Ironsides (England)

HOME WARS BATTLES PEOPLE TIMELINE WEAPONS BLOG
BOOKSHOP INDEX SUBJECTS CONCEPTS COUNTRY LONG FORUM
A Parliamentarian cavalry united raised during the English Civil War, based on a nucleus formed by Oliver Cromwell in Huntingdon in 1643. The unit was composed of independent small farmers, determined puritans. The unit was notable for it's iron discipline, which was in a large part responsible for the Parliamentary victory at Marston Moor (2 July 1644), where in contrast to their royalist equivalents, the Ironsides remained on the battlefield after their initial charge and attacked the Royalist infantry. In early 1645 the New Model Army was formed, based largely on the Ironsides, who continued as part of the new army. At the battle of Naseby (14 June 1645), the Ironsides played a similar role as at Marston Moor, remaining on the battlefield while Prince Rupert's royalist cavalry charged off in pursuit of their first opponents. Cromwell was able to smash the royalist centre before Rupert returned, and the Royalist cavalry refused to attack the Ironsides..
cover The English Civil War , , Richard Holmes & Peter Young, an early work by one of the countries best known military historians, this is a superb single volume history of the war, from it's causing to the last campaigns of the war and on to the end of the protectorate. cover cover

JR, 11 December 2000