Thomas Myddelton (younger) - First English Civil War

First English Civil War

During the English Civil War he became prominent as Sergeant Major General of the Parliamentary forces in north Wales. In the summer of 1642 he was sent to his constituency to exercise his influence on behalf of the parliament, and accordingly, in December 1642, he addressed to his countrymen a letter with strong advice to submit to and assist parliament. By the king's order, Colonel Ellis of Gwesnewydd, near Wrexham, seized Myddelton's residence, Chirk Castle, in his absence in January 1643. A garrison was placed there under Sir John Watts.

By a parliamentary ordinance, dated 11 June 1643, Myddelton, who had by that time returned to London, was appointed sergeant-major-general for North Wales. On 10 August he reached Nantwich in Cheshire, where he was joined by Sir William Brereton. They proceeded on 4 September to Market Drayton, and on 11 September to Wem, which they seized, garrisoned, and made their Shropshire headquarters. While they were still engaged in fortifying Wem, Arthur Capell, 1st Baron Capell of Hadham, with reinforcements from Staffordshire, marched on Nantwich, but was defeated outside Wem in two separate conflicts, on 17 and 18 October. After this victory Brereton and Myddelton left Nantwich on 7 November, were joined at Stretton by Sir George Booth with troops from Lancashire, and crossing the River Dee at Holt, entered north Wales, where Wrexham, Hawarden, Flint, Mostyn Mold, and Holywell were taken. But all these place were given up quickly after the landing at Mostyn on 18 November of some 2,500 royalist soldiers from Ireland, and the leaders were criticised. Myddelton's troops were militiamen, while his opponents were trained soldiers.

In February 1644 Myddelton's command in North Wales was confirmed by a fresh commission. He left London about the end of May 1644, and marched to Nantwich, and thence to Knutsford, where a muster of all the Cheshire forces was intended, against Prince Rupert and Lancashire. But the royalists, to the number of about four thousand, laid siege to Oswestry. Myddelton hurried there before the arrival of his colleagues, and raised the siege on 2 July. Returning to Nantwich, Myddelton for some time watched Prince Rupert's movements, making occasional raids into Montgomeryshire. On 4 September he captured the garrison at Newtown, and the same day advanced to Montgomery, and without any resistance the castle there was surrendered to him by its owner, Edward Herbert, 1st Baron Herbert of Cherbury. Sir Michael Ernely, who was in command of the royalist forces at Shrewsbury, marched upon Montgomery to recover it. Myddelton sallied out to collect provisions but Ernely intercepted his return, and defeated him outside the town. Myddelton's foot-soldiers, under Colonel Thomas Mytton, succeeded in re-entering the castle, which Ernely at once besieged; but Myddelton retired to Oswestry, and after obtaining reinforcements from Lancashire returned, accompanied by Brereton and Sir William Fairfax. They arrived on 17 September in sight of Montgomery, where the whole strength of both parties in North Wales and the borders was now assembled. After a desperate conflict, in which Fairfax was mortally wounded, the parliamentarians completely routed their opponents.

Myddelton was left for a time in command at Montgomery, but after the capture of Powis Castle on 3 October the county generally declared for parliament, and Myddelton was therefore able to turn to Shrewsbury, where he captured most of the outposts, and blocked the passages to the town. Myddelton appeared on 21 December 1644 before his own castle of Chirk, still held by Sir John Watts, who after a three days' siege was able to write on Christmas Day to Prince Rupert that he had beaten Myddelton off.