Battle of Maidstone

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

Battle

Dates

Date of occurrence 1648-06-24

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, aided by a naval mutiny at the Downs naval base at Chatham. General Fairfax, who had been heading north to deal with the Scottish threat, was forced to divert to face this new challenge. However, the rebel Royalists were no match for the New Model Army. The two forces met at the Battle of Maidstone. Once the leader of the Royalists, the Earl of Norwich, realised the serious nature of the threat, it was a tight-fought battle, but by midnight on 24 June, in the midst of a thunderstorm, Fairfax was able to declare Maidstone fully…

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