After their defeat at the Battle of Marston Moor on 2 July 1644, the remaining Royalist cavalry army abandoned the city of York to its fate and retreated over the Pennines.

Prince Rupert went to Chester, and it was agreed that Richard, Lord Molyneux and Sir Thomas Tyldesley would venture north into Lancashire on a recruitment sweep.

Had it not been late in the evening there would probably have been a greater victory for Meldrum; as it was, the scattered fragments of the defeated party made their escape into Cheshire.

[2] Byron attributed the defeat to the poor performance of Molyneux's regiment: ‘S’r Marmaduke had sent most of his owne horse before, and the retreat beeinge to bee made by my L’d Molyneux his brigade, they (accordinge to their accustomed manner), upon a volley of musket shott from the enemy, fell foule in such fury upon my regiment, that they utterly routed it; and the enemy’s horse, takeinge advantage of the disorder, charged into the lane (through w’ch wee were to pass), tooke and killed some, and stroke such a terror into the rest that they could not bee stopped till they came to Liverpool.

Wright, Gent., Henry Gelibrand; Gentlemen, Peter Bland, William Scot, Thomas Sherburne, -- Marshall, Arthur Butler, James Noricon, Thomas Wotton, & John Fox; John Fulme, clerk, James Bould, clerk; two quartermasters, one servant, and about 250 common souldiers.