The Last Ride of the Northern Horse

After the defeat of the King at Rowton Heath in September in his attempt to relieve Chester, the depleted Royalist forces turned south for Hereford and then east towards Newark by the 4th October, again the King turned north reaching Welbeck by October 13th. By this stage the Northern Horse under Sir Marmaduke Langdale had become veiry restless. It had almost reached the stage of mutiny and was already out of control, having become noted for their vicious indiscipline in the relief of Pontefract in early May 1645.

Thus, under some pressure to reinforce Montrose, the King appointed Lord Digby as Lieutenant General of the Counties north of the Trent and sent him with the Northern Horse north whilst turning himself south back to Newark. Already in front of the Royalist army Col. Christopher Copley had fallen back towards Sherburn where his newly raised foot regiment awaited him, about 800 to 1,000 strong under Lt.Col. Francis Fairfax's command, as reported by the Committee of the Northern Association at York.

The Northern Horse under Digby and Langdale left Worksop on October 14th, and headed though Doncaster to Cusworth, scattering the guard there at about 7.00 p.m. Finding that the Parliamentarian forces were quartered in and around Pagnell, Brodsworth and the local villages Digby concentrated on a heath roughly in the middle of the area and raided the Parliamentarian quarters that night. Having dispersed the Northern Association forces the Royalist Horse moved into the just seized quarters at Scawsly Keyes. In the morning the Royalists rode to cross the River Aire at Ferrybridge. Poyntz claims that a force of c. 1, 000 men at Ferrybridge were scattered by the Royalists, but Digby makes no mention of any force at Ferrybridge, reporting merely that Sir William Blakiston had been sent forwards to clear a group of 4 to 500 horse spotted nearby on the way to Ferrybridge.

A Parliamentarian messenger was caught with papers from the Committee at York to Poyntz which were intended to tell Poyntz that 1,500 Foot were being massed in Sberburn whilst the horse under Copley were under orders to march to Sherburn and )0in the Foot. Clearly in a dangerous situation the senior officers of the Northern Horse met in a hasty conference to plan their next move when their luck radically changed. Expecting the Parliamentarian Horse to be on their way some of the Officers of the Foot at Sherburn had travelled down to met with Copley's Horse only to find themselves the prisoners. Under questioning the Officers reported that there was no guard at Ferrybridge and the regiment at Sherburn did not expect attack nor were deployed in case of attack.

Taking advantage of this news Digby's guard and Langdale's Reformadoes were hurried forwards as the rest of the Northern Horse crossed over. As they closed on Sherburn the Parliamentarian Foot, some 1,200 to 1,300 in all, were seen to be formed-up on a moor about half a mile from Sherburn. As the Royalists closed in the Foot were seen to fall into disorder and run for the woods nearby. The Royalists immediately moved to engage the Foot, whilst two troops of Horse that came out of the north side of Sherburn were dealt with by part of Langdale's Reformadoes.

For the loss of one Scottish officer wounded and the wounding of Blakiston, 700 or 800 prisoners, as many muskets, all the colours, and two barrels of powder, match, and bullet were taken. The Parliamentarian Major of Foot, sadly nameless, had drawn himself and 150 men into a Church but submitted upon terms of fair quarter.

Whilst the Royalist Northern Horse rode northwards Col. Copley had sideslipped them and marched to Brampton Bierlow, within 5 miles of Rotherham. At 3.00 a.m. during the morning of Tuesday 15th the Horse regiments of Col. Copley, Col. Alured, Col. Lillburne and Lord Fairfax, under the command of Major Von Strobell rendezvoused. A total of C. 1,300 Horse setoff to catch the Royalist forces. Passing through Wentworth Col. Copley paused to scribble a note to the Committee at York asking them to hurry Col. Lambert and Col. Wren's Horse to join him and to warn the Foot at Pontefract and Ferrybridge.

At first Col. Copley had thought the Royalists were bound for Chester, however his scouts soon corrected that belief. The alarm was again sent to the siege force at Pontefract and the Foot holding Sherburn and Milford. Copley had hoped to reach the crossing at Ferrybridge first but Col. Overton at Pontefract sent a warning that the Royalists were there already. Thus warned Copley halted at Pontefract and drew together all his forces. Hoping to strength the Foot at Sherburn in time Copley detached a strong force but as this force reached Belrive hill the Royalists had taken Sherburn. By now Copley was nearing Milford with the main body

As the Royalist Horse looted their prisoners the Northern Horse were about 2 miles behind them and closing fast. Copley paused to reform into battle and, fearing a rearguard in Milford, elected to swing-out to the west of Sherburn. As the force did so their passage was delayed by a large ditch that slowed them down. Even so the Northern Horse got to within 1/2 mile before the alarm was sounded within Sherburn.

By now the Royalist's scouts had reported sighting a body of 500 to 600 Horse approaching Sherburn. Langdale, believing them to be the Horse beaten-up by the Royalists last night, took a small party forward to view the enemy. Shortly after the rest of his regiment and his Reformadoes joined him outside Sherburn. At this point the rest of Copley's force came into view, having been somewhat concealed by the lie of the land. Aware for the first time that Copley had caught them Langdale sent for Digby to join him

The Royalist Horse formed-up in 4 bodies, managing to drag-out c.1,000 horse, with Lord Digby on the right, Langdale and the Reformadoes in the centre and Col. Carnby, Sir Francis Anderson and Sir William Blaxstone on the left. The Northern Horse formed into 4 bodies with Major Von Strobell on the right, Col.Copley in the centre and half of Col. Alured's regiment, under Major Smithson, on the left. The rest of Col. Alured's regiment were behind Major Smithson and Col. Copley's Troop and a commanded party were placed behind Major Von Strobell. Col. Lillburne's regiment formed a reserve. Digby's letter on the action numbers seven bodies of c.200 horse, four up with three in reserve, which does match the parliamentarian account.

The actual battle itself was vicious but quick, both lines charged into contact with the centre and respective left wings. Copley's own regiment broke in the centre and fled, being pursued by Langdale's Reformadoes only for the Royalists to be smashed in the sides by the reserves and destroyed. An attempted stand by C.300 Royalist horse was pushed aside and the victorious Northern Horse flooded into Sherburn, pursuing the broken Royalists. Copley reformed his force on the north side of Sherburn, ready in case of further action. Digby claimed to have remained for about an hour, recovering scattered troopers and waiting for the return of those Horse that had hared off after Copley's left wing. The released prisoners in Sherburn were rearmed and reformed. When Col. Lillburne starting to advance out of Sherburn with the rearmed Foot Digby withdrew on the Skipton road, halting for the night at Bramham with Langdale and his rallied forces.

Col. Needham reported the capture of 900 horse and 500 prisoners, a further 300 men were killed or taken on the road to Skipton. Col.Copley reported 40 dead and about 400 prisoners although some escaped in the confusion. Col. Copley's and Col. Wren's regiments were sent in pursuit of Digby. 600 - 800 troopers under Langdale and Digby with about 100 horse from Skipton and 200 from Bolton made it into Scotland but were forced back by a brigade of Horse under Major General Van Druske along with troops from Sir John Browne, who was wounded in the fighting.

Van Druske lost the Royalists while pursuing them and believed that they were heading towards Millain Castle. Sir Wilfred Lawson reported them crossing the Solway Firth in the Holme Cultram area on or about the 24th October, his letter added that Major Thomas Barwis of Lawson's had led the charge into the Royalist's rear as they retired. Leven believed the remains of this body were nearing Skipton on the 26th October and sent a scout force to check this report, drawing near him 1,000 Horse and 500 Dragoons just in case.

Thus ended the last remains of the Marquis of Newcastle's army. Digby made it to the Isle of Man and cheerfully wrote-off the demise of the Northern Horse in his letter to the King, blaming everyone he could think of except himself.

Royalists forces:

The remains of the Northern Horse, about 20 regiments all told, in two Brigades under Sir Phillip Monckton and Sir William Blakiston, and commanded by Langdale. The Northern Horse had last been reported as of about 1,300 troopers before Rowton Heath and consisted then of three "bodies" under Sir Gainelial Dudley, Francis Camaby, and Edward Grey. Added to that were the remains of Digby's own regiment of horse and the remains of the Scots horse with the King. Sir William Blakiston's brigade may not have joined Langdale for this march. Sir Charles Lucas' and Horatio Cary's horse were also present.

The given figures by Parliamentary officers suggest that the force totalled from between 1,200 to as many as 2,000 men, but this figure may be swollen by the presence of non-combatants, a fact suggested by the fact that lists of goods looted by the Northern Horse include women's and children's clothing.

Parliamentarian forces:

Col. Francis Wren's Horse of c.400 Horse.

Col. Christopher Copley's foot, probably formed from the 2,000 yellow-coated new recruits ordered impressed in late August 1645.

Col. Christopher Copley's Horse

Col. Robert Lillburne's Horse

Col. Matthew Alured's Horse

Lord Fairfax's Horse

Probably four of the five regiments of the Northern Association ordered by the Ordinance of Association in July and consisting of 500 troopers each. The four regiments were about c.350 strong at Sherburn.

Sources:

Portland Mss 1.
Sir William Brereton's Letter Books Vol.II R.N.Dore.
Joseph Lister's History of Yorkshire.
Edward Walker "Historical Discourses".
E305(14)
E266(7)
E266(8)
E266(9).