The Battle of Whalley - 20 April 1643

Flatter than a very flat thing could be the alternative title for this post. My phone that is, and on that phone are the photo's of the new painting project I had intended posting today.  So while I'm waiting for it to show enough charge to allow me to link the images to the PC, here is something I prepared earlier on the ECW battle which was fought closest to my home town.

I grew up in the town of Clitheroe in the Ribble valley of North East Lancashire and as a child I recall the kids talking about “the battle that happened at Sabden Brook”.  No one knew when it had happened or who was fighting or why, it was just one of those odd facts kids pass on from generation to generation of eight year olds and which most grown ups had once heard about and then long forgotten.  Then about some years ago I came across “The Great Civil War in Lancashire”by E Broxap.  This is one of the series of county histories of the war written by the Victorians and Edwardians.  From this I learned that there had indeed been battle fought on Sabden Brook – The Battle of Whalley.   However, even this didn’t give any detail about the battle, just the location and date and a couple of lines on the effect of their defeat on the Royalist cause in Lancashire.

Recently I came across a Victorian edition of a seventeenth century account of the war in Lancashire.  This is “A discourse upon the course of the war in Lancashire” (Unknown author but possibly the Parliamentarian Captain Edward Robinson of Kirkham) which dates from 1652.  The version I have access to was printed by the Chetham Society in 1864 and edited by William Beaufort from a manuscript copy in the Earl of Derby’s library.  I found it online in one of the free to view sites.  This period account gives a broadly chronological account of the war and gives a detailed account of the Battle.  Before reproducing the 1652 account of the battle it is worth setting the scene.

Lancashire in the 1640s was an isolated county, there were only a limited number of places where military forces could enter the county and as a result most of the fighting was purely between local forces.  Generally the South West and West of the county was pro-Royalist and the East and South East was for Parliament.  The North was largely moorland and so was largely pro sheep.  The Parliamentarian cause centred around Manchester and Bolton with the Royalist support being the rural areas of the Fylde (the lowlands east of present day Blackpool) and the area between Preston, modern Southport and Wigan.  The Royalists had what at least appeared to be a unified command under the Earl of Derby operating from his fortified home Latham House near what is now Skelmersdale.  Parliament on the other hand looked to have a fragmented command structure with officers appointed to command each of the six “hundreds” that the county was sub-divided into. 

The Lancashire Hundreds

 The early fighting centred on skirmishes and attempted stormings of Manchester and Wigan.  As the fighting settled down Parliament’s forces secured Bolton and captured Blackburn from the Royalists.  In the east the Royalists under the Earl of Derby consolidated their hold on the west of the county by taking Preston the key link between the Fylde and South West Lancashire.  As 1643 opened both sides looked to further consolidate their base areas and then strike against their enemies.  The Parliamentarians operating out of Blackburn scored the first success by taking Preston.  They alsoattempted Warrington but were repulsed.  Meanwhile the Royalists moved towards Lancaster succeeding in taking the town and burning it in early April.  They then turned back towards Preston.  Derby issued a summons to all able bodied men in Amounderness Hundred (the Fylde) and seems to have raised a large force of foot.  Many of these were clubmen armed only with cudgels and agricultural implements.  With this force they stormed and recaptured Preston.  Derby then decided to keep moving, his plan was to strike from Preston, North West along the Ribble valley and swing around on Blackburn from the North.  He crossed the Ribble at or near Samlesbury Hall ( and continued along the river towards Whalley.

Now to the geography.  The Ribble valley is a broad flat area that narrows slowly as it climbs North West towards the bulk of the Pennines.  Close by Whalley two major tributaries join the Ribble, the River Hodder from the North East  and a mile or two further upstream the River Calder joins from the West through a gap in the hills.  Whalley sits in the angle of the Calder and the Ribble in the valley bottom.  The valley through which the Calder flows forms a natural defensive point against forces advancing East along the Calder, towards Padiham, and Burnley, as the hills come down towards Whalley on either side of the river.  The last two or three miles dropping on a relatively steep gradient.  It was along the hills to the North of the Calder the two forces met just south of the village of Reed close by the point where Sabden Brook flows down to the Calder.

This shot shows how close the hills come to Whalley

The initial action occurred close to where the old Roman road crosses Sabden Brook.  The brook runs through a valley here and the road climbs up out of the valley towards reed passing close to the stone walls of the estate of Reed Hall.

This Image of Reed New Bridge shows the point at which the road crossed Sabden Brook.

So now to the actual description of the fight written sometime in the nine years after the battle (Complete with seventeenth century spellings or lack of them!).

“The Earle of Darbies last undertaking (before hee forsooke the Countie and that wherein God appeared most against him) was his voyage into Blackburn Hundred to Whaley ; no doubt to requite the Parliament Commanders in it with the like they did him by getting some into the King's possession that soe he might vexe the rest if not gaine it all.  Therefore not long after his regaining of Preston and Burning at Lancaster hee calls his Commanders and Souldiers to Preston again with his Club of the feild (Could this be a odd spelling of Fylde?); and having them in a bodye with his afforesaid piece of Ordenance and Horse, the [there is a small gap in the text here which might have given total numbers of the royalists] or thereabout sets forward and marches by Ribchester from thence over Ribble at Salesbury Boat and by Salesbury Hall and soe was well neare gotten to Whaley before he was discovered ; his Clubmen according to their practice plundering in most of the townes they passed by or thorrow (through?).  News of his approaching being brought to Padiam and Galthrop to Colonell Shutleworth in the night tyme that Hundred being then in a weak condition to rescist him, the souldiers at that tyme in no parte of it in any bodie or companies but dispersed and also wanting Ammunition and Pouder.  Neverthelesse the ould Colonell sent intelligence into the Hundred before morning of the Earle's approach summoning all to come up to him in the morning with speed with their best weapons.  Betymes in the morning the Earle's Armie were all drawne up and over that River that runs by Whaley called Calder and there they with the piece of Ordenance were set in a bodie as to receive an Enimie.  The Earle with other of his Commanders where up to the Abbey Sir Ralph Ashton's House whilst Mr. Tildsley with others scouted up towards Padiam yea as far as Reed-head.  Now the Colonells, Shutleworth and Starkie being both come to Padiam with some of the Captaines were in a great perplexitie know[ing] not what to doe being (as was said) unprovyded. Yet some Captaines were sent, some souldiers accompanying to scout towards Whaley as far as Read Mr Nowell's house to hear whether my Lord advanced or no and making a stand there, consulting amongst themselves what was likeliest to be done upon the exigent. The Captaines were all of one mind as that it was not safe to withstand the Earle there. He was a strong partie and came on purpose provided and they weake their companies away scattered. Therefore the safest way was to retreat and preserve themselves out of their Enimies hand till their Companies could be gathered into a bodie with some aid and withall furnished with Ammunition which now they wanted, this being their Resolution at Preston.

This pleased not the Souldiers then by, That they should turn their backs upon their enimies before they saw their faces. Therefore a many of Musketiers being resolut men replyed to the Captaines bouldly, bidding them take what course they pleased for their safeties yet they would aventure themselves, see the enemie and haue one bout with them if God will. And therefore gathering themselves together mad themselves readie to receive the enimie. And belyke eyther imagyning of themselves or having intelligence from others that the enemie would (pass) that way They planted themselves in fields on the high way sid betwixt Whaley and Padiam under the Stone walls with their muskets, readie charged, being hid, to give the enemie a volley of shot if they appeared. Long they lay not before they espied some of the Earles Horse and Foot mounting out of a Hollow dingle betwixt Ashterley and Reed-head. And Maister Tildsley was one of the foremost and having gotten the tope of the Hill he enquired of a woman that dwelt in a little house by, where he was or how that place was calde. Sir said she you are at Read-head above the house of Mr Nowell of Read. I am the more sorrie said he ; I would not haue his wyffe disquieted (Mr Nowell was a strong  malignant).  Not long after this Discourse the Musketiers under the walls waiting their opportunitie let goe a volley of shot against them very hotly which did put such a fear into them That immediately without any delay they turned againe and downe towards Whaley with all the speed they could make. And (as the report was) Mr Tildsley was soe terrified and amazed that forgetting his way for haste took into that lane that leads to Mr Shutleworths house at Ashterlee and then forced his horse to leape over a gate and passed down by Portfield to Whaley. The Musketiers perceiving them flee soe fearfully pursued them hotly and took divers Foot Clubmen. Presently upon the Report of the Muskets many came unto them and some caried the Prisoners to Padiam and the rest Joyned with the Musketiers to pursue the Enemie.

Amongst those that came in then to them was Marsden then a Lieutenant after mad a Captaine, a man of courage and hardie spirit. He incoradged the souldiers much with manly words to goe one, God would fight for them, and the like. So they pursuing with great shouting and the nearer that they came to Whaley the shouting was more and greater the hills and valleys giving the ecchoys besids more comming and encreasing. Whalley standeth in a Vale having the hills on every side on which was much people standing and all shouted, putting Amazement into the Earles Armie. The Earle being in the Abbey and divers of his companie in the Church and Tower, vpon that great noyse made haste to get ther. The peice of ordenance was discharged twise or thrise at the most towards the Tower; but with noe execution that was hard of. A boy that was upon a Steele in the field was shot about his knees whether with a musket or the Ordenance was not certaine whereof hee died but not immediately.  He was all that was slayne of the Parliament parte. Off the Earles Companie an emenent Captaine of much respect with him (yet a greate plunderer) his name was Conney was shot in the one of his eyes whereof he died afterwards and was carried away with them.

The Earles Clubb men being in the Reare of his Army hearing the great noyse of shoutting, apprehending it fearfully fled through the River in much haste, he being most happie that could get through it with most speed and run the fastest away. Noe command of the officers nor force of the horsemen could make them turne again or staye, but gone they would be ; which wrought soe upon the rest of the Armie that they lykewise turned their backs and fledd soe disorderly and confusedly That (as relation was) the Earle himself had much adoe to cause them to take their Ordenance with them, he being of the last Companie that was with it.

Thus hauing turned their backes of Whaley, the shouters increasing, they pursued them with a greater noyse And dyvers horsemen comming in followed with more speed taking some Prisoners and fynding Armes of all sortes cast in the way, not leaving of till they came so far as Salesbury Boat. The prisoners taken were most of them Clubmen of the ffeild, about fortie who weare kept at Padiam till they were released. “

This contemporary account lays the reason for the victory as being the shouting of the Parliamentarian troops which appeared to have panicked the raw Royalist foot.  It was likened to the trumpets at the battle of Jericho and the whole ascribed to God’s favour.  Interestingly the Royalists managed to get their artillery piece away which suggests that the Parliamentary pursuit was not that keen to come to grips with the enemy.  As battles go it wasn’t the most brutal fighting but it is probably representative of the small actions that occurred around the country between locally levied, untrained troops.  It is clear that in fights like this morale and the effect of a sudden unexpected appearance of troops close at hand is far more important than the equipment and tactics used.  Plus as a Sargeant of musket in the Sealed Knot I like the idea that the shot just decided to have a go regardless of numbers or commanders and succeeded in carrying the day.

One I really must try to re fight sometime I just need to make up some clubmen bases in 2mm.