This Day in History: 1645-03-01
On 1st March 1645, the first siege of Pontefract Castle ended when Sir Marmaduke Langdale defeated the Parliamentarian army at the Battle of Chequerfield. Nathan Drake, Royalist diarist, recorded that the Royalist forcesĀ ‘ beat them quite away towardes ferry bridge…..there being left dead and wounded upon the ground about 160 men……….Followed them in Chase betwixt Shearburne & Tadcaster, killd 140 of their men (as is reported) in the Chase, tooke 600 prisoners, Commaunders & officers, 57;…..we lost not above 20 men in all the fight, the enemy being allmost 6 for one…’