Battle of Warrington Bridge (1651)
Encyclopedia
The Battle of Warrington Bridge was a skirmish fought on 13 August 1651 between the invading Royalist Scottish army of Charles II
and Parliamentary forces under the command of Major-General John Lambert
.
Lambert returned to England from Scotland with a cavalry corps that had accompanied Oliver Cromwell
when he invaded Scotland. His orders were to harass the Royalist army. Major-General Thomas Harrison had been left in command of Parliamentary forces in England. Harrison and Lambert's forces rendezvoused near Warrington.
The united forces of Harrison and Lambert, reinforced by some 3,000 militia from Staffordshire and Cheshire, amounting to some 3,000 foot and 9,000 horse took up position at the Bridge at Warrington, over the Mersey, where it divides the Counties of Lancashire and Cheshire and prepared to resist the its passage by the Scots.Lambert sent a few troops north to skirmish with the advanced guard whilst occupying the bridge and preparing it for defense. The skirmishers encountered the royalists two miles north of the town and were quickly dispersed and the royalists pressed on into the town reaching the bridge at noon.
On reaching the bridge the Scots at once attacked, and a sharp fight ensued between their advance guard and Harrison's troops, the Cheshire foot who were posted there held their ground for an hour and a half, and with 2000 Scots sent in against them they were for a time hard pressed. When Lambert found the Scots were in considerable force he fell back, after his men had done what damage to the bridge they could, his retreat being quickened by pressure from the Scots' attack. Lambert's rapid retreat enabled the Royalists to claim they had forced the bridge and won a victory.<
Charles II of England
Charles II was monarch of the three kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland.Charles II's father, King Charles I, was executed at Whitehall on 30 January 1649, at the climax of the English Civil War...
and Parliamentary forces under the command of Major-General John Lambert
John Lambert (general)
John Lambert was an English Parliamentary general and politician. He fought during the English Civil War and then in Oliver Cromwell's Scottish campaign , becoming thereafter active in civilian politics until his dismissal by Cromwell in 1657...
.
Lambert returned to England from Scotland with a cavalry corps that had accompanied Oliver Cromwell
Oliver Cromwell
Oliver Cromwell was an English military and political leader who overthrew the English monarchy and temporarily turned England into a republican Commonwealth, and served as Lord Protector of England, Scotland, and Ireland....
when he invaded Scotland. His orders were to harass the Royalist army. Major-General Thomas Harrison had been left in command of Parliamentary forces in England. Harrison and Lambert's forces rendezvoused near Warrington.
The united forces of Harrison and Lambert, reinforced by some 3,000 militia from Staffordshire and Cheshire, amounting to some 3,000 foot and 9,000 horse took up position at the Bridge at Warrington, over the Mersey, where it divides the Counties of Lancashire and Cheshire and prepared to resist the its passage by the Scots.Lambert sent a few troops north to skirmish with the advanced guard whilst occupying the bridge and preparing it for defense. The skirmishers encountered the royalists two miles north of the town and were quickly dispersed and the royalists pressed on into the town reaching the bridge at noon.
On reaching the bridge the Scots at once attacked, and a sharp fight ensued between their advance guard and Harrison's troops, the Cheshire foot who were posted there held their ground for an hour and a half, and with 2000 Scots sent in against them they were for a time hard pressed. When Lambert found the Scots were in considerable force he fell back, after his men had done what damage to the bridge they could, his retreat being quickened by pressure from the Scots' attack. Lambert's rapid retreat enabled the Royalists to claim they had forced the bridge and won a victory.<