RW HA Battlefield Maserfeld Nov 2020

Home , Makerfield, Manor (Sefton ward), Northumbria, Oswald of Northumbria, Victoria (Sefton ward)

Richard Ward PINS Reference 3253194; 3253230; and 3253232

The Battle of Maserfeld 5th August AD 642

Near to the Saxon village, later known as Winwick.

by Richard Ward 2020

Background map acknowledgeable “This work is based on data provided through www.VisionofBritain.org.uk and uses historical material which is copyright of the Great Britain Historical GIS Project and the University of Portsmouth” “The Battle of Maserfeld 642 AD” In 633 AD King Oswald of Northumbria is said to have had his winter palace in the area called Maserfeld (origin Saxon Chronicles). But with the continuing conflict of the pagan King Penda of Mercia with Northumbria, Penda marched north crossed the River Mersey attacked Oswald in the summer of 642 AD. After a blooded battle here in the Red Bank Area, King Oswald was slain on 5 August 642 AD. Oswald's kind actions towards his kinsmen his death became his martyrdom. It is recorded (by the Bede), miracles occurred at the place of Oswald's martyrdom. After King Oswald's death, his successors created a nearby “new town” in the vicinity of Castle Hill.

Source Bede (673-735): Ecclesiastical History of the English Nation, Book III

“CHAPTER IX HOW MIRACULOUS CURES HAVE BEEN FREQUENTLY DONE IN THE PLACE WHERE KING OSWALD WAS KILLED…

OSWALD, the most Christian king of the Northumbrians, reigned nine years, including that year which is to be held accursed for the brutal impiety of the king of the Britons, and the apostasy of the English kings; for, as was said above, it is agreed by the unanimous consent of all, that the names of the apostates should be erased from the catalogue of the Christian kings, and no date ascribed to their reign. After which period, Oswald was killed in a great battle, by the same pagan nation and pagan king of the Mercians, who had slain his predecessor Edwin, at a place called in the English tongue Maserfield, in the thirty-eighth year of his age, on the fifth day of the month of August.

How great his faith was towards God, and how remarkable his devotion, has been made evident by miracles since his death; for, in the place where he was killed by the pagans, fighting for his country, infirm men and cattle are healed to this day. Whereupon many took up the very dust of the place where his body fell, and putting it into water, did much good with it to their friends who were sick. This custom came so much into use, that the earth being carried away by degrees, there remained a hole as deep as the height of a man. Nor is it to be wondered that the sick should be healed in the place where he died; for, whilst he lived, he never ceased to provide for the poor and infirm, and to bestow alms on them, and assist them.” Location of Maserfeld There are several spellings for Maserfeld, Maserfield, Maserfelth, Makerfield among others, depending upon the written source referenced. The spelling used will be from the Saxon Chronicles translation “Maserfeld”: Maserfeld One main source is the area at Winwick, before AD 642 there was no Saxon village called Newton. The town of Newton came some time after the death of King Oswald, where over the centuries the name of Newton had variations. Newton-in-Makerfield, later changed to Newton-le- Willows.

Makerfield is an area in North West England. Places in the area include Ince-in-Makerfield, Ashton-in-Makerfield and Newton-in-Makerfield. The Domesday survey recorded an area of woodland in excess of 10 leagues by 6 leagues associated with Newton. This was larger by far than anywhere else in the Cheshire survey. An area of this size would have encompassed most of the land bordered by present day Warrington, Wigan, and Leigh townships. When Macerfield was referred to it could have been anywhere within this woodland area. UK Parliament (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Makerfield_(UK_Parliament_constituency) The western part of Wigan borough constitutes the Makerfield parliamentary constituency. Etymology (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Makerfield) The name Makerfield may be the same place as Maserfelth recorded by Bede,[1] and derived from Brittonic *magẹ:r , meaning "a wall" (adopted from Latin māceria > Welsh magwyr, Breton moger; compare Magor, Wales).[1] In the Latin of Bede's time, there was no "K". He would have spelt it Macerfelth, which may easily have been corrupted to Maserfelth. The Saxon Chronicle refers to the place where King Oswald was slain as “Maserfeld”.

Reference 1. James, Alan. "A Guide to the Place-Name Evidence" (PDF). SPNS - The Brittonic Language in the Old North. Archived from the original (PDF) on 13 August 2017. Retrieved 25 November 2018. Research Researching the Battle of Maserfeld, one methodology is to concentrate on the road structure that could have been in the Reign of King Oswald of Northumbria AD634 to 642. Where the main road would have been the Roman Road that crossed the Ancient Ford crossing on the River Mersey, what was later known as Latchford: The location of the ancient ford no longer exists, for in the 19th century, the River Mersey followed a"horseshoe” route, the river was cut and filled in, now where Victoria Park, Warrington is situated. From the ancient ford crossing the Roman Road then followed the route through to the area where Alder Root Farm is today then on to Ashton then to Wigan. It is indicated King Oswald had a palace at the "head of the wood" (Woodhead, Hermitage Green),

From “THE FEE OF MAKERFIELD; WITH AN ACCOUNT OF SOME OF ITS LORDS, THE BARONS OF NEWTON. By William Beamont, Esq. (READ FEBRUARY 22nd, 1872.) Beamont writes:

“On the first planting of the Northumbrian kingdom we might expect to find a fortress placed on its southern boundary, and such a fortress, with the king's palace near it, there was probably on the Mersey at Warrington. The frequent inroads of their Mercian neighbours, however, caused the removal of the palace to Winwick, when the defence of the frontier was left to the garrison at Warrington, where king Oswald, the first of the Northumbrians to introduce Christianity into his dominions…..”

“…..If as tradition asserts, king Oswald had a palace at Winwick, it was neither a stately nor a substantial structure. No wonder, therefore, that no traces of it remain. It was probably built only of wood and wattles….” From ‘The History of Lancashire by Edward Baines 1836’, Baines writes on Page 38: “….Coeval with the churches, a number of castles were also erected, or re-edified; and it is conjectured, that not fewer than twelve considerable ones arose at the south of the Ribble, Wall-ey, Wal-ton, Cliild-wall, and Win-wick, Black- stone, Seph-ton, Stan-dish, and Pen-wortham, [Domesday Book, fs 270] Wig-an, Roch-dale, Middle-ton, and Berry. These were, probably, the seats of twelve Saxon chiefs, before the institution of parishes; and, therefore, the seats of as many parochial churches. [Bede, lib.ii. Cap. 9.s.] Edwin survived his conversion only six years, having fallen in a sanguinary battle, fought with Penda. the Mercian, and Cadwallan, the Cambrian, at Hethfield, where his whole army was put to the sword….”

Baines indicates Winwick was an important seat of a Saxon chief within Northumbria south of the River Ribble to the River Mersey. Being on the border of Northumbria to defend the only the ancient Roman cross on the River Mersey, with the Pagan Kingdom of Mercia. This would give credence, why King Oswald would have had a Palace in this border province of Maserfeld in the Kingdom of Northumbria.

As the crossing at the River Mersey in Roman times would have had a stronghold to control the crossing and a port/ landing area downstream at Wilderspool. After the Romans left, the Saxon tribes were established in to Kingdoms. The River Mersey being the border between the Kingdoms of Northumbria and Mercia. So there would have been a Saxon village at Warrington to protect the Roman ford crossing from Mercian attacks. King Oswald having had a palace at Woodhead then a track departing from the Roman Road to the Saxon village of Winwick would exist. So for the battle of Maserfeld would:

1. King Penda of Mercia cross the Mersey then follow the Roman Road then from the now Alder Root Farm area of the Roman road cross through woodland over the hill of the now Cop Holt Farm then across what is today Hermitage Green Lane and/or Newton Park, on to King Oswald's Palace?

2. King Penda from crossing at the Mersey follow the Roman road to the point the Saxon track to the Saxon village of Winwick then form the Mercian Army battle lines at the area now known as Hermitage Green toward the palace at Woodhead?

1. The Roman Road For King Penda to have used the Roman Road only then trek across woodland over the hill at what is now Cop Holt Farm then across the modern named Newton Park and or along Hermitage Brook valley to King Oswald’s Palace at Woodhead. The battle-lines would in a more East - West direction along the following lines:

The route described in 1. though plausible, King Oswald's Palace could not have be seen by King Penda, due to Cop Holt hill obscuring the view, or any trace of a settlement from the Roman Road as the whole area would have also been woodland as at AD 642.

2. Saxon Track Whereas, King Penda would/could have sent out Scouts to discover the route to King Oswald and report back to show the Saxon Track to the Saxon village at Winwick and on to King Oswald who was in residence on 05 August AD642. The place where King Oswald fell (now St Oswald's Well) and its landscape orientation, fits better, the route King Penda to have taken, as described in 2.

The Maserfeld battle lines would have probably followed 2. along the following lines: Mercian Scots

Penda

Mercian Army