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During the Winter of 1642-43 he
concentrated on extending the King's territory round Oxford
and supporting the Royalist's of the west. He captured
Cirencester, stormed Birmingham and recaptured Lichfield. The
King, however, soon recalled him to Oxford to take part in the
main campaign.
In June 1643 Rupert distinguished himself
against Essex's army at Chalgrove Field, where the
Parliamentarian commander John Hampden was mortally wounded.
Joined by his brother Maurice, he
conquered Bristol after a short siege in July 1643 and two
months later put up a stubborn fight against Essex at the
first Battle of Newbury, but could not prevent him from
returning to London. Rupert's last successes of the First
Civil War included brilliant expeditions to relieve Newark
(March 1644) and York (June 1644).
At Marston Moor, in July 1644, his
cavalry suffered its first defeat, and the Royalist army was
almost annihilated by the combined English Parliamentarian and
Scots forces. It was at Marston Moor that Rupert's dog Boy was
killed. The leaders of the English Parliamentarian cavalry,
Sir Thomas Fairfax and Oliver Cromwell, now in command of the
New Model Army, again met Rupert at the Battle of Naseby in
June 1645, and although the Royalist's lost and their cause in
the north collapsed, Rupert's cavalry was once again
triumphant.
The Prince returned to his governorship
of Bristol and prepared to meet Fairfax's impending attack,
but after the New Model Army had broken through the outer
defences, Rupert sought a parley with Fairfax and decided to
surrender to save lives. It seems that Rupert had realised
that Bristol, which he himself had taken with comparative ease
in 1643, was indefensible against a large army.
Charles, however, who had made his nephew the
General of the Royalist forces in 1644, accused Rupert of
dereliction of duty and dismissed him. A court-martial,
however, cleared him and he joined the King in Oxford, which
was to capitulate to Fairfax in June 1646, afterwards
receiving permission from Parliament to leave the
country.
Rupert entered the French service in July 1646
and became a commander of a contingent of exiled English
troops. A year later he took part in the siege of La Bassee,
where he was wounded in the head.
Having accepted command of the Royalist
fleet in 1648, he sailed to Ireland in order to assist Ormonde
in the re-conquest of Ireland. His aid proved to be
ineffective and Rupert turned his ships towards Portugal,
capturing English merchantmen on the way. In 1650 Blake
accused him of piracy, attacked his squadron, and burnt or
sank most of his ships.
With the remnant, Rupert made his
way to Toulon, refitted his fleet and undertook a piratical
cruise to the West Indies, sailing via the Azores, Guinea and
the Cape Verde Islands. He finally reached Barbados in the
summer of 1652. In March 1653 he returned to France but after
a quarrel with the council of the exiled court of Charles II
went to Germany, where he lived in obscurity for the next six
years.
At the Restoration in 1660, Rupert returned to
England and was well received by Charles II, who made him a
Privy Councillor. On the outbreak of the Second Dutch War he
was appointed Admiral of the White under the Duke of York,
subsequently participating in the victory at Lowestoft (1665)
and, in association with Monck in other naval
actions.
Back in England, Rupert, in conjunction with
Monck and others, formed a scheme for discovering the supposed
passage through the Great Lakes of Canada to the South Seas.
In 1670 he became the first governor of the Hudson's Bay
Company and the territory granted it was named "Rupert's Land"
in his honour.
In March 1672, at the start of the Third
Dutch War, Rupert was appointed Vice Admiral of England. In
the following year he became General on sea and land; later he
was promoted to Admiral of the Fleet. Success seems to have
deserted him, however; he lost battles at Schoneveldt and
Texel to the Dutch fleet. Between 1672 and 1679 Rupert was the
first commissioner of the Admiralty. He died on 29th November
1682, in Spring Gardens, Westminster.
Apart from being
a dominant figure of the Civil War and renowned for his
military skill and courage, Rupert had widespread interests in
the arts and sciences. He claimed to have invented the process
of mezzotint, a method of copperplate engraving. He is also
credited with inventing "prince's metal," an alloy of copper
and zinc, and also experimented with the production of
gunpowder and the boring of guns.
Prince Rupert never married, but left two
illegitimate children - a daughter who married General
Emmanuel Scrope Howe; and a son who was killed in 1686 at the
Siege of
Buda
Joined by his brother Maurice, he
conquered Bristol after a short siege in July 1643 and two
months later put up a stubborn fight against Essex at the
first Battle of Newbury, but could not prevent him from
returning to London. Rupert's last successes of the First
Civil War included brilliant expeditions to relieve Newark
(March 1644) and York (June 1644).
At Marston Moor, in July 1644, his
cavalry suffered its first defeat, and the Royalist army was
almost annihilated by the combined English Parliamentarian and
Scots forces. It was at Marston Moor that Rupert's dog Boy was
killed. The leaders of the English Parliamentarian cavalry,
Sir Thomas Fairfax and Oliver Cromwell, now in command of the
New Model Army, again met Rupert at the Battle of Naseby in
June 1645, and although the Royalist's lost and their cause in
the north collapsed, Rupert's cavalry was once again
triumphant.
The Prince returned to his governorship
of Bristol and prepared to meet Fairfax's impending attack,
but after the New Model Army had broken through the outer
defences, Rupert sought a parley with Fairfax and decided to
surrender to save lives. It seems that Rupert had realised
that Bristol, which he himself had taken with comparative ease
in 1643, was indefensible against a large army.
Charles, however, who had made his nephew the
General of the Royalist forces in 1644, accused Rupert of
dereliction of duty and dismissed him. A court-martial,
however, cleared him and he joined the King in Oxford, which
was to capitulate to Fairfax in June 1646, afterwards
receiving permission from Parliament to leave the
country.
Rupert entered the French service in July 1646
and became a commander of a contingent of exiled English
troops. A year later he took part in the siege of La Bassee,
where he was wounded in the head.
Having accepted command of the Royalist
fleet in 1648, he sailed to Ireland in order to assist Ormonde
in the re-conquest of Ireland. His aid proved to be
ineffective and Rupert turned his ships towards Portugal,
capturing English merchantmen on the way. In 1650 Blake
accused him of piracy, attacked his squadron, and burnt or
sank most of his ships.
With the remnant, Rupert made his
way to Toulon, refitted his fleet and undertook a piratical
cruise to the West Indies, sailing via the Azores, Guinea and
the Cape Verde Islands. He finally reached Barbados in the
summer of 1652. In March 1653 he returned to France but after
a quarrel with the council of the exiled court of Charles II
went to Germany, where he lived in obscurity for the next six
years.
At the Restoration in 1660, Rupert returned to
England and was well received by Charles II, who made him a
Privy Councillor. On the outbreak of the Second Dutch War he
was appointed Admiral of the White under the Duke of York,
subsequently participating in the victory at Lowestoft (1665)
and, in association with Monck in other naval
actions.
Back in England, Rupert, in conjunction with
Monck and others, formed a scheme for discovering the supposed
passage through the Great Lakes of Canada to the South Seas.
In 1670 he became the first governor of the Hudson's Bay
Company and the territory granted it was named "Rupert's Land"
in his honour.
In March 1672, at the start of the Third
Dutch War, Rupert was appointed Vice Admiral of England. In
the following year he became General on sea and land; later he
was promoted to Admiral of the Fleet. Success seems to have
deserted him, however; he lost battles at Schoneveldt and
Texel to the Dutch fleet. Between 1672 and 1679 Rupert was the
first commissioner of the Admiralty. He died on 29th November
1682, in Spring Gardens, Westminster.
Apart from being
a dominant figure of the Civil War and renowned for his
military skill and courage, Rupert had widespread interests in
the arts and sciences. He claimed to have invented the process
of mezzotint, a method of copperplate engraving. He is also
credited with inventing "prince's metal," an alloy of copper
and zinc, and also experimented with the production of
gunpowder and the boring of guns.
Prince Rupert never married, but left two
illegitimate children - a daughter who married General
Emmanuel Scrope Howe; and a son who was killed in 1686 at the
Siege of
Buda
Rupert entered the French service in July 1646 and became a commander of a contingent of exiled English troops. A year later he took part in the siege of La Bassee, where he was wounded in the head.
Having accepted command of the Royalist fleet in 1648, he sailed to Ireland in order to assist Ormonde in the re-conquest of Ireland. His aid proved to be ineffective and Rupert turned his ships towards Portugal, capturing English merchantmen on the way. In 1650 Blake accused him of piracy, attacked his squadron, and burnt or sank most of his ships.
