle Devonian (Undifferentiated), bedrock that formed in the Middle Devonian. The rock here is mudstone, siltstone and sandstone.
Perhaps the most telling detail of the battle is the single volley fired by the Parliamentarian defenders. Ruthven's troops, raw and newly raised, discharged their muskets once at the charging Cornish foot under Sir Bevil Grenville, inflicting just two casualties, and then broke entirely. That one ragged volley encapsulates the disparity between the two forces: on one side, Hopton's battle-hardened Cornishmen advancing with momentum; on the other, inexperienced recruits who had already been deceived about the true size of the force bearing down upon them. The collapse was so complete that the pursuit stretched all the way to Liskeard, where more than 1,200 were captured, and then to Saltash, where the remnants sought a final refuge.
- Approximately 200 Parliamentarians killed; 1,500 captured. Royalist losses described as few, with only two casualties recorded during the Parliamentarian infantry charge.
This battlefield is listed on the Register of Historic Battlefields — a national designation identifying Britain's most significant battle sites for protection and further research. Reference: NHLE 1000005.
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- Battle of Braddock Down · Wikipedia
- Cornwall in the English Civil War · Wikipedia