First English Civil War

English history

Written by

The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last updated

July 16, 2026

Quick Summary

The First English Civil War, part of the larger English Civil Wars (1642-1651), was fought between supporters of King Charles I and Parliamentarians. The conflict began in August 1642 when Charles I raised an army against Parliament. The first major battle was the Battle of Edgehill in October 1642, where Parliamentarian forces delayed the King's advance on London. Parliament controlled the wealthier south and east of England, including London, while the Royalists had support in the north and west. The war saw the creation of the New Model Army by Parliament, which proved decisive. The first war concluded in 1646 with the king's surrender.12

Summary created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

2 Britannica Sources

Ask Britannica AI about this topic

Britannica doesn't have a full article on this topic, so we've curated a list of our relevant coverage.

English Civil Wars
The first English Civil War (1642–46)
The first major battle fought on English soil—the Battle of Edgehill (October 1642)—quickly demonstrated that a clear advantage was enjoyed by neither the Royalists (also known as the Cavaliers) nor the Parliamentarians (also known as the Roundheads for their
Read More
The first major battle fought on English soil—the Battle of Edgehill (October 1642)—quickly demonstrated that a clear advantage was enjoyed by neither the Royalists (also known as the Cavaliers) nor the Parliamentarians (also known as the Roundheads for their
Read More