Siege of Oxford - The First Siege

The First Siege

Late in May 1644 Edmund Ludlow joined William Waller at Abingdon to "block up" Oxford. On 27 May Waller attempted to cross the Isis at Newbridge, but was beaten back by Royalist Dragoons. The following day, the Earl of Essex Robert Devereaux and his entire army forded the river at Sandford Ferry, halting on Bullingdon Green in full view of the city, while a small party of horse made a reconnaissance whilst the main body marched on to Islip, which they reached on 29 May and made quarters there. During the reconnaissance some of the Parliamentarian horse troops went up and down Headington Hill and had a few skirmishes near the Ports, although little damage was made on either side—the 'Work' at St Clement's Port made three or four great shot at them, driving them back to the main body of troops. Sir Edward Walker noted that "His Majesty at this instant was on top of Magdalen College Tower, where he did exactly view their orders and motion". On 30 May and 31 May the Parliamentarians made unsuccessful attempts to cross the River Cherwell at Gosford Bridge, and Earl of Cleveland Thomas Wentworth made a demonstration towards Abingdon, where Waller had a large force.

On 2 June Waller forced the passage at Newbridge and a large force crossed the Isis in boats. The King hurriedly held council at Woodstock, finding time to hunt and dine there, in the late evening the King heard news that Waller was within three miles of Woodstock. Islip and the passes over the Cherwell were abandoned, leaving matches burning at the bridges to deceive the Parliamentarians, the Royalists retreated to Oxford, which was reached in the early morning of 3 June. Walker, noting that there was not enough supplies to last fourteen days, wrote "to have stayed and been besieged in Oxford with the whole army had been certainly in a few days to put himself and all into their hands". It was decided the King should leave Oxford that night: the King ordered a large part of the army, with cannon, to march through Oxford towards Abingdon to provide a diversion. The King constituted a council to govern affairs in his absence and ordered all others who were to join him to be ready at the sound of trumpet. After a few hours the army returned from Abingdon, having successfully drawing off Waller.

On the night of 3 June 1644 at about 9 p.m. the King and Prince Charles, accompanied by various Lords and a party of 2,500 musketeers, joined the body of horse, taking the van which then marched to Wolvercote and on to Yarnton towards Long Hanborough, Northleigh and Burford, which they reached at about 4 p.m. on 4 June. The army's Colours had been left standing and a further diversion was arranged by the 3,500 infantry left with the cannon in North Oxford. The Earl of Essex and his troops had crossed the River Cherwell and had some troops in Woodstock, while Waller and his forces were between Newbridge and Eynsham. Although without heavy baggage, the King's forces had some sixty to seventy carriages, a large troop to have got though undiscovered. The parliamentarian scouting was seriously at fault, unaided by the lack of co-operation between Essex and Waller, it led to a deplorable failure on the part of two large armies to counter the escape of the King. The escape was discovered too late and Waller, rather than Essex, was quick to pursue and managed to cut off some stragglers in Burford, but the King and his forces had got safely away and continued to march on to Worcester. A letter from Lord Digby to Prince Rupert dated 17 June 1644, gives an indication of the immensity of the lost opportunities;

If Essex and Waller had either jointly pursued us, or attacked Oxford, all had been lost. In the one case Oxford had yielded up, not having a fortnight's provisions; in the other Worcester had been lost.

Following the unsuccessful attempt by Essex and Waller to capture the King and take Oxford, Sergeant-Major General Browne was appointed command of Parliamentarian forces, with orders for the reduction of Oxford, Wallingford, Banbury, and the Fort of Greenland House. On 8 June 1644 Browne held a council of war presiding over twelve chosen men and although he greatly troubled Oxford, there was no further attempt during the 1644 campaign season.