Battle of Muster Green

Last updated

Battle of Muster Green [1]
Part of the First English Civil War
Muster Green - geograph.org.uk - 541934.jpg
Muster Green (the site of the battle) in 2007
DateFirst week of December 1642 [2]
Location
Muster Green, Haywards Heath, West Sussex
Coordinates: 50°59′59″N0°06′33″W / 50.9998°N 0.1092°W / 50.9998; -0.1092
Result

Parliamentarian victory

  • Royalist army routed
  • Lewes spared from a Royalist assault
  • Royalist advance through Sussex driven back
Belligerents
Royal Standard of England (1603-1689).svg Royalists Flag of England.svg Parliamentarians
Commanders and leaders
Edward Ford
Earl of Thanet
Herbert Morley
Strength
~ 1,000 foot
100 dragoons [3]
~ 250 foot and horse [4]
Casualties and losses
200 killed, wounded, or captured Unknown [lower-alpha 1]
West Sussex UK relief location map.jpg
Yellow ffff00 pog.svg
Muster Green
Red pog.svg
Chichester
Red pog.svg
Lewes
Red pog.svg
Cuckfield
Red pog.svg
Wiston House
Battle site (in yellow) in relation to Chichester, Wiston House, Cuckfield, and Lewes, within Sussex

The Battle of Muster Green (also known as the Battle of Haywards Heath) was a minor battle of major significance that took place during the first week of December 1642 on and around the then much larger Muster Green in Haywards Heath during the first year of the First English Civil War. A Royalist army under Colonel Edward Ford, High Sheriff of Sussex, marching from Chichester to seize Lewes for the King encountered a smaller but more disciplined Parliamentarian army under Colonel Herbert Morley waiting for them on Muster Green.

Contents

After Royalist musketeers fired "some" volleys, Morley's cavalry broke through the Royalist's advanced guard and, with the Parliamentarian infantry charging simultaneously, fought hand-to-hand; at least an hour of fighting ensued in which 200 Royalists were killed, wounded, or captured, resulting in the surviving Royalist forces routing and the Parliamentarians emerging victorious, saving Lewes from a Royalist assault, and pushing back Ford's 1642 Royalist invasion of Sussex. The battle site of the Battle of Muster Green became and remained the furthest any large Royalist force advanced through Sussex during the English Civil Wars.

Background

At the beginning of the First English Civil War there was no obvious distinction by location, occupation, or social class that outlined who would declare their support for the Royalists and who would declare support for the Parliamentarians in Sussex. Although historians have tried to characterise the eastern half of the county as "staunchly Parliamentarian" and western parts as more sympathetic to the Royalist cause, this broad distinction obscures many localised variations, particularly in downland areas and some urban areas. [5] For example, in Chichester, the church, gentry, and upper classes made clear their support was for Charles I while the rising merchant classes showed their sympathies lay with the Parliamentarians. The people of poorer standing, while making up the majority of the population, were much less eager to take up the cause of either side. [2] [5] [4]

It was soon clear that neither Royalists nor Parliamentarians would have control of Sussex without the use of force via a military campaign through the county. Sussex was of strategic and industrial importance to both sides during the war due to the cannon foundries and ironworks making up the Wealden iron industry in the High Weald, controlling which would have given a logistical advantage to the side that controlled them, and also because the Sussex coastline was one of the shortest routes to France – potentially a source of smuggled arms, gunpowder, troops, and bullion, as well as other equipment and materials required to wage and win a civil war. [2] The proximity to France also meant the county could be used as an escape route by the King – another factor which made Sussex "a region that Parliament needed to keep under firm control". [5]

In wider context, when the King fled to Oxford in August 1642 after he raised his royal standard in Nottingham and officially started the First English Civil War, he held the north of England, most of the Midlands, the south west of England, and Wales. This meant that it was mostly obvious where strong Royalist support began and ended and, with Sussex, part of this 'front line' was at the boundary with itself and Hampshire [6] (even though Hampshire was mostly sympathetic to Parliament, the Royalists held many isolated strongholds in the county such as Portsmouth, Basing House, and Winchester). [7] Edward Ford, the Royalist leader at the battle, had been given a colonel's commission at the outbreak of war by Charles, who also made Ford the High Sheriff of Sussex in 1642. Ford offered his majesty "a thousand men, and to undertake the conquest of Sussex, though sixty miles in length" and began to raise forces accordingly. [3] On 18 November 1642, Ford marched his Royalist army from Hampshire across the border with, and into, Sussex, whereupon he seized Chichester for the King. Ford then set his eyes on Lewes. [6]

Prelude

Ford decided that he would lead his forces eastwards through Sussex and seize the important Sussex town of Lewes for the King. Ford marched his forces in a broad sweep of Sussex – not heading directly along the coast from Chichester to Lewes but instead heading in a north-east direction to then move on Lewes from the north. Why Ford did this is unknown but it could have been to deliberately prolong his advance through Sussex and to Lewes to allow Ford to forcibly conscript more locals along the way, with the use of threats and force if need be, in order to swell his army (albeit with untrained rural folk) for his assault on Lewes. Either way, this decision eventually led Ford and his army to Cuckfield (roughly 11 miles (18 km) to the north west of Lewes) where he and his army set up camp. During the first week of December, Ford led his army out of Cuckfield and continued eastwards (probably marching down the modern Cuckfield-Haywards Heath route consisting of Broad Street, Tylers Green, and the B2272) and towards Haywards Heath. [2]

Haywards Heath would have been very different then from what it is today, as Haywards Heath as a large settlement is a relatively modern development kickstarted by the arrival of the London & Brighton Railway in 1841. In 1642, Haywards Heath mostly consisted of enclosed fields and copses with only a few houses and farms present being dotted about the landscape. There may well have been a small handful of buildings involved in the battle, including a building adjacent to the westernmost point of Muster Green called "Hen Davis House" in 1638. [8] [9] On arriving at the western outskirts of Haywards Heath, Ford and his army were met by resistance in the form of a much smaller but more disciplined Parliamentarian force led by Colonel Herbert Morley, which was waiting for them on Muster Green. [2]

Battle

The exact size of the Royalist army is unknown, however, Ford offered to fight for the King with "a thousand men, and to undertake the conquest of Sussex" so it is possible that the size of the Royalist army at Muster Green could have been circa 1,000 in size. [3] The exact size of the Parliamentarian army is also unknown, although, it is known that they were outnumbered by at least four to one by the royalist army meaning that the Parliamentarian force possibly numbered at circa 250 [4] – what Morley's men lacked in numbers however, they made up for in discipline, being therefore a more effective fighting force than that of Ford's. Later research by historians has pointed to the fact that neither side possessed any artillery at the battle. A recorded Parliamentarian perspective of the battle survives, likely being from the "news" that reached London on 8 December of Morley's victory at Haywards Heath: [2] [10]

The fight was performed with their muskets at first, and after some volleys our horse broke into their van, our footmen just at that instant charging courageously into their quarters. [10]

The Parliamentarians fought with "great fierceness" in bloody hand-to-hand combat inflicting heavy casualties on the less disciplined Royalists; Morley then sent his reserves up to exploit this and completed the rout of Ford's army. The fighting lasted for roughly an hour and resulted in at least 200 Royalists killed, wounded, or captured, while the figure for the Parliamentarian casualties is unknown. Ford's forcibly conscripted locals, recruited during Ford's broad sweep of Western Sussex, broke first, threw down their arms, and dispersed into the surrounding countryside; Ford and Thanet soon fled with their cavalry back to Chichester, leaving their surviving infantry (who had now scattered) to fend for themselves. The battle ended with the Royalists routed, retreating and dispersing from the battlefield – the Parliamentarians had decisively won the battle and spared Lewes from a Royalist assault. [2] [10]

Aftermath

Subsequent events

St Margaret's Church, West Hoathly, it is hypothesised that after the battle a routed group of Royalists fled into this church while under fire St Margaret's Church, West Hoathly (from Southwest).JPG
St Margaret's Church, West Hoathly, it is hypothesised that after the battle a routed group of Royalists fled into this church while under fire

After the battle, the Royalists were routed and driven from the battlefield – the battle site of the Battle of Muster Green became and remained the furthest a Royalist army advanced through Sussex during the First English Civil War. [11] [12] The forcibly conscripted locals were the first to break and were routed, fleeing southwards to Ditchling, Hurstpierpoint, and other neighbouring villages. Concurrently, the defeated Ford "conveyed himself away and left his men in the lurch to shift for themselves", [4] then Ford in the company of Thanet, his officers, and their cavalry "flying with all speed up to the not distant downs, and so to Wissum ("Wissum" being a misspelling of Wiston) to the Earl's house", [10] ("the Earl's house" being Wiston House which was later occupied by Royalist forces and then by Parliamentarian forces) [13] and then from there back to the previously captured city of Chichester, [2] [6] [10] where they, among others, were later besieged that December during the Siege of Chichester by the Parliamentarians under Sir William Waller and taken prisoner after the Royalist resistance surrendered on 27 December 1642. [7] News of the Parliamentarian victory at Haywards Heath reached London on 8 December. [10] [14]

It is hypothesised by historian Philip Pavey that a group of routed Royalist stragglers retreated in a north easterly direction, while being pursued by Parliamentarians, and ended up 6 miles (9.7 km) north east of Muster Green in West Hoathly. Here, Pavey describes how the retreating Royalists fled for safety into St Margaret's Church whereupon slamming the door shut behind them, they came under fire from Parliamentarian musketeers – the lead musket balls impacted the heavy wooden door to the church leaving half a dozen semiglobular impact marks "roughly about the size of Maltesers" and are still visible on the outside facing surface of the door today, although smoothed and shined with age like the rest of the door, and are the basis of this hypothesis. What happened to these Royalists inside St Margaret's Church if they were ever there is not known, however the impact marks on the door suggests ill-intent from the Parliamentarians and a grisly end for the Royalists. [11] [15]

Haywards Heath war memorial in 2009, situated on the westernmost edge of Muster Green, the direction from which Ford's Royalist army approached War Memorial, Muster Green, HH.jpg
Haywards Heath war memorial in 2009, situated on the westernmost edge of Muster Green, the direction from which Ford's Royalist army approached

Battle site today

The surrounding area of the site of the battle has changed and developed significantly since the time of the battle in 1642. Muster Green can be made out on the 1638 Manorial Map of Great Haywards Demesne and is surrounded by fields but little development. [8] [9] With the coming of the London & Brighton Railway in 1841, Haywards Heath began to urbanise exponentially and Muster Green saw itself slowly encroached upon by newer and newer buildings. Today, Muster Green is completely enveloped by urban sprawl, however, its shape has not changed as historically it was a green space between two diverging roads (the B2272 in the south and Muster Green North in the north). [16] Muster Green nowadays is a well maintained village green and has been awarded the Green Flag Award numerous times for being "one of the very best in the world". Haywards Heath war memorial is also located on the westernmost point of the green. [17] An informative and commemorative plaque on a lectern is situated on the easternmost point of the green describing the Battle of Muster Green. This was installed by the local council at the recommendation of historian Philip Pavey in June 2015, although, the plaque commemorates the Battle of Muster Green as the Battle of Haywards Heath. [11] [15]

Notes

  1. It could be assumed that the Parliamentarian casualties were much less than that of the Royalist casualties due to the approximate size of the parliamentarian army being almost the same size as the total number of Royalist casualties.

Citations

  1. Hayes 2018
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Veitch 2015
  3. 1 2 3 Cooper 1889
  4. 1 2 3 4 Digital Trail 6 – Chichester during the Civil War 1642-1646
  5. 1 2 3 Short & Leslie 1999, p. 58.
  6. 1 2 3 The battle of Haywards Heath.
  7. 1 2 Civil War in Southern England.
  8. 1 2 Haywards Heath Historic Character Assessment Report September 2005.
  9. 1 2 Twisleton 2018
  10. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Godwin 1904 , p. 55
  11. 1 2 3 Pavey 2019b, Warfare in West Sussex
  12. Short & Leslie 1999 , p. 59
  13. Poole 2015
  14. Thomas-Stanford 1910 , p. 49
  15. 1 2 Pavey 2019a, War comes to West Hoathly.
  16. Haywards Heath Town Council Neighbourhood Plan Our Bright Future December 2016.
  17. Kay 2018

Related Research Articles

Battle of Edgehill 1642 battle during the English Civil War

The Battle of Edgehill was a pitched battle of the First English Civil War. It was fought near Edge Hill and Kineton in southern Warwickshire on Sunday, 23 October 1642.

Haywards Heath Human settlement in England

Haywards Heath is a town and civil parish in the Mid Sussex District of West Sussex, within the historic county of Sussex, England.

Cuckfield Human settlement in England

Cuckfield is a village and civil parish in the Mid Sussex District of West Sussex, England, on the southern slopes of the Weald. It lies 34 miles (55 km) south of London, 13 miles (21 km) north of Brighton, and 31 miles (50 km) east northeast of the county town of Chichester. Nearby towns include Haywards Heath to the southeast and Burgess Hill to the south. It is surrounded on the other sides by the parish of Ansty and Staplefield formerly known as Cuckfield Rural.

Mid Sussex (UK Parliament constituency)

Mid Sussex is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament from 2019 by Mims Davies. She is currently a minister in the Department for Work and Pensions.

Battle of Cheriton A Battle that took place in 1644 during the First English Civil War

The Battle of Cheriton was an important Parliamentarian victory in the First English Civil War. It took place on 29 March 1644 and resulted in the defeat of a Royalist army, which threw King Charles I onto the defensive for the remainder of the year.

Battle of Turnham Green A Battle that took place in 1643 during the First English Civil War

The Battle of Turnham Green took place on 13 November 1642 near the village of Turnham Green, at the end of the first campaigning season of the First English Civil War. The battle resulted in a standoff between the forces of King Charles I and the much larger Parliamentarian army under the command of the Earl of Essex. In blocking the Royalist army's way to London immediately, however, the Parliamentarians gained an important strategic victory as the standoff forced Charles and his army to retreat to Oxford for secure winter quarters.

Battle of Powick Bridge Battle of the First English Civil War

The Battle of Powick Bridge was a skirmish fought on 23 September 1642 just south of Worcester, England, during the First English Civil War. It was the first engagement between elements of the principal field armies of the Royalists and Parliamentarians. Sir John Byron was escorting a Royalist convoy of valuables from Oxford to King Charles's army in Shrewsbury and, worried about the proximity of the Parliamentarians, took refuge in Worcester on 16 September to await reinforcements. The Royalists despatched a force commanded by Prince Rupert. Meanwhile, the Parliamentarians sent a detachment, under Colonel John Brown, to try to capture the convoy. Each force consisted of around 1,000 mounted troops, a mix of cavalry and dragoons.

St Wilfrids Church, Haywards Heath Church in West Sussex, England

St Wilfrid's Church is an Anglican church in the town of Haywards Heath in the district of Mid Sussex, one of seven local government districts in the English county of West Sussex. It is Haywards Heath's parish church, and is the mother church to two of the town's four other Anglican churches. Designed in the Decorated Gothic style by George Frederick Bodley, it was built between 1863 and 1865 as the town began to grow rapidly, and stands in a prominent position on the highest ground in the area. English Heritage has listed it at Grade II* for its architectural and historical importance.

See also Herbert Morley (explorer). Herbert Morley was an English politician who sat in the House of Commons variously between 1640 and 1667. He fought for the Parliamentary army in the English Civil War. Later he was appointed Lieutenant of the Tower of London.

William Morley (1606–1658)

Sir William Morley was an English politician who sat in the House of Commons at various times between 1626 and 1642. He supported the Royalist cause in the English Civil War.

Sir Edward Ford (1605–1670) was an English soldier and inventor.

Siege of Chichester A siege of the city of Chichester during the First English Civil War

The Siege of Chichester was a victory by Parliamentarian forces led by Colonel William Waller over a small Royalist garrison. The siege was one of the key events in the First English Civil War by Waller to secure southern England and declare it for Parliament. The siege lasted five days and ended with surrender by the Royalists. Despite the Royalist surrender, Waller's troops proceeded to sack and desecrate Chichester Cathedral.

Battle of Stourbridge Heath A small battle that took place in 1644 during the First English Civil War

The Battle of Stourbridge Heath was a skirmish that took place during the First English Civil War, in which a Parliamentarian contingent under the command of Colonel "Tinker" Fox was defeated by a larger Royalist force under the command of Sir Gilbert Gerard, Governor of Worcester.

Storming of Farnham Castle

The Storming of Farnham Castle occurred on 1 December 1642, during the early stages of the First English Civil War, when a Parliamentarian force attacked the Royalist garrison at Farnham Castle in Surrey. Sir John Denham had taken possession of the castle for the Royalists in mid-November, but after the Royalists had been turned back from London at the Battle of Turnham Green, a Parliamentarian force under the command of Sir William Waller approached the castle. After Denham refused to surrender, Waller's forces successfully stormed the castle. They captured it in under three hours, mostly due to the unwillingness of the Royalist troops to fight. This allowed the Parliamentarians to get close enough to breach the gates, after which the garrison surrendered.

Battle of Bramber Bridge

The Battle of Bramber Bridge was a minor skirmish that took place on 13 December 1643, during the First English Civil War. A Royalist detachment from Arundel attempted to secure the bridge over the River Adur at Bramber in West Sussex, but found a Parliamentarian force already in possession.

References