Marmaduke Langdale

Sir Marmaduke Langdale (1598 at Pighall – 5 August 1661 at Holme-on-Spalding-Moor) was a Royalist commander in the English Civil War.

He was the son of Peter Langdale of Holme-on-Spalding-Moor, East Riding of Yorkshire. He married Lenox (d. 1639), daughter of Sir John Rodes of Barlborough, Derbyshire, and his third wife Catherine, daughter of Marmaduke Constable of Holderness on 12 September 1626, at St Michael-le-Belfry in York.

He held the post of High Sheriff of Yorkshire in 1639, before the English Civil War. Always a gaunt, austere and uncompromising character, he was one of those who had refused to pay ship money to the crown, but after gaining extensive military experience in Europe during the 1630s, he joined the Royalist cause at the outbreak of the war.

He commanded a brigade of horse in the army of the Marquess of Newcastle. After the Royalist defeat at the Battle of Marston Moor, he took command of the surviving cavalry from Newcastle's army. Known as the "Northern Horse", these die-hards were largely impoverished sons of gentry, and they became known for touchiness and lack of discipline.

In February 1645, Langdale led a raid into Yorkshire, defeating Major-General John Lambert at battle of Wentbridge and relieving Pontefract Castle. The lack of discipline led to excessive rape and pillage, damaging the Royalist cause in Yorkshire. The respite the raid gained for Pontefract was only temporary, because without infantry support Langdale was forced to retire and when he did so Pontefract was again besieged.

In May, Langdale and the Northern Horse formed the left wing of the main Royal army at the Battle of Naseby. They faced Oliver Cromwell's more numerous and better disciplined troopers, but were outflanked and driven from the field by weight of numbers.

After Naseby King Charles tried to march towards Scotland to join forces with Montrose. Langdale's men were part of the scratch army which attempted to lift the siege of Chester. In the confused Battle of Rowton Heath, they were defeated by Parliamentarian cavalry under Major-General Sydnam Poyntz.

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