Siege of Portsmouth, 12 August- 7 September 1642
Portsmouth in Hampshire was the most important and heavily-defended port on the south coast of England. Since 1639, it had been governed by Colonel George Goring who played an active role in the political intrigues that preceded the outbreak of civil war. There were doubts regarding his loyalty after his involvement in the "Second Army Plot" during the spring of 1641. However, the House of Commons exonerated Goring and granted him £5,000 to fortify Portsmouth against the King — though in secret correspondence with the Queen, Goring assured her of his loyalty to the Crown and was granted a further £3,000 to fortify Portsmouth against Parliament. Early in August 1642, with the outbreak of civil war imminent, Goring declared openly for the King — thus presenting him with a major port where it was hoped that aid for the Royalist cause could be received from France.
Goring's declaration was badly-timed, however. The King was gathering forces in the north of England and was unable to support him with troops or supplies. Goring's 400-man garrison seemed secure behind a circuit of medieval walls and earth ramparts, but Parliament's Committee of Safety moved swiftly to ensure that the vital port did not remain in Royalist hands. The Earl of Warwick was ordered to blockade Portsmouth by sea while Sir William Waller, assisted by the professional soldier Sir John Meldrum, marched to besiege it from the land. Goring's friend, the Royalist Earl of Portland, was removed from his governorship of the neighbouring Isle of Wight and replaced by the Parliamentarian Lord Pembroke. On 8 August, Warwick's squadron of five warships arrived off Portsmouth and seized Goring's only ship, the Henrietta Maria, thus ensuring that no help could arrive by sea. By 12 August, Waller's forces had arrived and seized Portsbridge to secure the northern approach to Portsea Island on which Portsmouth is built.
With the town cut off by land and sea, morale in the Portsmouth garrison was low. Many townsmen and soldiers fled. Towards the end of August, Waller ordered the construction of gun platforms at Gosport to further intimidate the garrison. Waller came into Portsmouth on 28 August to negotiate for a peaceful surrender, but Goring was unwilling to accept the terms offered. On 2 September, the Parliamentarian guns at Gosport and Portsbridge opened fire. The tower of St Thomas's Church (now Portsmouth Cathedral), which was being used as a watch tower, was badly damaged during the bombardment. The following day, the Parliamentarians made a surprise attack on the strongpoint of Southsea Castle which was inadequately defended with only twelve soldiers and was easily captured. With the guns of Southsea Castle threatening the town, only a handful of dedicated Royalists were prepared to continue fighting. Goring surrendered to Waller on 7 September and left for the Netherlands.
Elsewhere in southern England, Kent was secured in August 1642. Dover Castle was seized by Captain Dawkes and ten companions in a daring night raid on 21 August, while Colonel Sandys captured Rochester two days later. Most of the south remained secure for Parliament throughout the First Civil War.
Surrey, Hampshire, Sussex, December 1642
Following his success at Portsmouth, Sir William Waller rejoined the main Parliamentarian army to fight at the battle of Edgehill (23 October 1642). After the King's subsequent withdrawal to Oxford, Waller was ordered to secure the south-western approaches to London. In late November, Waller's forces approached Farnham Castle in Surrey which occupied a strategic position between London and Winchester. It was defended by a Royalist garrsion of 100 men commanded by Sir John Denham. Waller had no artillery, but on 1 December 1642 the Parliamentarians blew in the main gate of the castle with a petard and rushed in to quickly overwhelm the garrison. Thereafter, Waller used Farnham Castle as his headquarters whenever he was in the region.
From Farnham, Waller advanced with six cavalry regiments towards the Royalist city of Winchester in Hampshire, which he entered on 12 December. The small Royalist garrison retreated into Winchester Castle, but surrendered the next day. Waller allowed his soldiers to plunder the town, a decision he came to regret when his own house there was sacked. The Royalists regained control of Winchester soon after Waller's forces departed. Waller marched on to Chichester in Sussex which he besieged on 20 December. The suburbs outside the town walls were quickly overrun, then batteries were set up to bombard the northern and eastern gates. The garrison surrendered on 27 December when Waller threatened to storm the town. Waller's forces also secured Arundel Castle for Parliament. His victories in the south during 1642 made Waller a popular hero in London, where he became known as "William the Conqueror".
Waller in the west 1643 >
Civil War in the south 1643-4
References:
S.R. Gardiner, History of the Great Civil War vol. i, 1888
Peter Gaunt, The Cromwellian Gazetteer, 1987
P. Young and W. Emberton, Sieges of the Great Civil War, 1978
Links:
Civil War in Portsmouth 1642