Battle of Chalgrove - 18th June 1643

The battle of Chalgrove, which was in fact little more than a skirmish, took place around 9 o’clock on the morning of 18th June 1643.

It was one of a number of small scale actions between Essex's army and the Oxford royalist forces that followed the fall of Reading.

Prince Rupert had learned, via the turncoat Colonel John Urray, of a parliamentary pay convoy of £21,000 heading for Thame. Unable to resist such a prize Rupert headed to intercept it with a force of 1,000 horse, 500 infantry and 350 dragoons.

Although he failed in his attempt to capture the parliamentarian payroll, Rupert was highly successful in disordering two parliamentarian quarters at Postcombe and Chinnor, capturing or killing 170 enemy troops and easily outwitting and out manoeuvring his enemies at Chalgrove.

The importance of Chalgrove lies not with its military significance; there were numerous other skirmishes of similar scale throughout the country during the war. It was rather its political implications in the loss of Colonel John Hamden, who was fatally wounded in the conflict. Hampden had been a key political figure on the parliamentarian side both before and during the war and his loss was keenly felt.