A HISTORY OF YORKSHIRE 



promises to raise and support some 2,000 horse had been received from leading Royalists, and hopes 

 were entertained that Sir John Hotham might be induced to surrender Hull." A plot was also 

 laid by Sir Charles Grantham to surprise Hull with the assistance of his son-in-law, Henry Brunker, 

 an officer of the garrison ; but Brunker's assent to the scheme was only simulated, and he informed 

 Hotham of the plot.'"' On 5 July the king with a small force of not much more than 1,000 men 

 advanced against HuU.^ This force was too small, even when reinforced with siege artillery 

 brought up the Humber by two ships from Holland," to carry the town, which had been put in a 

 good state of defence.*' Probably some reliance was placed on the Royalist sympathies of the 

 townsmen, which were giving Hotham such anxiety that he urged the Parliament to send down 

 Sir William Strickland, Sir Philip Stapleton, and Sir Hugh and Sir Henry Cholmley, to use their 

 local influence, adding, ' if, while you sit voting, these others (i.e. the Royalists) be doing, you will 

 soon find but a bad issue.' ** To hinder an assault on the town Hotham cut the dykes and flooded 

 the surrounding country, to the great indignation of those whose lands were drowned.*' Finding 

 that Hull was not to be had for the asking, the king turned back to Beverley, leaving the Earl of 

 Lindsey to throw up batteries and dig entrenchments, in which operations he was not particularly 

 successful, as about 16 July Sir John Meldrum sallied out and destroyed a half-moon battery, 

 capturing the guns and taking Lord Fauconberg prisoner.*' About the same time Sir John 

 Hotham burnt the houses outside the Beverley gate of Hull, which might have afforded dangerous 

 cover to the attacking forces, and clapped the mayor into prison for refusing to assist in the defence 

 of the town.*' Meanwhile Charles had paid a brief visit to Lincoln, and on his return on 1 6 July 

 reviewed his army, on which occasion the young Prince Charles was greatly admired as he rode, in 

 a suit of gilt armour, on * a very goodly white horse, trapped most richly to the ground with velvet 

 all studded with burning waves of gold.' *' The army reviewed can hardly have been an imposing 

 body, as on 25 July the royal forces in the county were estimated at less than 3,000 infantry of 

 the trained bands, and about 2,000 horse.*' 



On 12 August 1642 King Charles issued from York the momentous declaration of his 

 intention to set up his standard at Nottingham on the 22nd, and summoned his subjects to take up 

 arms on his behalf. Within a few days orders were circulated in the various constabularies of 

 Yorkshire for all able-bodied men to assemble with their arms at Doncaster on 20 August.'" But 

 it was easier to issue orders than to get them executed ; mobilization proceeded slowly, and it was 

 with only a small force that Charles set out for Nottingham, leaving behind him more officers eager 

 for service than troops for them to command.'^ For about six weeks the county lay quiet, and 

 there were even suggestions for maintaining definite neutrality ; " but the younger Hotham soon 

 put an end to this impracticable idea. Marching out of Hull on 4 October with 600 foot and 

 some horse he suddenly descended on the archbishop's castle of Cawood ; most of the garrison 

 promptly deserted, and Captain Gray, the governor, only held out long enough to obtain terms." 

 The news of this exploit so alarmed Archbishop Williams that he fled incontinently to Wales, 

 taking with him, no doubt, his coach and six and his forty servants, all mounted on black horses, 

 with which he had proudly entered York in June.** The Earl of Cumberland, the Royalist 

 commander-in-chief for Yorkshire, was too weak or too incapable to deal with young Hotham, who 

 rode into the West Riding raising troops and money, on one occasion taking from Leeds the contri- 

 bution which Sir Thomas Glemham, Governor of York, had been sent out to collect." The 

 Parliamentary troops rode daily close to the walls of the city of York, and jeered at the defenders 

 with impunity ; '^ beyond securing Pontefract and Knaresborough the Royalists could do nothing, 

 and when they did march out to attack Hotham at Cawood they were so alarmed at the sight of 

 a windmill and ' certain stooks of beans,' which they mistook for the opposing forces, that they 

 retired in haste." About this time the Parliamentary cause received a further impetus by the active 

 participation of the Fairfaxes, who had hitherto remained quietly at home. Ferdinand, Lord 

 Fairfax, was nominated commander-in-chief, and his son. Sir Thomas, general of the horse. On 

 the other side the Royalists had summoned the Earl of Newcastle to their assistance. As early as 

 12 November Hotham, with Sir Christopher Wray and Thomas Hatcher, had marched up to 

 Topcliffe and on to Yarm and Northallerton to defend the northern frontier of the county against 



" Gardiner considers that Hotham did actually intend to do so, but changed his mind. Op. cit. x, 212. 



*> rorb. Arch. Joum. vii, 72-3. " Ibid. 381, 385. 



" Ibid. 385 ; Hist. MSS. Cm. Rep. jdii, App. i, 41. " Yorks. Arch. Joum. vii, 76. 



" Hist. MSS. Com. Rep. xiii, App. i, 41. " Yorks. Arch. "Joum. vii, 381, 385. 



"Ibid. 389. *' Ibid. 391. 



^ Ibid. 392. " Hist. MSS. Com. Rep. xii. App. ii, 319. 



" roris. Arch. Joum. \, 95. " Slingsby, Diary, 77. 



" Gardiner, Hist, oj the Great Civil War, i, 33. " Slingsby, Diarj, 79. 



" Torks. Arch. Joum. vii, 73. " Slingsby, Diary, 78. " Ibid. 82-3. 



" Hist. MSS. Com. Rep. xiii, App. i, 67. 



420 



