Battle of Tadcaster
Who Fought
Parliamentarians: 900–1,500
History & Significance
The Battle of Tadcaster took place during the First English Civil War on 7 December 1642, when a Royalist force attacked the Parliamentarian garrison of Tadcaster, Yorkshire, which was held by between 900 and 1,500 soldiers under the command of Ferdinando Fairfax, Lord Fairfax. The Earl of Newcastle marched out of York on 6 December, and split his force of 6,000 into two; he took 4,000 infantry down the main York–Tadcaster road to attack the town from the east, while sending a deputy, the Earl of Newport, with a further 1,500 to circle around and trap the Parliamentarians by attacking from the north-west.
Newcastle's infantry engaged the town on the morning of 7 December, but after some initial minor incursions, the battle settled into an exchange of musket fire. Newport's detachment never joined the battle. Fairfax was nevertheless forced to retreat overnight, as he was running short of gunpowder, and Newcastle occupied the town the following day. He subsequently garrisoned a number of nearby towns, and cut Fairfax off from the West Riding of Yorkshire.
In December 1642, the First English Civil War had been running for four months, since King Charles I had raised his banner in Nottingham and declared the Earl of Essex, and by extension Parliament, traitors. That action had been the culmination of religious, fiscal and legislative tensions going back over fifty years.
Even before the formal start of the war, Yorkshire became a key area in the conflict. After King Charles I attempted to arrest five members of parliament in January 1642, members of the gentry started openly taking sides and preparing for battle. Sir John Hotham seized Hull for parliament the same month, and after fleeing London, the King established himself at York in March. The King twice attempted to take Hull in 1642 without success. Although Charles subsequently returned south, his wife, Henrietta Maria (formally known as Queen Mary) had travelled to the Low Countries to acquire weapons and the Earl of Newcastle was charged with ensuring her safe travel through the northeast when she returned. On the other side, Ferdinando Fairfax, Lord Fairfax, was appointed as the commander of parliament's forces in Yorkshire.
In response to requests from Yorkshire Royalists, Newcastle advanced into Yorkshire with around 8,000 men, defeating the Parliamentarians at the Battle of Piercebridge, and established himself in York on 3 December. Lord Fairfax had himself been leading a Parliamentarian army towards York, but when he received news of the Royalist victory at Piercebridge he stopped at Tadcaster, around 10 miles (16 km) south-west of York. Newcastle's advance had split the Parliamentarian forces, and shifted the balance of power in the county. He soon took the opportunity to march on Tadcaster and attempt to defeat the Parliamentarians in detail.
The ground they fought on
The site of Battle of Tadcaster lies on Zechstein Group, bedrock that formed in the Late Permian. The rock here is dolomitised limestone and dolomite.
Frequently Asked Questions
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- Battle of Tadcaster · Wikidata
- Battle_of_Tadcaster · Wikipedia