Warrington Bridge played an important part in the defence of the town by the Seventh Earl of Derby in 1643. The remnants of the Duke of Hamilton's army surrendered here to Cromwell after the fight at Red Bank, Winwick, in 1648. King Charles the Second accompanied by the Duke of Buckingham fought in a skirmish here in 1651. The Earl of Derby crossed the bridge in the same year on his way to execution at Bolton. The central arches were destroyed in 1745 to check the progress of the Young Pretender. This tablet was erected by the Warrington Society in 1927.