A HISTORY OF DURHAM 



seane, and a stele cappe covered with grene velvet,' w^ith many others joined 

 the earl of Westmorland at Brancepeth."^ Thenceforward events moved 

 rapidly. On 14 November the earls with their followers all armed 

 marched into Durham, burnt the service-books in the cathedral, and issued a 

 proclamation in the queen's name, though whether the queen intended 

 was Elizabeth or Mary Queen of Scots is uncertain — probably the latter. 

 Tarrying but an hour in Durham the earls returned to Brancepeth and 

 on 16 November started to march south, the force being rapidly aug- 

 mented. The whole country-side was in favour of the movement, and 

 Barnard Castle, held by Sir George Bowes with a garrison of more than 

 doubtful loyalty, alone stood out against the movement. 



For some days the rebels operated in Yorkshire, but at the end of 

 November recrossed the Tees. While the earl of Northumberland marched 

 towards Durham to watch the forces gathering across the Tyne,^°^ the earl of 

 Westmorland proceeded to the siege of Barnard Castle. The story of this 

 siege is best given in Bowes's own words 



I was in the mene tyme, beseged by the rebells, & contenewyng there in strayte seage, 

 wythe very hard dyett and great want of bread, drynck, and water ; which was our onely 

 drynck, save I myxed yt with some wyne. I fownde the people in the castle in continuall 

 mutenyes, seakyng not only, by greatt nombers, to leape the walls and run to the rebells ; 

 but also by all menes to betraye the pece (i.e. a fortified place) and with open force to- 

 delyver yt, and all in yt, to the rebells. So far as in one daye and nyght, two hundred and 

 twenty six men leapyd over the walles, and opened the gaytes, and went to the enemy ; ofF 

 which nomber, thirty fyve broke their necks, legges or arms in the leaping. Upon which 

 especyall extremytyes, and that day our water that we had, by the intelligens ofF them that 

 fled from us, being strayt, or taken away ; and by other great occasyons, I was forced, by 

 composytyon ofFerd, to leave the pece takyng with me all the men, armor, weapens, 

 and horses ; levyng my household stufFe, which I mayd no accompt off, in this tyme of 

 servyce, tho the valewe wer greatt ; so as the enemyes receyed only the bare pece and stuff 

 aforesaid which, by the causes aforesayd, I could hold no longer."'' 



Meanwhile the rebels were gradually being hemmed in by the Royal 

 forces. Sussex was approaching from the south, while Sir John Forster and 

 Sir Henry Percy, after receiving the submission of Alnwick and Warkworth 

 Castles, were bearing down from the north. On 15 December, a few days 

 after the surrender of Barnard Castle, the earls were worsted in a skirmish at 

 Chester Dene, some six miles north of Durham ; the next day they fled to 

 Hexham, and the revolt was ended. ^'^ Though the earl of Westmorland 

 was the nominal head of the rising of the Palatinate, his uncle, Christopher 

 Neville, an ardent Roman Catholic, was the real leader."" Unfortunately for 

 the rebels they were forced to show their hand prematurely. Both West- 

 morland and Northumberland had been in correspondence with the Spanish 

 ambassador, and immediately after the outbreak Hartlepool was seized, so 

 that they might have a port where foreign troops could be landed to assist 

 them."' The original idea was to march south and release Mary Queen of 

 Scots, who was imprisoned at Tutbury ; but her removal to Coventry upset 

 their plans, and a retreat to the bishopric was decided on. 



'" Sharpe, op. cit. 15. ■" Ibid. 92. "* Ibid. 100. '" Ibid. 103. 



"* Ibid. 34. Bowes writes to Sussex : 'Mr. Christopher Nevill hath doyne more harm to that younge 

 Erie, hys nephewe, than can be thoughte, and doeth yet remayen about hym. I wish he were further off.' 

 The earl was only 26 in 1569. 



"' Ibid. 79. Cecil was very anxious about the fate of Hartlepool. The Spanish ambassador desired the 

 rebels to take Hartlepool so that they might have help from Flanders ; Cal. S.P. Foreign, 1569-71, p. 566. 



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