Siege of Hull (1642)
Encyclopedia
The Siege of Hull in 1642 was the first major action of the English Civil War
.
As both sides moved towards war, Parliament had access to more military materiel
, due to its possession of all major cities including the large arsenal in London
. In Kingston upon Hull
, where the majority of the inhabitants were royalists, there was a large arsenal which had been established for the Second Bishops' War in 1638. To deny the Royalists access to this, in January 1642 Sir John Hotham
was ordered by Parliament to seize Hull. This was at once carried out by his son John, who became the Military Governor of Hull.
Charles I
hoped that quick victories would negate Parliament's advantage in materiel and as the armouries in London were beyond his reach he hoped to take the large arsenal at Hull to supplement the armouries he did have access to, such as those of the Derbyshire
and Staffordshire
trained bands.
In April 1642 Hotham refused to admit Charles I to Hull. Later he promised his prisoner, Lord Digby
, that he would surrender the city to the king, but when Charles appeared again, after travelling to Beverley
(a walled medieval town some 8 - 10 miles away which was an armoury) to collect more soldiers, Hotham refused a second time and drove away the besiegers.
Charles took great personal affront to these actions, and declared Hotham a traitor. The Royalists' unsuccessful siege of the city was a major step on the road to full scale war which would start at in earnest with the pitched battle
of Edgehill
on 23 October 1642.
English Civil War
The English Civil War was a series of armed conflicts and political machinations between Parliamentarians and Royalists...
.
As both sides moved towards war, Parliament had access to more military materiel
Materiel
Materiel is a term used in English to refer to the equipment and supplies in military and commercial supply chain management....
, due to its possession of all major cities including the large arsenal in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. In Kingston upon Hull
Kingston upon Hull
Kingston upon Hull , usually referred to as Hull, is a city and unitary authority area in the ceremonial county of the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It stands on the River Hull at its junction with the Humber estuary, 25 miles inland from the North Sea. Hull has a resident population of...
, where the majority of the inhabitants were royalists, there was a large arsenal which had been established for the Second Bishops' War in 1638. To deny the Royalists access to this, in January 1642 Sir John Hotham
John Hotham
Sir John Hotham, 1st Baronet, of Scorborough , English parliamentarian, belonged to a Yorkshire family, and fought on the continent of Europe during the early part of the Thirty Years' War....
was ordered by Parliament to seize Hull. This was at once carried out by his son John, who became the Military Governor of Hull.
Charles I
Charles I of England
Charles I was King of England, King of Scotland, and King of Ireland from 27 March 1625 until his execution in 1649. Charles engaged in a struggle for power with the Parliament of England, attempting to obtain royal revenue whilst Parliament sought to curb his Royal prerogative which Charles...
hoped that quick victories would negate Parliament's advantage in materiel and as the armouries in London were beyond his reach he hoped to take the large arsenal at Hull to supplement the armouries he did have access to, such as those of the Derbyshire
Derbyshire
Derbyshire is a county in the East Midlands of England. A substantial portion of the Peak District National Park lies within Derbyshire. The northern part of Derbyshire overlaps with the Pennines, a famous chain of hills and mountains. The county contains within its boundary of approx...
and Staffordshire
Staffordshire
Staffordshire is a landlocked county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. Part of the National Forest lies within its borders...
trained bands.
In April 1642 Hotham refused to admit Charles I to Hull. Later he promised his prisoner, Lord Digby
George Digby, 2nd Earl of Bristol
George Digby, 2nd Earl of Bristol was an English politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1640 until 1641 when he was raised to the House of Lords...
, that he would surrender the city to the king, but when Charles appeared again, after travelling to Beverley
Beverley
Beverley is a market town, civil parish and the county town of the East Riding of Yorkshire, England, located between the River Hull and the Westwood. The town is noted for Beverley Minster and architecturally-significant religious buildings along New Walk and other areas, as well as the Beverley...
(a walled medieval town some 8 - 10 miles away which was an armoury) to collect more soldiers, Hotham refused a second time and drove away the besiegers.
Charles took great personal affront to these actions, and declared Hotham a traitor. The Royalists' unsuccessful siege of the city was a major step on the road to full scale war which would start at in earnest with the pitched battle
Pitched battle
A pitched battle is a battle where both sides choose to fight at a chosen location and time and where either side has the option to disengage either before the battle starts, or shortly after the first armed exchanges....
of Edgehill
Battle of Edgehill
The Battle of Edgehill was the first pitched battle of the First English Civil War. It was fought near Edge Hill and Kineton in southern Warwickshire on Sunday, 23 October 1642....
on 23 October 1642.
Further reading
- A History of Kingston on Hull, Part 4, from Bulmer's Gazetteer (1892)
- C.H. Firth & R.S. Rait. Acts and Ordinances of the Interregnum, 1642-1660 (1911), pp. 13-14, 'July 1642: The Ordinance for raising 2,000 Men for relieving Hull.
- Manganiello Stephen C. The concise encyclopedia of the revolutions and wars of England, Scotland ..., pp. 264, 267308