Battle of Naseby | English Civil Wars | Instruments of Death

Naseby in Northamptonshire, the scene for a decisive battle fought during the English Civil Wars. Long wars that set brother against brother, father against son, and more importantly led to the execution of King Charles I.
Naseby was fought in June 1645 and came after nearly three years of bitter warfare between the forces of the King and the armies of parliament. History remembers them as Cavaliers (Royalists) and Roundheads (Parliamentarians), an oversimplification, but it does neatly sum up those who were for, and those who were against the King.
In many ways it was modern warfare, with new or improved weapons appearing on the battlefield, such as mortars and muskets, alongside battlefield surgery and medicine that tried to keep up. The year 1645 also saw the appearance of the country’s first ever professional army, the brainchild of General Oliver Cromwell. It was called the New Model Army, and changed the face of the war with its first major action taking place at Naseby.
Few weapons sum up their era like those that were used at Naseby. When we see pictures of soldiers with pikes, or matchlock muskets, we instantly think of the English Civil War. They’ve become emblems of a dark period of British history and as was shown at Naseby, in the right hands they were deadly. The men that used them all believed that right, and God, were on their side. Where before men had fought for personal power and plunder, they were now prepared to lay down their lives for a cause, the Battle of Naseby was a turning point for them all.
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