Battle of Ormskirk (1644)
Who Fought
History & Significance
The Battle of Ormskirk was fought on 20 August 1644 during the First English Civil War. It was a decisive victory for the Parliamentarian force commanded by Major-General Sir John Meldrum over the Royalist force commanded by Lord Byron.
After their defeat at the Battle of Marston Moor on 2 July 1644, the remaining Royalist cavalry army abandoned the city of York to its fate and retreated over the Pennines. Prince Rupert went to Chester, and it was agreed that Richard, Lord Molyneux and Sir Thomas Tyldesley would venture north into Lancashire on a recruitment sweep. While there, they were joined by Royalist stragglers including Lord Byron, Lord Goring, and Sir Marmaduke Langdale until they numbered a force of some 2,500 horse. However, they were tracked and harried by a force of Lancastrian infantry and horse under the command of Sir John Meldrum who finally caught up with the Cavaliers on Aughton Moor (or Aughton Moss), on the hill to the south-west of Ormskirk in Lancashire on 20 August 1644.
The Cavaliers, forced to make a stand, stood in battalia upon the Moor. The Roundhead infantry advanced and fired a volley upon which the Cavaliers retreated in disorder, and were then routed by a charge from the Parliamentarian horse. About three hundred Royalist prisoners were taken.
The Royalist commanders Byron and Molyneux were forced to leave their horses and hide in a cornfield. Had it not been late in the evening there would probably have been a greater victory for Meldrum; as it was, the scattered fragments of the defeated party made their escape into Cheshire.
‘S’r Marmaduke had sent most of his owne horse before, and the retreat beeinge to bee made by my L’d Molyneux his brigade, they (accordinge to their accustomed manner), upon a volley of musket shott from the enemy, fell foule in such fury upon my regiment, that they utterly routed it; and the enemy’s horse, takeinge advantage of the disorder, charged into the lane (through w’ch wee were to pass), tooke and killed some, and stroke such a terror into the rest that they could not bee stopped till they came to Liverpool.
The 20 of this instant the Lancashire forces near Ormeskirke beat the whole strength of the enemie, took about 300 prisoners, 500 horse, killed about 100, and forced the rest into Cheshire, intending to follow them: have taken Colonell Hervey, besides 7 Captains and many other considerable prisoners, and Sir Thomas Tilsley and Colonell Preston are either killed or fled privately, for except their corps, were among the dead, and being stript, not known, which may be, we cannot tell what is become of them.
The ground they fought on
The site of Battle of Ormskirk (1644) lies on Triassic Rocks (Undifferentiated), bedrock that formed in the Triassic. The rock here is sandstone and conglomerate, interbedded.
The most vivid detail to survive from the battle is the undignified fate of the two senior Royalist commanders. Lord Byron and Lord Molyneux, who had led a force of 2,500 horse into Lancashire with every intention of raiding and recruiting for the King, were reduced to dismounting and concealing themselves in a cornfield as Parliamentarian troopers swept the moor around them. Byron, for his part, was furious enough to commit his frustrations to writing, blaming Molyneux's brigade for stampeding in panic at a single volley of musket fire and destroying the order of his own regiment in their flight, gifting the enemy horse the opportunity to charge through the lane by which the whole force was attempting to retreat.
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- Battle of Ormskirk · Wikipedia
- Battle of Marston Moor · Wikipedia