The battle of Kings Norton was fought on 17 October 1642. The Parliamentarians won the skirmish, which developed out of a chance encounter between Royalists under the command of Prince Rupert and Parliamentarians under the command of Lord Willoughby of Parham. Both forces had been on their way to join their respective armies which were destined to meet at Edgehill in the first pitched battle of the English Civil War, and after the skirmish both proceeded to join their respective armies.