The battle of Marston Moor, July 2nd, 1644, is considered by many to be the most important of all the battles of the Great Rebellion.

In the first place, the number of troops engaged in it was greater than in any other of the battles. Secondly, it marked the turning point in the fortunes of the Parliamentary party. And thirdly-by assuring the ascendancy of the army of the Eastern Association-that force which later developed into Cromwell’s New Model Army-it inaugurated a new era in British military organisation.

A Gloomy Outlook

At the beginning of the year 1644 the outlook of the parliamentary party was gloomy.

Save only in the Eastern counties, where the roundheads held undisputed sway, and in the Midlands, where the two parties were evenly divided, the Royalist power was everywhere predominant. Sir Ralph Hopton had overrun the country between Cornwall and Hampshire so thoroughly that, except the ports of Plymouth and Portsmouth, the Roundheads retained nothing in the south. The whole of Wales had declared for King Charles; and in the King’s name, also, the Marquis of Newcastle had taken possession of Yorkshire, with the exception of Hull. This town Fairfax held for Parliament.

Thus Charles I was master of two-thirds of the country; and if during the latter part of 1643 he had summoned Hopton and Newcastle to Oxford, and had advanced on London, he might perhaps have ended the war at a blow. He was prevented from doing this owing to the peculiar nature of his armies. Both the Royalists of the west and the Royalists of the north were loath to leave their own districts until they had made a complete end of their local enemies, and in consequence valuable time and money was spent in sieges and minor operations, which, from a military point of view, were unimportant.

Strategically, the siege of Gloucester was undoubtedly a mistake. Nor did the siege of Hull serve any useful purpose; and the Marquis of Newcastle was still sitting down before the walls of that town when, in January, 1644, the Scottish army, which Parliament had persuaded Lord Leven to bring into England, crossed the Border.

The Balance of Power in the North

The coming of the Scots changed the balance of power in the north, and Newcastle, compelled to raise the siege of Hull, hastened towards the Tweed to meet the new enemy, leaving Lord Bellasis with a small detachment to hold Yorkshire. But Newcastle dared not to give battle. Being hopelessly outnumbered, he retreated slowly before the advancing Scots until, when Leven was joined by Fairfax-who in the meanwhile had ventured out of Hull and defeated Bellasis-he was forced to seek refuge in York.

Here, before the end of April, he found himself besieged in the same way that, a few months earlier, he had been besieging Hull.

As did the entire Royalist generals when in trouble, Newcastle forthwith appealed to the King begging him to send Prince Rupert to his aid.

But Charles was reluctant to do this. Matters had been going none to well for him in the south. His told on Oxford seemed to be insecure.

Still he felt confident that so well fortified a city could stand a few months, so Rupert argued, would afford a Royalist army ample opportunity to relieve York, defeat the Scots, and be back again at Oxford in time for a final blow. At last, therefore, the King grudgingly yielded.