The Battlefields Trust

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The Battlefields Trust
Presents
The Battles of
Brentford
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• When-

Battle of Brentford 12th November 1642.
Battle of Turnham Green 13th November 1642
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So...... Who fought whom?
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V
Royalists
Parliamentarians
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The parliamentarians made a run for it! Some
towards London but others tried to swim across
the Thames. Many were drowned.
The royalists again advance but are faced with a
second barricade.
barricade is defended by troops from Lord
Brooke's parliamentary regiment of foot
The royalists advance to Brentford Bridge
The royalists were again delayed, this time for 2
or 3 hours until they had Lord Brookes regiment
almost surrounded.
The royalists have many more men and easily clear
them from the hedges.
The Battle of Brentford
Royalist s advance from Hounslow Heath
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An artists impression of the Barricade at
Brentford Bridge
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What happened after the battle?
The parliamentarians fled at least 50 were killed
327 were captured and many drowned
Royalist losses were less than 20.
The royalists then looted Brentford.
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By 8am, after calling-up reinforcements from
London overnight, 24,000 parliamentarians formed
up on Turnham Green to prevent the royalists
marching on London
The royalists army of 12,000 which had taken part
in the previous days battle at Brentford, formed
up to attack.
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A number were killed and wounded on both sides,
as the Parliamentarians succeeded in driving the
Royalists back to their lines.
To protect their left flank, the royalists sent
troops into the hedgerows on the rising ground
towards Acton.
But he quickly changed his mind as he didnt want
to split his army. He soon called them back
By late afternoon, the royalists, realising that
they couldnt win withdrew through Brentford back
to where they started at Hounslow Heath the day
before.
The parliamentarians sent a larger force to
counter this move.
The battle had become a stalemate both sides
swapped cannon fire but neither side had the
upper hand
The Earl of Essex ordered 4 regiments of foot
soldiers and 2 of horsemen to march to Acton to
outflank the royalists.
During the early part of the battle the
experienced royalists sent skirmish parties to
attack the inexperienced parliamentarians in
attempts to break their lines.
The Battle of Turnham Green
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What were they fighting about?

• The Constitution

• Control of the army

• Taxes

• Beliefs

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• The Constitution

Who should rule the country The King or
Parliament?

• Parliamentarians
• It is possible that Kings could be wrong.
• I will only fight if I agree with the reasons.
• The King must listen to parliament.

• Royalists
• Everyone must obey the King.
• I am loyal to my Lord and I will fight if he
  asks me.
• The king is divine and takes his orders from God.

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Control of the army
Or
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Taxation
The King Is lord of everybody and can tax people
as much as he likes for whatever reason he likes.
Parliament Should set how much tax people pay and
say how that money should be spent
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Beliefs
The King Everyone should worship God in the same
way.
Parliament There is more than one way to worship
God.
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What happened at the end of the civil war?

• Eventually the Parliamentarians won
• King Charles was captured, tried and his head
  cut off.
• Britain became a republic under Oliver Cromwell.
• In 1660 the monarchy was restored.