Siege of Bristol (1645)

The second siege of Bristol of the English Civil War lasted from 23 August 1645 until 10 September 1645, when the Royalist commander Prince Rupert surrendered the city he had captured from the Parliamentarians on 26 July 1643 to Lord Fairfax the commander of Parliament's New Model Army.

Siege of Bristol
Part of English Civil War
Date 23 August – 10 September 1645 Location Bristol Result Parliamentary victory
Belligerents
Royalists	Parliamentarians
Commanders and leaders
Prince Rupert	Lord Fairfax

Prelude

Fairfax and the New Model Army, after reducing Bridgwater, had turned back to clear away the Dorsetshire Clubmen and to besiege Sherborne Castle. On the completion of this task, it had been decided to besiege Bristol.[1]

Siege

On 23 August 1645 the New Model Army invested Bristol.[1] On the night of 9/10 September, Fairfax's army stormed Bristol. Prince Rupert had long realised the hopelessness of further fighting, the very summons to surrender sent in by Fairfax placed the fate of Bristol on the political issue, the lines of defence around the place were too extensive for his small force, and on 10 September he surrendered Bristol on terms. He was escorted to Oxford with his men, conversing as he rode with the officers of the escort about peace and the future of his adopted country.[1]

Aftermath

King Charles I, almost stunned by the suddenness of the catastrophic loss of Bristol, dismissed Rupert (his nephew) from all his offices and ordered him to leave England. The fall of Bristol meant that Chester was the only important seaport remaining to connect the English Royalists with Ireland.[1]

Notes

1. Atkinson 1911, 41. Fall of Bristol.

Attribution

•  This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Atkinson, Charles Francis (1911). "Great Rebellion". In Chisholm, Hugh (ed.). Encyclopædia Britannica. 12 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. pp. 403–421.