12/11/1642 A win for the Royalists. There is dispute about whether this action was during a period of negotiation which should have been considered a cease-fire. There had been a meeting between Charles and a party of Parliamentarians led by the Earl of Northumberland on the 11th. Prince Rupert attacked the Parliamentary force just west of Brentford which he surprised by using the cover of fog. There was a particularly fierce action here at Brentford bridge. Once the superior Royalist force had broken through into the town they killed many, took 500 prisoners with 11 colours and captured a considerable amount of ordnance. A contemporary account also tells of how there was the 'miserable death of many goodly men' who were drowned when driven into the river by the Royalist forces. Sir Peter Killigrew arrived at Brentford to continue the previous day's negotiations to be astonished to find a battle had been fought, won and lost.

There seem to have been two possibilities as to how the following 6 years of civil war could have been avoided.. It is suggested that Charles could have gone on to take London which would have caused the collapse of the Parliamentarians. It is also suggested that Essex, the Parliamentary commander, could have destroyed Charles when he retreated by advancing the army he had at Turnham Green on the night of the 12th (which was twice the strength of Charles') because his forces also held Kingston bridge in the west and the higher ground of Acton to the north.

O/S Co-ords:1730.7730
Source(s):

Twickenham Past