Battle of Norton St Philip
Who Fought
5,000
Monmouth Rebels: 7,000+
History & Significance
The Battle of Norton St Philip was fought on 27 June 1685, during the Monmouth Rebellion in the village of Norton St Philip, in Somerset, England. The battle was the last victory for the rebel forces.
Following the Battle of Keynsham on 25 June, Monmouth and the rebels attempted to outmarch the Royal forces and advance towards London, marching east around Bath and reaching Norton St Philip on 26 June. The rebel army was exhausted and went into camp near the village, deploying pickets under Capt. Vincent from Wade's Regiment, and establishing a barricade on the roads to town.
Feversham learnt of Monmouth's march eastwards on the afternoon of 26 June and ordered all the Royal forces and militia to muster at Bath. On the morning of 27 June, having massing his forces at Bath, Feversham marched towards Monmouth's position with his advance units.
On the morning of 27 June, Monmouth's force broke camp and the majority of his troops began marching towards Frome. Only a portion of the rebels remained at Norton under personal command of Monmouth, serving as a rear-guard for the main force. At 11 in the morning, the lead elements of Feversham's force, headed by Capt. Lloyd's Troop of Cavalry advanced down the laneway into the village and attacked the rebel barricade established by Capt. Vincent. After a sharp fight, Lloyd withdrew his company to report back to Feversham and his commanders.
Feversham ordered Grafton to advance with Capt. Hawley's Company of Grenadiers against the barricade, and a fight once again broke out with Vincent, prompting Lt. Col. Wade to bring up the remainder of his regiment to push back Grafton's forces. Capt. Lloyd's troop and Capt. Parker's two Troops of Horse Grenadiers were hastily ordered to support Grafton and Hawley, with Kirke's Musketeer Battalion deployed on the flanks, and as they advanced down the lane, Churchill deployed the Dragoons and Oxford Blues on the fields outside of town. By this time, Grafton and Hawley's forces had almost been surrounded by Wade's men, but with the arrival of Lloyd and Parker, the Royal soldiers fought their way back up the lane, with some of Hawley's men cutting through the thick hedgerows on either side of the lane to escape.
In order to facilitate the escape of Grafton and Hawley's men, Kirke's musketeers opened fire on the flanks of Wade's regiment, forcing Col. Holmes and the Green Regiment to move forward and counterattack. Holmes was assisted by detachments of Grey's Cavalry and, fighting through the hedgerows, forced Kirke's men to break and retreat to the protection of the Dragoons in the fields. Across the battle line, the Royal forces were pushed back up lane, and Monmouth's men cheered wildly as they captured the hedgerows. Monmouth brought up his artillery as the Royal forces re-organized on the hill outside the village, and began firing from their defended positions in the lane. By 3 pm, in a driving rain, Feversham had brought up his artillery to counter Monmouth's, and began deploying his forces on the hill to attack the village.
The ground they fought on
The site of Battle of Norton St Philip lies on Great Oolite Group, bedrock that formed in the Bathonian. The rock here is sandstone, limestone and argillaceous rocks.
- 20 killed; 50+ wounded; some captured
- Monmouth Rebels: 24 killed; 40 wounded
Frequently Asked Questions
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- Battle of Norton St Philip · Wikipedia