1642 5th March
Militia Authority under Parliament
Essex supports Parliament's claim to direct armed forces without royal assent.
English Civil War · permanent subject timeline
Robert Devereux, Earl of Essex
Parliament's first Captain-General during the First Civil War. This page combines historical context with 25 matching records drawn directly from the World History Database English Civil War archive.
Historical context
Robert Devereux, Earl of Essex: overview and significance
What happened?
Robert Devereux, 3rd Earl of Essex, commanded Parliament's main army during the opening years of the war and fought at Edgehill and other major operations.
Why was it important?
Essex provided experienced aristocratic leadership when Parliament first raised a national field army, though later military reorganisation reduced his role.
World History Database records
Robert Devereux, Earl of Essex timeline
The records below are selected from the 1,090-record English Civil War archive and rendered as static HTML in chronological order.
1642
1642 5th March
Militia Ordinance
Essex supports implementation of Parliament's Militia Ordinance.
1642 12th July
Parliamentarian Field Army Commission
Essex receives command of the army Parliament resolves to raise.
1642 24th September
Occupation of Worcester
Essex occupies Worcester after the Royalist cavalry withdraws from the area.
1642 24th September
Occupation of Worcester
Essex's Parliamentarian army occupies Worcester the day after the action at Powick Bridge.
1642 September
Parliamentarian Occupation of Worcester
Essex occupies Worcester while the Royalist army gathers in the west.
1642 22nd October
Royalist Army Located near Wormleighton
Essex receives reports locating the King's army before Edgehill.
1642 23rd October
Battle of Edgehill
Essex fights Charles's army to an inconclusive result at Edgehill.
1642 23rd October
Parliamentarian Army Holds at Edgehill
Essex's infantry resists Royalist attacks and remains on the field after nightfall.
1642 23rd October
Parliamentarian Withdrawal to Warwick
Essex withdraws his army toward Warwick after the Battle of Edgehill.
1642 23rd October
Royalist Army
Essex receives reports locating the Royalist army before Edgehill.
1642 13th November
Battle of Turnham Green
Essex blocks the Royalist advance toward London at Turnham Green.
1642 13th November
Defence of London
Essex mobilises Parliamentarian troops and London militia to defend the capital.
1642 13th November
London Forces Muster
Essex gathers Parliamentarian troops and London militia after the defeat at Brentford.
1642 14th November
Brentford Reoccupied
Essex's forces reoccupy Brentford after the Royalist withdrawal.
1642
Mobilization
Essex assembles Parliament's main field army at Northampton.
1643
1643 April
Capture of Reading
Captures Reading for the Parliamentarians & prevents Charles I from reaching London
1643 18th September
Battle of Newbury
Devereux defeats a Royalist force at Newburn & is able to move on to Reading. Defeats a Royalist force & is able to move on to Reading
1643 18th September
Siege of Reading
Devereux defeats a Royalist force at Newburn & is able to move on to Reading
1643
Capture of Gloucester
Relieves Gloucester for the Parliamentarians
1644
1644 2nd September
Battle of Lostwithiel
Defeated by Royalists 30 miles west of Plymouth. Charles I marches westwards from Oxford & intercepts Devereux. Charles I captures 8,000 of Devereuxs infantry
1644
Surrender
Forced to surrender his army in Cornwall
1645
1645
Resignation
Resigns as Commander of the Parliamentary Army after defeat in Cornwall
1646
1646
Death of Robert Devereux
Death of the Earl of Essex
1646
Resignation
Devereux resigns
Editorial provenance
Sources and editorial review
Compiled and edited by World History Database.
Historical context is editorial material; the chronology is generated from World History Database English Civil War records.
Last reviewed: September 2026.
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