Battle of Hieton

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Battle of Hieton
Part of The War of the Three Kingdoms
Date1 December 1650
Location
Cadzow Burn, near the present day town centre of Hamilton, Scotland
55°46′36″N 4°02′20″W / 55.77667°N 4.03889°W / 55.77667; -4.03889Coordinates: 55°46′36″N 4°02′20″W / 55.77667°N 4.03889°W / 55.77667; -4.03889
Result English victory
Belligerents
Scotland Scotland Commonwealth
Commanders and leaders
Colonel Ker General Lambert
Units involved
Covenanters New Model Army Garrison
Strength
Unknown Unknown
Casualties and losses
Heavy Moderate
Official nameBattle of Hieton
Designated30 November 2011
Reference no.BTL23
Hieton is located in Scotland South
Hieton
The site of the battle within southern Scotland

Plaque commemorating the Battle of the Hieton

The Battle of Hieton was a skirmish fought on the 1 December 1650 between a Covenanter party and an English garrison. The site of the battle was by the Cadzow Burn, near the present day town centre of Hamilton, Scotland.

Following Oliver Cromwell's invasion of Scotland in July 1650, and the defeat of the Scots at Dunbar in September, Scotland was occupied by the New Model Army. An English garrison under General Lambert was stationed at Hamilton, in the Hieton (Scots for 'high town') area of town. Colonel Gilbert Ker led a force of covenanters in a surprise attack on the garrison, but despite initial success by the rebels, the English regrouped and drove them back with heavy losses.

Today, the battle site is occupied by Hamilton's Common Green, with the 19th century Cadzow Bridge overhead. A plaque on the bridge commemorates the battle, and was installed by Hamilton Civic Society.

References[]

Further reading[]

  • Baillie, Robert (1775). Letters and Journals: Containing an impartial account of public transactions, Civil, Ecclesiastic, and Military, both in England and Scotland, from 1637 to 1662; a period, perhaps, the most remarkable that is to be met with in the British History : With An Account of the Authors's Life ... Vol. 2. Translated by Aiken, Robert. Gray. pp. 364, 365.


Retrieved from ""