The Aftermath
The Battle of Naseby was a significant turning point that brought about the end of the First Civil War. After this Charles I was defeated and fled to Wales. Fairfax retakes Leicester and defeats Goring at Langport.
September 1645
Charles I dismisses Prince Rupert following loss of Bristol to Fairfax.
April 1646
Last battle of English Civil War at Stow on the Wold.
April 1646
Charles escaped from Oxford and fled into Wales before surrendering to the Scottish army at Newark.
January 1647
The Scots sold the King to the English Parliament for £100,000
1648 – The Second Civil War
A secret treaty between Charles I and the Scots leads to Scottish invasion of England
17-19 August 1648
Battle of Preston – Cromwell defeats the Scots
December 1648
Following Pride’s Purge of moderates in Parliament Charles I is put on trial for his misdeeds. The trial is orchestrated by Cromwell, and and 59 commissioners sign the king’s death warrant.
30 January 1649
Execution of Charles I outside Whitehall Palace.
The rest of 1645
Royalists
Rupert recognised the hopelessness of the King’s position after Naseby and urged a treaty with Parliament, Digby continued to insist that the war could still be won.
He convinced King Charles that Rupert had become untrustworthy and succeeded in having the Prince and his supporters removed from their commands in September 1645.
After Naseby, Langdale joined King Charles on his march towards Scotland to join forces with the Marquis of Montrose. Attempting to lift the siege of Chester the Royalists were defeated by a pursuing force of Parliamentarian cavalry under Colonel-General Poyntz.
Langdale and the remnants of the Northern Horse attempted to continue the gallant ride to Scotland under the command of Lord Digby in October 1645.
Digby’s advance guard surprised and captured a Parliamentarian garrison at Sherburn-in-Elmet, Yorkshire, but was itself driven out in the confusion of an attack by Colonel Copley.
Chased to Skipton and then across the Pennines into Cumberland, the Northern Horse were finally defeated on Carlisle Sands by Sir John Browne on 24 October 1645.
Digby and Langdale escaped to the Isle of Man.
Astley – after the defeat of Naseby, the King removed the unpopular Charles Gerard from command of Royalist forces in Wales and appointed Astley in his place.
Astley organised the chaotic administration of Royalist garrisons in the region and raised a force of 3,000 horse and foot in Worcestershire.
This represented the last Royalist field army of the First Civil War.
Parliament
This period (June to December 1645) witnessed the Parliamentarians, led by the New Model Army under Sir Thomas Fairfax and Oliver Cromwell, achieving significant military successes against the Royalists.
The pivotal Battle of Naseby in June 1645 resulted in a decisive Parliamentarian victory, significantly weakening King Charles I’s forces.
As the year progressed, Parliament continued to solidify its military dominance, leading to the eventual surrender of several Royalist strongholds.
The period laid the groundwork for the later stages of the conflict and set the stage for further political negotiations and developments in the subsequent years.
Endgame 1646-1660
After the Royalist defeat at the Battle of Naseby in 1645, King Charles I surrendered to the Scottish Covenanters in 1646.
This led to negotiations and the eventual capture of Charles I by the Parliamentarians.
The conflict continued with sporadic uprisings, such as the Royalist uprising in 1648 and the Levellers’ demands for political reform.
Charles I was tried and executed in 1649, leading to the establishment of the Commonwealth by Parliament.
The period saw Cromwell’s military rule, the Anglo-Dutch Wars, and the eventual restoration of the monarchy in 1660 under Charles II.
This marked the end of the turbulent era and the return of the Stuart monarchy.
Social History of those involved in the battle
Whilst we know the Royalist Army comprised some 10,600 men and the New Model Army (Parliament) some 14,600 men, we also know there were hundreds of camp followers on both sides.
By engaging with volunteers, the NBFP plans to undertake a wide-ranging research exercise to document ‘this day in the life of’ the hundreds of different camp followers. The bakers, the dyers, the blacksmiths, the medics . . . Some on the Royalist side. Some on the Parliamentarian side. Some would have been involved and present on the day itself and others in the run up to the battle.
If you want to contribute your expertise please Be a Part of Naseby
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educating and inspiring as many as possible about the enduring importance of what happened over 2 hours at Naseby. you can
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