The Battle of Faringdon (that never was) – 8th May 1645

"Col. Roydon, Col. Bynet and Major Smith being come to Gen. Goring, they all marched, about eleven at night towards Faringdon, with a design to fall upon Lieut-Gen. Cromwell's quarters; but by the vigilancy of the Scout Master, they had such timely notice, that they escaped him; Col. Cromwell at that time being with Sir Thomas Fairfax and sent for by him, but hasted to his quarters and brought off his men without any loss, very little action, neither having at that time much mind to engage."

Cromwelliana, p.14.

The battle that never was

The circumstances whereby Goring and Rawdon almost fought Cromwell arose after Sir Marmaduke Rawdon was removed from the governorship of Basing House (Hants). Rawdon, an elderly London merchant but with lengthy experience serving in London’s Artillery Company and Trained Bands, had been governor there since August 1643, and had resisted two sieges. Over the winter of 1644/45 the owner of Basing, the Marquis of Winchester, one of the leading Catholics in England, successfully campaigned to ease Rawdon out. He was compensated with the governorship of Faringdon (Berks), forty miles to the north-west.

On 1st May 1645 Rawdon and those that did not wish to remain at Basing under the Marquis, set off to rendezvous with forces under Lord Goring in Berkshire. Rawdon’s column was hounded by Parliamentarian horse and was briefly delayed at the Royalist garrison at Donnington House, but finally met up with Goring at Lambourn on the 7th. At some point Colonel Humphrey Bennet and his men also joined Goring. Cromwell and his six regiments of horse, engaged in collecting supplies and wagons, were camped at Stanford-le-Vale, south-east of Faringdon, and had just made a half- hearted assault on the town. The number of Royalists was probably rather less than 3,000 whilst Cromwell’s force was probably nearer to 4,000.

The combined Royalist force set out at 11 o’clock at night, presumably made their way north-east up the minor road from Lambourn through Childrey and then headed north on the Wantage to Faringdon road, aiming to arrive at Stanford at dawn on the 8th. To surprise the Parliamentarians, they would have had to cross the River Ock, but this is little more than a braided stream at Stanford. Had Cromwell decided to attack them, the open fields south of the river, would have suited a cavalry action.

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The Armies

Cromwell had six regiments of horse and four troops of dragoon at Stanford-le-Vale. The horse were New Model units, recently mustered so close to full strength, mostly volunteers and well paid. The dragoon troops had also been brought up to strength recently, so perhaps 3,000 horse and 400 dragoons. According to some sources, a detachment of the Abingdon garrison was present as well, so perhaps another 400 commanded musketeers.

Parliament Units Type Number Six regiments of Horse Horse 3000 Four troops of Dragoons Dragoons 400 Commanded foot from Abingdon Musketeers 400 (?) 3800

Rawdon supposedly left Basing House with fifty horse and 450 foot. The latter may be an over - estimate for his foot regiment does not ever seem to have exceeded 250 rank and file, but this figure perhaps included broken units that has fallen back on Basing during the preceding Winter. He was joined on the march by Colonel Humphrey Bennet, some-time sheriff of Southampton and the governor of the garrison of Bishops Waltham (Hants) until it fell in April 1644. Parliamentarian sources describe Bennett as “very active and very cruel”. His regiment of horse then joined Lord Goring’s army in the Summer of 1644 and campaigned in the West Country. It accompanied a disarmed party of the Earl of Essex’s foot back from Lostwithiel (Cornwall) to Southampton under a truce but was by then only 100 men strong. After the march to Faringdon, Bennet joined the Winchester garrison, and was there when it surrendered on 5th October 1645. The other Royalist officer mentioned above, Major Smith, was probably one of Bennet’s officers.

This force of perhaps 150 horse and up to 450 foot joined the troops commanded by Lord Goring at Lambourn on the 7th May. Goring, a notorious drinker and carouser, had recently commanded a substantial detachment of the Oxford Army in the West Country, but at the time of this action he was probably leading a scratch force of his own regiments of horse and foot, and some Oxford horse quartered in the area. His troops were highly mobile and perhaps included some musketeers riding behind his troopers. His men had a reputation for brutality and ill-discipline and were nicknamed “Gorings Crew” by the Parliamentarian press. Had battle actually been joined, it is possibly that Faringdon garrison might have sent out a detachment to harass Cromwell from the rear.

Royalist Units Type Number Goring’s Horse Horse 1200 (?) Rawdon’s Horse Horse 50 Bennet’s Horse Horse 100 Goring’s Foot Musket 1000 (?) Rawdon’s Foot Pike and musket (50/50) 450 Faringdon Foot (see below) Pike and musket (50/50) 200 (?) 3000

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NB: There is no reference to artillery on either side, although Goring had two light guns at the battle of Langport (Somerset) later in the year. That might level the playing-field…

What if?

1. Goring and Rawdon catch Cromwell and his men unaware at dawn. The crack units of the New Model horse are slaughtered, only a few getting away to safety in Abingdon. Even if Cromwell escapes his credibility is negligible and he retires to Huntingdon. Fairfax goes on the defensive, Naseby never happens, and the year ends in deadlock. The case for a negotiated peace with the King gains support in London. 2. Aware of the imminent arrival of “Goring’s Crew”, Cromwell ignores orders and turns to face them. The Abingdon foot blocks the road to the north, holding off reinforcements from Faringdon. A carefully managed attack by the New Model horse sees off lesser numbers of Royalist horse, who then return to ride down the Royalist foot as they retreat south. Goring escapes to Donnington Castle but Rawdon dies with his men. Another minor civil war battle before the New Model Army triumphs.

Richard Dace [email protected]

April 2020.

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