Rebellion against Parliament breaks out in Kent

Historical Context Note

The Literary Encyclopedia. Volume 1.2.1.04: English Writing and Culture of the Seventeenth Century, 1625-1688.
Vol. editors: Jennifer Brady (Rhodes College), Daniel Cook (University of Dundee), Neil Forsyth (Université de Lausanne), Claire Preston (Queen Mary, University of London), J A Roe (University of York), Virginia Mason Vaughan (Clark University)

Domains

Civil Wars, Revolutions and Insurrections

Dates

Date of occurrence 1648-05-21

Places

United Kingdom (Location)

Resources

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In the spring of 1648, when Charles I was in the possesion of the Parliamentarians - under arrest at Carisbrooke Castle, on the Isle of Wight - riots broke out in support of the Royalist cause across the South East. In Kent, rebels quickly seized many key towns, including Canterbury, Rochester, Faversham and Sandwich. General Fairfax, who had been heading north to deal with the Scottish threat, was forced to divert to face this new challenge. However, the Parliamentarians-turned-Royalists were no match for the New Model Army, and when the two forces met at the Battle of Maidstone, it was a clear victory for Fairfax. Ultimately, this Royalist surge did not last long: with their defeat by the New Model Army at the Battle of Preston in August, the Parliamentarians secured their victory in…

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