POLITICAL HISTORY 



20 May Lord Fairfax wrote to the earl of Leven that ' the Newark forces 

 get all horses they can possibly for a speedy march either towards the king's 

 forces or to raise the siege of Pontefract.' l Later in the month a rendezvous 

 of all the Associated Counties was appointed at Nottingham, and ' in case the 

 king should draw out the garrison of Newark,' Colonel Rossiter was ordered 

 to advance with 600 horse of Lincolnshire. 3 The king's success at Leicester, 

 early in June, brought orders to Fairfax to pursue the royal forces, since the 

 king was thought to be ' able to attempt either Nottingham, Derby, or any 

 other garrison.' s The decisive victory of Fairfax at Naseby crushed all the 

 royalist hopes. The king's broken forces threw themselves into Newark, 

 now the only strong royalist centre, near which some of the Scotch forces 

 were stationed for the next three months to defend the country round against 

 the garrison.* 



After the defeat of Goring in the west, in July, Charles advanced across 

 England to Newark, with about 3,000 horse and dragoons, to join with the 

 Newark garrison. 6 In August the Committee of Both Kingdoms ordered 

 Major-General Poyntz to gather all the forces formerly appointed from 

 Staffordshire, Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, and Lincolnshire, and from the 

 Eastern Association, and taking them under his charge ' take all advantage 

 against the Newark garrison.' ' Further, he was ordered to follow the king 

 with his Yorkshire horse, while the Committee for War at York was ordered 

 to reinforce him so as to enable him to besiege Newark. This they had 

 neglected, and Poyntz had been forced, for want of horse, to relieve Notting- 

 ham, so that Newark was left ' to infest the adjacent parts and to trouble and 

 alarm the quiet ' of the north unless horse and dragoons were sent quickly. 7 

 Throughout September the country round Newark was the scene of numerous 

 skirmishes, but the Association forces were drawing together, and there was 

 great hope ' that the countrymen would come in likewise, with their muskets.' 

 During October news came to London that Newark was blocked up by 

 horse ' as well as for the present it can be.' Major-General Poyntz was in 

 the north with his own and the London horse, Colonel Rossiter on the other 

 side with his horse. The king was in the garrison with ' the two German 

 princes and many gentlemen of note, and not above 700 or 800 horse, and 

 not so many foot as there had lately been : If our brethren of Scotland were 

 there now they might do England and themselves good service, but God will 

 work his own work by what hand he pleases.' 8 In the same month was 

 reported ' a pretty design against Newark ; the business well carried had not 

 the enemy too soon gotten the alarm ; our men tugged hard for the bridge, 

 slew divers of the enemy, and the next day Sir Thomas Williams was 

 suspected to hold confederacy and dismissed the garrison.' 9 Charles was 



1 Cal. S.P. Dom. 1644-5, p. 505. ' Ibid. pp. 530, 542. ' Ibid. p. 551. ' Ibid. p. 622. 



* News of great disorder ' among the rebels' forces in Yorkshire decided the course of the king's march. 

 The gentlemen of the five northern counties expressed a wonderful alacrity and resolution to engage in the 

 king's service, even more frankly than . . . when he was most prosperous.' Letter from Lord Digby to 

 Prince Rupert. Cal. S. P. Dom, 1645-7, p. 70. 



6 Ibid. p. 63. Already letters had been sent to the Committees of Derby, Notts, Stafford, Lincoln, Cam- 

 bridge, and Rutland, informing them that the royalist garrison was grown to greater strength at Newark by 

 access of force from several other reduced garrisons, and bidding them send what force they could to help in its 

 reduction. Ibid. pp. 35, 44. 



' Ibid. B.M. Pamphlets, E. 302. Moderate Intelligencer and Mercurius Veredicus ; also Mercurius Ciricus 

 and The Scottish Dove (Ibid. E. 303). 8 B.M. Pamphlets, E. 307, The Scottish Dove. 



* Ibid. E. 303, Continuation of Divert Remarkable Passages. 



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