Battle of Ormskirk

Part of English Civil War

Date	20 August 1644
Location	near Ormskirk, Lancashire
Result	Parliamentarian victory

Belligerents

Parliamentarians

Royalists

Commanders and leaders

Sir John Meldrum

Lord Byron

Viscount Molyneux

Casualties and losses

100 killed
300 prisoners

The Battle of Ormskirk was fought on 20 August 1644 during the First English Civil War it was a decisive victory for a Parliamentarian (Roundhead) force commanded by Major-General Sir John Meldrum over a Royalist (Cavalier) force commanded by Lord Byron.

After their defeat at the Battle of Marston Moor on 2 July 1644, what was left of the Royalist cavalry army abandoned the city of York to its fate and retreated over the Pennines. Prince Rupert went to Chester and it was agreed that Ricard, Lord Molyneux and Sir Thomas Tyldesley would venture north into Lancashire on a recruitment sweep. While there, they were joined by Royalist stragglers including Lord Byron, Gorge, Lord Goring and Sir Marmaduke Langdale until they numbered a force of some 2,500 horse (cavalry). However they were tracked and harried by mixed force of Lancastrian infantry and horse under the command of Sir John Meldrum who finally caught up with the Cavaliers on Aughton Moor (or Aughton Moss), on the hill to the south-west of Ormskirk in Lancashire on 20 August 1644.

The Cavaliers, forced to make a stand, stood in battalia upon the Moor. The Roundhead infantry advanced and fired a volley upon which the Cavaliers retreated in disorder, and were then routed by a charge from the Parliamentarian horse. About three hundred Royalist prisoners were taken.

The Royalist commanders Byron and Molyneux were forced to leave their horses and hide in a cornfield. Had it not been late in the evening there would probably have been a greater victory for Meldrum; as it was, the scattered fragments of the defeated party made their escape into Cheshire.

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Wikipedia