Siege of Hull (1643)
Siege of Hull (1643) | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Part of First English Civil War | |||||||
| |||||||
Belligerents | |||||||
Royalists | Parliamentarians | ||||||
Commanders and leaders | |||||||
Earl of Newcastle |
| ||||||
Casualties and losses | |||||||
Unknown | Unknown |
The unsuccessful second siege of Hull by the Royalist
Prelude
Lincolnshire campaign
After the victory over the army of
Gainsborough and Lincoln
On 16 July 1643,
Fairfaxes
The Fairfaxes, meanwhile, having escaped from Adwalton Moor, made their ways separately to Hull, then the only remaining Parliamentary stronghold in Yorkshire.[3] Sir John Hotham, the military governor of Hull, was arrested and removed by Major-General Robert Overton and the people of Hull in July 1643 after conspiring with Newcastle to surrender the city.[4] Lord Fairfax was invited to take up the post by the townsfolk of Hull on 22 July.[3] He fortified Hull, established a base at Beverley, and set about vigorous raids on Royalist garrisons in Yorkshire.[1]
Newcastle now faced a choice. He had Boston and the Eastern Association apparently open in front of him, but faced the prospect of the still-intact army of Lord Fairfax behind him in Hull. Fairfax's attack on Stamford Bridge, near York, prompted Newcastle that he must deal with this threat to his rear, and he turned his army back north to face Fairfax,[1] leaving garrisons in the captured Lincolnshire towns and strongholds.
Beverley
Newcastle advanced with 12,000 foot and 4,000 horse, together with his
...the men (Royalist soldiers) that stayed in the town fell to their old trade of plundering, spoiling and stripping all ages and sexes ... they plundered the whole town consisting of above a thousand families and sent their booty of cattel and goods to Yorke. .... Thus they have done also to all the towns adjoyning.[3]
Within the week, Fairfax's army was back in Hull.[1]
Siege
Newcastle's army followed closely, occupying the villages around Hull, and began to construct
On 14 September, Fairfax ordered the sluices be opened and the banks of the Humber be broken, as had happened in the first siege of Hull in 1642. This flooded the surrounding land to a distance of two miles.[3]
The Parliamentary warships Lion (captained by
On 22 September,
On 9 October, the Royalists attempted to storm the defences. Although some outlying works were captured, the assault failed to seize the city. The defenders launched a counterattack two days later on 11 October, with 1,500 men comprising soldiers from the garrison, sailors from the warships and townspeople. Led by Meldrum, the force was divided into two columns under Colonel
Aftermath
On 12 October, Newcastle admitted defeat and lifted the siege. He withdrew to
On 11 October, the Royalists had been defeated at the Battle of Winceby in Lincolnshire. These two defeats ended Royalist hopes of advancing on London and threw them on the defensive. The Parliamentarians began their advance into Yorkshire that was to culminate with Newcastle being besieged in York and the consequent Battle of Marston Moor.
See also
Citations
- ^ a b c d e f Plant, Civil War in Yorkshire, 1643.
- ^ a b Giles, Bolingbroke Castle - A Brief History.
- ^ a b c d e f The Second Siege 6 July 2008.
- ^ Maj.General Robert Overton.
- ^ Evans 2018, p. 128.
- ^ Rodger 1997, p. 416.
References
- Evans, D. H. (2018). "The Fortifications of Hull between 1321 and 1864". Archaeological Journal. 175 (1): 87–156. .
- Giles, Howard (2020). "Bolingbroke Castle - A Brief History". Our Friends at Bolingbroke Castle. Retrieved 9 August 2020.
- "Maj. General Robert Overton". Genealogical Gleanings. Archived from the original on 5 October 2013.
- Plant, David (12 February 2006). "Civil War in Yorkshire, 1643". BCW Project. David Plant. Retrieved 9 August 2020.
- Rodger, N. A. M. (1997). The Safeguard of the Sea. Penguin Books.
- "The Second Siege". yorkshirehistory.com. Archived from the original on 6 July 2008.