The Battle of Nantwich

... was fought (I learned on Wikipedia) northwest of the town on 25 January 1644. The Royalists under Lord Byron were besieging Nantwich, and Sir Thomas Fairfax led a Parliamentarian army to relieve the town. As Fairfax approached, a sudden thaw caused the River Weaver to rise in spate, dividing Byron's cavalry from his infantry and artillery, who were overrun and destroyed by Fairfax.

The Parliamentarian victory halted a run of Royalist successes in the area, and was a major setback to King Charles I's plan of campaign for the year.

This Lord Byron was the son of Sir John Byron, whose father (also Sir John) had represented Nottinghamshire in Parliament. He was elected as MP for Nottingham in 1624 and 1626, knighted in 1626, and elected as knight of the shire (MP) for Nottinghamshire in 1628. He also served as High Sheriff of Nottinghamshire for 1634 and then as Lieutenant of the Tower of London, from December 1641 to February 1642. He was created as the 1st Baron Byron after distinguishing himself at the First Battle of Newbury, in the September previous to Nantwich.

John Byron died without issue, and was succeeded as the 2nd Baron Byron by his brother, Richard. The 4th Baron Byron was the grandson of the 2nd Baron, whose son William – the 5th Baron – outlived both his son and his grandson. (His grandson was killed by cannon fire in 1794, while fighting in Corsica – the same campaign in which Nelson lost the sight in his right eye.)

William, the 5th Baron Byron, was therefore succeeded by his cousin twice removed, who is the Lord Byron that everyone knows about – George Gordon Byron, the "mad, bad and dangerous to know" 6th Baron Byron.

The 6th Baron Byron was the great–grandson of the 4th Baron, who was the grandson of the 2nd Baron. This makes him the great–great–great–grandson of the 2nd Baron, whose brother, the 1st Baron – with whom we began at the Battle of Nantwich – was therefore (if I'm not mistaken) his four–times–great uncle (great–great–great–great uncle).

One of these days I must draw a diagram.