Siege of Bristol (1645)

The Second Siege of Bristol of the First English Civil War lasted from 23 August 1645 until 10 September 1645, when the Royalist commander Prince Rupert surrendered the city that he had captured from the Parliamentarians on 26 July 1643. The commander of the Parliamentarian New Model Army forces besieging Bristol was Lord Fairfax.

This article is about the siege of 1645. For other sieges and captures of Bristol, see Siege of Bristol.

Siege of Bristol
Part of English Civil War
Date23 August – 10 September 1645
Location
Bristol
51°27′0″N 02°35′0″W
Result Parliamentary victory
Belligerents
Royalists Parliamentarians
Commanders and leaders
Prince Rupert Lord Fairfax
Bristol is located in Bristol
Bristol
Bristol
Location within Bristol

Prelude

After reducing Bridgwater Fairfax and the New Model Army turned back to clear away the Dorsetshire Clubmen and besiege Sherborne Castle. On the completion of this task, it was 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 lines of defence around the place were too extensive for Prince Rupert's small force and on 10 September he surrendered Bristol on terms. Prince Rupert 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, almost stunned by the suddenness of the catastrophic loss of Bristol, dismissed Rupert 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]

Citations
  1. Atkinson 1911, 41. Fall of Bristol.

References
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. Vol. 12 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. pp. 403–421.
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