Battle of Reading (1688)
Encyclopedia
The Battle of Reading took place on 9 December 1688 in Reading
, Berkshire
. It was the only substantial military action in England
during the Glorious Revolution
and ended in a decisive victory for forces loyal to William of Orange. It was celebrated in Reading for hundreds of years afterwards.
the Prince of Orange
landed at the head of a Dutch
army in attempt to wrest control of the country. Five weeks later, on 7 December, the Prince of Orange and a strong body of troops had reached Hungerford
. After retreating from Salisbury
James II
's main force was stationed on Hounslow Heath
. James posted an advance guard of 600 in Reading to stop the march of the Dutch towards London
. These 600 troops were composed of Irish
Catholic
s under Patrick Sarsfield, who wild rumour asserted were planning to massacre the townsfolk.
While the Prince of Orange was in Hungerford English supporters came into the town from all directions including a body of several hundred cavalry headed by northern lords. On Saturday 8 December James sent Lord Halifax, Lord Nottingham, and Lord Godolphin to Hungerford to confer with William. They were invited into William's bedroom to meet William and his advisers. Halifax presented Jame's proposals: that the points of dispute would be laid before Parliament; and that while Parliament deliberated, William's army would not come nearer than 30 miles from London. Halifax then handed a letter from James to William and left the room. William read the letter, and asked his English advisers to discuss the proposals. While he waited for his advisers to decide on their advice, he travelled two miles out of Hungerford to Littlecote Hall. William's advisers met in a large room at the Bear Inn and under the chairmanship of Lord Oxford, and after a long debate they rejected James's proposals, sending word to William of their decision. William rejected their advice and decided to negotiate with James and put his own counter proposals in writing for Halifax to deliver to James.
to ask for help. On Sunday 9 December a relief force of about 250 Dutch troops was sent to the town. Warned in advance of the Royalist positions in the town they attacked from an unexpected direction, and got into the centre of Reading, where Broad Street
gives rise to one of the alternate names for this encounter.
Forcing the Irish troops back, the Dutch attack was supported by Reading men shooting from their windows. The Dutch soon forced the Irish troops to retreat in confusion leaving a number of their side slain, twenty to fifty depending on the account. There were few deaths on the Dutch side, one being a Catholic officer.
James was already convinced that only Irish troops could be relied on to defend him, but this defeat by an inferior force and the willingness of the people of Reading to support a Dutch invasion further signalled the insecurity of his position. Thus on Tuesday 11 December James fled London in abortive attempt to escape. He eventually escaped to France, where he found the support of Louis XIV
and then Ireland, where most of the population supported him. His last hopes of regaining the throne were dashed with his defeat in the Williamite war in Ireland
.
In light of proposals he had received from James while in Hungerford, William decided not to immediately proceed to London, but to accept an invitation from the University of Oxford
. On 11 December, William set off for Abingdon
, but on hearing of James's flight, he turned and headed down the Thames valley through Wallingford and Henley
, accepting the submission of the Royalist troops he met on the way, arriving at Windsor
on 14 December 1688.
Reading, Berkshire
Reading is a large town and unitary authority area in England. It is located in the Thames Valley at the confluence of the River Thames and River Kennet, and on both the Great Western Main Line railway and the M4 motorway, some west of London....
, Berkshire
Berkshire
Berkshire is a historic county in the South of England. It is also often referred to as the Royal County of Berkshire because of the presence of the royal residence of Windsor Castle in the county; this usage, which dates to the 19th century at least, was recognised by the Queen in 1957, and...
. It was the only substantial military action in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
during the Glorious Revolution
Glorious Revolution
The Glorious Revolution, also called the Revolution of 1688, is the overthrow of King James II of England by a union of English Parliamentarians with the Dutch stadtholder William III of Orange-Nassau...
and ended in a decisive victory for forces loyal to William of Orange. It was celebrated in Reading for hundreds of years afterwards.
Prelude
On Wednesday 5 November 1688 WilliamWilliam III of England
William III & II was a sovereign Prince of Orange of the House of Orange-Nassau by birth. From 1672 he governed as Stadtholder William III of Orange over Holland, Zeeland, Utrecht, Guelders, and Overijssel of the Dutch Republic. From 1689 he reigned as William III over England and Ireland...
the Prince of Orange
Stadtholder
A Stadtholder A Stadtholder A Stadtholder (Dutch: stadhouder [], "steward" or "lieutenant", literally place holder, holding someones place, possibly a calque of German Statthalter, French lieutenant, or Middle Latin locum tenens...
landed at the head of a Dutch
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
army in attempt to wrest control of the country. Five weeks later, on 7 December, the Prince of Orange and a strong body of troops had reached Hungerford
Hungerford
Hungerford is a market town and civil parish in Berkshire, England, 9 miles west of Newbury. It covers an area of and, according to the 2001 census, has a population of 5,559 .- Geography :...
. After retreating from Salisbury
Salisbury
Salisbury is a cathedral city in Wiltshire, England and the only city in the county. It is the second largest settlement in the county...
James II
James II of England
James II & VII was King of England and King of Ireland as James II and King of Scotland as James VII, from 6 February 1685. He was the last Catholic monarch to reign over the Kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland...
's main force was stationed on Hounslow Heath
Hounslow Heath
Hounslow Heath is a public open space and local nature reserve to the west of Hounslow, a London borough. It now covers about , the residue of the historic Hounslow Heath that covered over .-History:...
. James posted an advance guard of 600 in Reading to stop the march of the Dutch towards London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. These 600 troops were composed of Irish
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
Catholic
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
s under Patrick Sarsfield, who wild rumour asserted were planning to massacre the townsfolk.
While the Prince of Orange was in Hungerford English supporters came into the town from all directions including a body of several hundred cavalry headed by northern lords. On Saturday 8 December James sent Lord Halifax, Lord Nottingham, and Lord Godolphin to Hungerford to confer with William. They were invited into William's bedroom to meet William and his advisers. Halifax presented Jame's proposals: that the points of dispute would be laid before Parliament; and that while Parliament deliberated, William's army would not come nearer than 30 miles from London. Halifax then handed a letter from James to William and left the room. William read the letter, and asked his English advisers to discuss the proposals. While he waited for his advisers to decide on their advice, he travelled two miles out of Hungerford to Littlecote Hall. William's advisers met in a large room at the Bear Inn and under the chairmanship of Lord Oxford, and after a long debate they rejected James's proposals, sending word to William of their decision. William rejected their advice and decided to negotiate with James and put his own counter proposals in writing for Halifax to deliver to James.
Battle
James II sent part of his army to Reading to stop the march of the invasion force. The people of Reading had already sent a messenger to William who was at HungerfordHungerford
Hungerford is a market town and civil parish in Berkshire, England, 9 miles west of Newbury. It covers an area of and, according to the 2001 census, has a population of 5,559 .- Geography :...
to ask for help. On Sunday 9 December a relief force of about 250 Dutch troops was sent to the town. Warned in advance of the Royalist positions in the town they attacked from an unexpected direction, and got into the centre of Reading, where Broad Street
Broad Street, Reading
Broad Street is a main pedestrianised thoroughfare and the primary high street in the English town of Reading. The street is situated in the town centre, running for approximately , from west to east. The western end of the road lies at the crossroads with Oxford Road, West Street and St Mary's...
gives rise to one of the alternate names for this encounter.
Forcing the Irish troops back, the Dutch attack was supported by Reading men shooting from their windows. The Dutch soon forced the Irish troops to retreat in confusion leaving a number of their side slain, twenty to fifty depending on the account. There were few deaths on the Dutch side, one being a Catholic officer.
Aftermath
Many of the dead were buried in the churchyard of St Giles' Church.James was already convinced that only Irish troops could be relied on to defend him, but this defeat by an inferior force and the willingness of the people of Reading to support a Dutch invasion further signalled the insecurity of his position. Thus on Tuesday 11 December James fled London in abortive attempt to escape. He eventually escaped to France, where he found the support of Louis XIV
Louis XIV of France
Louis XIV , known as Louis the Great or the Sun King , was a Bourbon monarch who ruled as King of France and Navarre. His reign, from 1643 to his death in 1715, began at the age of four and lasted seventy-two years, three months, and eighteen days...
and then Ireland, where most of the population supported him. His last hopes of regaining the throne were dashed with his defeat in the Williamite war in Ireland
Williamite war in Ireland
The Williamite War in Ireland—also called the Jacobite War in Ireland, the Williamite-Jacobite War in Ireland and in Irish as Cogadh an Dá Rí —was a conflict between Catholic King James II and Protestant King William of Orange over who would be King of England, Scotland and Ireland...
.
In light of proposals he had received from James while in Hungerford, William decided not to immediately proceed to London, but to accept an invitation from the University of Oxford
University of Oxford
The University of Oxford is a university located in Oxford, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest surviving university in the world and the oldest in the English-speaking world. Although its exact date of foundation is unclear, there is evidence of teaching as far back as 1096...
. On 11 December, William set off for Abingdon
Abingdon, Oxfordshire
Abingdon or archaically Abingdon-on-Thames is a market town and civil parish in Oxfordshire, England. It is the seat of the Vale of White Horse district. Previously the county town of Berkshire, Abingdon is one of several places that claim to be Britain's oldest continuously occupied town, with...
, but on hearing of James's flight, he turned and headed down the Thames valley through Wallingford and Henley
Henley-on-Thames
Henley-on-Thames is a town and civil parish on the River Thames in South Oxfordshire, England, about 10 miles downstream and north-east from Reading, 10 miles upstream and west from Maidenhead...
, accepting the submission of the Royalist troops he met on the way, arriving at Windsor
Windsor, Berkshire
Windsor is an affluent suburban town and unparished area in the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead in Berkshire, England. It is widely known as the site of Windsor Castle, one of the official residences of the British Royal Family....
on 14 December 1688.