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Capture of Wakefield
Coordinates: 53°40′59″N 01°29′49″W

Capture of Wakefield
Part of the First English Civil War

A Miraculous Victory obtained by the

Right Honorable Ferdinando Lord
Fairfax at Wakefield; pamphlet
published in London on 27 May
1643

Date 21 May 1643

Location Wakefield, Yorkshire
53°40′59″N
01°29′49″W
Result Parliamentarian
victory

Belligerents
Royalists
Parliamentarians
Commanders and leaders
George Goring Sir Thomas
 (POW) Fairfax
Strength
c. 3,000 c. 1,500

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Wakefield

Wakefield within West Yorkshire

The Capture of Wakefield occurred during the First English Civil War when a
Parliamentarian force attacked the Royalist garrison of Wakefield, Yorkshire. The
Parliamentarians were outnumbered, having around 1,500 men under the command of Sir
Thomas Fairfax, compared to the 3,000 led by George Goring in Wakefield. Despite being
outnumbered, Parliamentarians successfully stormed the town, taking roughly 1,400 prisoners.

Around 800 Parliamentarians had been taken prisoner after being defeated at Seacroft Moor,
and Fairfax plotted the capture of Wakefield to take prisoners of his own to exchange for his
men. He marched his force from Leeds and split it in two to attack from different directions.
After around two hours of fighting early in the morning of 21 May, 1643, Fairfax broke through
into Wakefield. Goring, who had been in bed suffering from either illness or a hangover, rose
and led a counterattack in his nightshirt, but to no avail and the town was captured. Fairfax
gained the prisoners he needed and much ammunition. According to his own account, the
Parliamentarians lost no more than seven men.

Background
In March 1643, the First English Civil War had been running for seven months, since King
Charles I had raised his royal standard in Nottingham and declared the Earl of Essex, and by
extension Parliament, to be traitors.[1] That action had been the culmination of religious, fiscal
and legislative tensions going back over fifty years.[2]

Even before the formal start of the war, Yorkshire became a key area in the conflict. After King
Charles I attempted to arrest five members of parliament in January 1642, members of the
gentry started openly taking sides and preparing for battle. Sir John Hotham seized Hull for
parliament the same month, and after fleeing London, the King established himself at York in
March. The King twice attempted to take Hull in 1642 without success. Although Charles
subsequently returned south, his wife, Henrietta Maria (formally known as Queen Mary) had
travelled to the Low Countries to acquire weapons and the Earl of Newcastle was charged with
ensuring her safe travel through the northeast when she returned.[3] On the other side,
Ferdinando Fairfax, 2nd Lord Fairfax of Cameron, was appointed as the commander of
parliament's forces in Yorkshire.[4]

Newcastle's army of 6,000 reinforced York and gave the Royalists the advantage in the
county;[5] the main Parliamentarian army had less than 1,000 men at the time, and was forced
to retreat. They first withdrew to Tadcaster and then were forced back to Selby in the north of
the county, cutting them off from their main support to the west. Lord Fairfax's son, Sir Thomas
Fairfax, stormed Leeds in January 1643, and re-established the West Riding of Yorkshire for the
Parliamentary side with strong garrisons at Bradford and Leeds.[6]

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Prelude
While acting as the rearguard to the army under the command of his father, Sir Thomas Fairfax
had been defeated by George Goring at the Battle of Seacroft Moor on 30 March 1643,[7] and
800 of his men had been captured. Under pressure from the families of those captured, Fairfax
planned to surprise Royalist-held Wakefield, which he thought was held by no more than 900
men,[8] to capture sufficient men to trade for his own.[9]

When the Earl of Newcastle went on the attack to attempt and take all of south Yorkshire for the
Royalists, he stationed Goring at Wakefield to protect against the Parliamentarian garrison at
Leeds, held by the Fairfaxes.[8] On 20 May, the day before the attack, Goring and other senior
Royalist officers in Wakefield were hosted by Dame Mary Bolles at her home, Heath Hall, to the
east of the town. While playing bowls and other games, the Royalists "drank so freely ... as to be
incapable of properly attending to the defence of the town."[10] Goring was well known for being
a heavy drinker, something Sir Richard Bulstrode, his adjutant, substantiated.[11]

Battle
After an evening march on 20 May 1643, Parliamentarian forces from Bradford, Leeds and
Halifax met at Howley Hall, to the northeast of Wakefield, at midnight. Reinforced with troops
from Howley Hall, the Parliamentarians had around 1,500 men for the attack; 1,000 infantry
and 500 horse. The horse were split into eight troops of cavalry and three troops of dragoons.
Sir Thomas Fairfax had overall command of the force, while also leading four troops of the
cavalry; the other four troops being under the command of Sir Henry Foulis. William Fairfax
(Thomas's cousin) and George Gifford split the infantry, which comprised both pikemen and
musketeers, between them.[a] At 2 am, the Parliamentarians surprised and overcame a Royalist
outpost consisting of two troops of cavalry at Stanley, roughly 2.5 miles (4 km) from Wakefield.
[13][14]

Fairfax's army arrived at Wakefield around two hours later, just before dawn. [15] Wakefield was
not a walled, fortified town; the defences were made up of the hedges surrounding each
property on the edge of town and barricades in the streets. The hedges provided a sufficient
barrier against the attackers, and so the barricades became the focus of the fighting. As they
were only the width of the road, this evened the battle, as although the garrison held more men,
they could place only as many defenders as could fit at the barricade.[16] The defenders had
been alerted to the enemy approach by the cavalry that had fled from Stanley, and had stationed
between 500 and 800 musketeers in the surrounding hedges as well as sending a cavalry unit
out to meet them.[15][17] The Parliamentarian infantry was able to displace the musketeers, and
their larger force of horse drove the Royalist cavalry back into Wakefield.[17] Fairfax realised
that the enemy garrison was far larger than he expected;[15] in fact, the defending garrison
numbered around 3,000 Royalists, split into six infantry regiments and seven cavalry troops, [17]
more than three times what Fairfax had expected. Despite this, after a short meeting with his
fellow commanders, Fairfax opted to continue with the assault.[16]

Fairfax split his force to attack from two directions:[9] Foulis and William Fairfax attacked
Northgate,[7] while Thomas Fairfax and Gifford attacked Warrengate, the eastern entrance to
the town.[9] Writing years later, Newcastle's wife accused Goring and the Wakefield garrison of
"inviligancy and carelessness" due to a belief that their numbers made them "master of the field
in those parts".[17] After around two hours of fighting, Gifford's infantry battled their way
through Warrengate, and were then able to capture a cannon and turn it on the barricade to
clear enough room for the cavalry to break through. Thomas Fairfax then led three troops of

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cavalry into the town, routing the Royalist infantry along

Warrengate.[9][18]

Goring was in bed ill: Royalist reports claimed that he had a

fever. Modern historians vary in their accounts of his
condition: in her 2007 biography of Goring, Florene S.
Memegalos described him as being "sick in bed with a fever,
attended by his father that weekend";[17] but others such as
John Barratt (2005) and Richard Brooks (2004) suggest
that he was hungover from the previous day's drinking.[9][15]
Whatever his incapacity, he led a counterattack on
horseback, "in his nightshirt" according to Brooks.[9]
Despite his resistance, he and his guard were defeated, and
Sir Thomas Fairfax led the Goring was taken prisoner by Lieutenant Alrud, though both
Parliamentarian attack, but was his father, Lord Goring, and his deputy, Francis Mackworth,
almost captured when he became were able to escape.[9][17] Fairfax continued to press the
isolated from his men. attack, and was nearly captured when he found himself
isolated from his men, and seemingly trapped in a side
street by a Royalist infantry regiment. Fairfax was holding
two prisoners, but the infantry commander ignored him and asked one of his prisoners for
instructions. The prisoner gave no answer, holding to the terms of his capture, and Fairfax
decided to abandon his prisoners and escaped down a narrow lane back to his men. [19]

Gifford, after opening the barricade, had the captured cannon moved to the churchyard of All
Saints Church (now Wakefield Cathedral), where he turned it on the Royalists holding the
marketplace. After offering the defenders a chance of surrender, which they rejected, his
musketeers and the cannon opened fire, before the cavalry charged them. The remaining
soldiers in the garrison gave up their resistance, either escaping or surrendering, and by 9 am,
the Parliamentarians held the town.[20] They captured roughly 1,400 prisoners, including
Goring, 28 Royalist colours and a large amount of much-needed ammunition.[7][9] According to
Fairfax's account of the siege, his force lost "not above seven men", but did admit that "many of
our men were shot and wounded."[21]

Aftermath
As was typical during the civil war, the Parliamentarians published
an array of propaganda after the capture, claiming that their victory
was the "work of God", while casting the Royalists as deceitful and
ruinous. Accordingly, parliament declared 28 May a day of
thanksgiving for the victory.[22] After capturing Wakefield, Fairfax
was wary of an attack from the larger Royalist army that Newcastle
commanded, and he immediately retreated back to Leeds with his
prisoners. Instead of the expected retaliation, Newcastle withdrew
his own forces to York.[23] Goring was imprisoned in the Tower of
London, and despite attempts by the Royalists to secure his
immediate exchange, he remained incarcerated until April 1644,
when he was swapped for the Earl of Lothian.[24]

The primary objective of the attack was successful; an exchange was Goring was captured and
set up to recover the men Fairfax had lost at Seacroft Moor,[25] and held prisoner for over a
the victory temporarily changed the balance of power in Yorkshire. year after the battle.
The effect of the capture was negated just over a month later, when

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a Parliamentarian army under the command of Fairfax was defeated at Aldwalton Moor on 30
June 1643, which gave the Royalists control of much of Yorkshire.[7]

By the end of 1644, aided by Fairfax's decisive victory at Marston Moor, most of the north of
England had been captured by Parliamentarian forces.[26] The following year, Fairfax was
appointed as the commander-in-chief of parliament's forces, and established the so-called "New
Model Army".[27] The army's victories, particularly at Naseby and Langport, gained parliament
control of most of the rest of England.[26] Near Wakefield, Sandal Castle on the edge of the town
had remained a Royalist garrison throughout the war despite the town's capture. The castle was
in a state of disrepair, but had been reinforced with earthworks. The castle was twice besieged in
1645, surrendering to the Parliamentarians in October, and was subsequently slighted.[28] In
May 1646, King Charles I surrendered, and the First English Civil War ended. [26]

Notes
a. During the Civil War, infantry regiments were ideally composed of two musketeers for
each pikeman.[12]

References
1. Bennett 2005, p. xii.
2. Bleiberg & Soergel 2005, pp. 344–348.
3. Cooke 2006, pp. 128–133.
4. Hopper, Andrew J. (2008) [2004]. "Fairfax, Ferdinando, second Lord Fairfax of
Cameron". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press.
doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/9081 (https://doi.org/10.1093%2Fref%3Aodnb%2F9081).
(Subscription or UK public library membership (https://www.oxforddnb.com/help/subscribe
#public) required.)
5. Cooke 2006, p. 133.
6. Cooke 2006, pp. 136–138.
7. McKenna 2012, p. 303.
8. Barratt 2004, p. 99.
9. Brooks 2005, p. 415.
10. Wentworth 1864, pp. 260–261.
11. Memegalos 2007, p. 291.
12. Little 2014, p. 71.
13. Cooke 2004, pp. 55–56.
14. Memegalos 2007, p. 145.
15. Barratt 2004, p. 100.
16. Cooke 2004, p. 56.
17. Memegalos 2007, p. 146.
18. Cooke 2004, pp. 56–58.
19. Cooke 2004, pp. 58–59.
20. Cooke 2004, pp. 59–60.
21. Cooke 2004, p. 60.
22. Memegalos 2007, p. 147.
23. Cooke 2004, pp. 60–61.
24. Barratt 2004, pp. 100–101.

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25. Cooke 2004, p. 63.

26. Gaunt 1997, pp. 55–56.
27. Gentles, Ian J. (2008) [2004]. "Fairfax, Thomas, third Lord Fairfax of Cameron". Oxford
Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press.
doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/9092 (https://doi.org/10.1093%2Fref%3Aodnb%2F9092).
(Subscription or UK public library membership (https://www.oxforddnb.com/help/subscribe
#public) required.)
28. Harrington 2004, p. 51.

Bibliography
▪ Barratt, John (2004). Cavalier Generals: King Charles I and His Commanders in the English
Civil War 1642–1646. Barnsley: Pen & Sword Military. ISBN 1-84415-128-X.
▪ Bennett, Martyn (2005). The Civil Wars Experienced: Britain and Ireland, 1638–1661 (http
s://books.google.com/books?id=hNSEAgAAQBAJ). London: Routledge.
ISBN 0-203-98180-4.
▪ Bleiberg, Edward; Soergel, Philip, eds. (2005). "The English Civil Wars". Arts and
Humanities Through the Eras (https://archive.org/details/artshumanitiesth00edwa).
Vol. 5: The Age of the Baroque and Enlightenment 1600–1800. Detroit: Gale.
ISBN 978-0-787-65697-3.
▪ Brereton, William (2012). McKenna, Joseph (ed.). A Journal of the English Civil War: The
Letter Book of Sir William Brereton, Spring 1646 (https://books.google.com/books?id=4Nv
vowP-7hwC&pg=PA303). Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland.
ISBN 978-0-7864-7269-7.
▪ Brooks, Richard (2005). Cassell's Battlefields of Britain and Ireland. London: Weidenfeld &
Nicolson. ISBN 0-304-36333-2.
▪ Cooke, David (2004). The Civil War in Yorkshire: Fairfax Versus Newcastle (https://books.go
ogle.com/books?id=pK0laO8noKcC). Barnsley: Pen & Sword Military.
ISBN 1-84415-076-3.
▪ Cooke, David (2006). Battlefield Yorkshire: From the Romans to the English Civil Wars (http
s://books.google.com/books?id=ehvOAwAAQBAJ). Barnsley: Pen & Sword Military.
ISBN 1-84415-424-6.
▪ Gaunt, Peter (1997). The British Wars 1637–1651. London: Routledge.
ISBN 0-415-12966-4.
▪ Harrington, Peter (2004). English Civil War Archaeology. London: Batsford.
ISBN 978-0-7134-8897-5.
▪ Little, Patrick (2014). The English Civil Wars: A Beginner's Guide (https://books.google.co
m/books?id=E6q7AwAAQBAJ). London: Oneworld Publications.
ISBN 978-1-7807-4331-8.
▪ Memegalos, Florene S. (2007). George Goring (1608–1657): Caroline Courtier and Royalist
General (https://books.google.com/books?id=pPihAgAAQBAJ). Aldershot: Ashgate
Publishing. ISBN 978-0-7546-5299-1.
▪ Wentworth, George (1864). "Heath Old Hall" (https://books.google.com/books?id=liZNA
QAAMAAJ). Journal of the British Archaeological Association. London: British

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Archaeological Association. 20. OCLC 971084314 (https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/97108

4314).

Deuxième saison (1995-1996)

1. (v2.1) L'Attaque du virus / L'Extension de mémoire (Infected)
2. (v2.2) Le Code / Les Maîtres de code (High Code)
3. (v2.3) Un terrible combat / Le Choc des jeux (When Games Collide)
4. (v2.4) Une victoire difficile / Méchant Bob (Bad Bob)
5. (v2.5) De toutes les couleurs / L'Artiste à la fenêtre (Painted Window)

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