Battle of Chalgrove Field

Battle of Chalgrove Field
Part of the First English Civil War
Date 18 June 1643 Location Between Chalgrove and Chiselhampton, Oxfordshire Result Royalist victory
Belligerents
Royalists	Parliamentarians
Commanders and leaders
Prince Rupert	Sir Philip Stapleton Colonel John Hampden +
Strength
1000 cavalry [1]	1150 cavalry and dragoons[1]

First English Civil War 1st Hull Portsmouth Powick Bridge Edgehill Aylesbury Brentford Turnham Green Braddock Down 1st Middlewich Hopton Heath Seacroft Moor Camp Hill Reading Sourton Down Stratton Chalgrove Field Adwalton Moor Lansdowne Roundway Down Bristol Gainsborough Gloucester Aldbourne Chase 1st Newbury 2nd Hull Heptonstall Winceby Olney Basing House Alton 2nd Middlewich Nantwich Lincoln Lathom Newark Boldon Hill Cheriton York Bolton Cropredy Bridge Marston Moor Lostwithiel 2nd Newbury Taunton Naseby Langport Chester Rowton Heath Torrington Stow-on-the-Wold Oxford

The Battle of Chalgrove was a small battle during the English Civil War in the county of Oxfordshire. It took place around 09:00 hours on the morning of 18 June 1643 in Chalgrove Field, northeast of Chalgrove in Oxfordshire. It was a minor Royalist victory and is notable for the mortal wounding of Parliamentarian Colonel John Hampden, who died six days later of his wounds.

Contents 1 Prelude 2 The battle 3 Aftermath 4 Notes 5 References 6 Further reading

Prelude

Acting on information from Colonel John Hurry, who had recently defected from the Parliamentarians, Prince Rupert took 1,800 men on the night of 17 June on a raid to harass the Earl of Essex's army and attempt to capture his payroll of £21,000.^[2] On the morning of 18 June, Prince Rupert's force surprised and destroyed Parliamentarian garrisons at Postcombe and Chinnor.^[3] The pay convoy evaded Rupert, and Parliamentarian troops led by Sir Philip Stapleton and Colonel John Hampden pursued Rupert back towards Oxford. At Chalgrove, about 10 miles (16 km) southeast of the city, Rupert ordered his infantry ahead while his cavalry set an ambush.

The battle

The Parliamentarian horse closed quickly before the ambush could be set, leaving the two sides separated only by a large hedge. Leading the charge, Rupert

... set spurs to his horse, and first of all, in the very face of the [enemy], lept the hedge that parted [him] from the Rebells.^[4]

The Royalist troopers quickly followed and routed the Parliamentarians in the short, sharp engagement which followed. During this fight, John Hampden was mortally wounded in the shoulder (some sources claim by two carbine balls, others by shrapnel from his own pistol exploding).^[5]

Aftermath

John Hampden retired to Thame where he died six days later.^[3]

Poor Hampden is dead ... I have scarce strength to pronounce that word.

—Anthony Nicholl, M.P., on hearing the news.^[6]

Following Chalgrove, Colonel Hurry led another raid a week later which swept around Essex's army and plundered Wycombe. This led to sharp criticism of Essex in London, and he offered his resignation, which was refused.

Notes

References

•  Chisholm, Hugh, ed (1911). "Hampden, John". Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. 
• Guest, Ken; Guest, Denise (1996). British Battles. London: Flamingo. ISBN 0-00-470-968-3. 

Further reading

• Stevenson, John; Carter, Andrew (1973). "The Raid on Chinnor and the Fight at Chalgrove Field". Oxoniensia (Oxford Architectural and Historical Society) XXXVIII: 346–356. http://oxoniensia.org/oxo_volume.php?vol=38. Retrieved 12 August 2011. 
• Chalgrove Field, Buckinghamshire, 18 June 1643 on the British Civil Wars & Commonwealth website
• Chalgrove 1643 website of http://www.thevickerage.worldonline.co.uk