Siege of Portsmouth facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Siege of Portsmouth |
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| Part of the First English Civil War | |||||||
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| Belligerents | |||||||
 Royalists |
 Parliamentarians |
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| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
| Lord Goring |
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| Strength | |||||||
| 500 1 ship |
400-800 2+ cannons 7 ships |
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| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| Unknown 1 ship captured |
Unknown | ||||||
The Siege of Portsmouth was an important event during the early part of the First English Civil War. It was a fight for control of the town of Portsmouth. Parliamentarian forces surrounded and attacked the town. Inside, a Royalist army was defending it. After almost a month, the Parliamentarians won, and Portsmouth came under their control.
Contents
Why Portsmouth Was So Important
Before the war began, both King Charles I and Parliament saw Portsmouth as a very valuable place. The town had strong defenses. Some people even thought it would take 40,000 soldiers to capture it.
The governor of Portsmouth was a man named George Goring. He was very clever. He made both the King and Parliament believe he was loyal to them. Because of this, he received money from both sides.
In 1641, Goring started to improve Portsmouth's defenses. Parliament heard that he was mostly working on the land-facing walls. This made them wonder if he was truly loyal. Goring was called to Parliament to explain himself. He managed to convince them he was innocent. Parliament even praised him and gave him more money.
The Fight Begins: First Skirmishes
On August 2, Goring finally announced that he was on the King's side. Parliament quickly responded. On August 8, they set up a sea blockade. This meant no ships could get in or out of Portsmouth by sea. Robert Rich, the Earl of Warwick, led this blockade.
On land, Parliament's soldiers gathered on Portsdown Hill by August 10. Goring's preparations for a siege were not very good. His defense work was unfinished. Also, the town only had enough supplies for about two days.
From August 10 to 12, Goring's soldiers raided farms on Portsea Island. They took food like grain and livestock. Some animals were brought inside the city walls. Others were left to graze near the city's cannons. Parliament's forces reacted by landing soldiers with two cannons on the island. They also moved women, children, and animals to Hayling Island for safety. At this time, Goring had about 500 soldiers.
Taking Portsbridge: A Key Victory
On the evening of August 12, about 20 Parliamentarian soldiers attacked the Royalist defenses at the bridge over Portsbridge Creek. There were only eight defenders. They did not fight much. One was captured, and the other seven escaped. The Parliamentarians also took a small fort north of the bridge. This was an important step for them.
The Siege Continues: Inside and Out
With Parliament's soldiers now on Portsea Island, there were a few small fights. These skirmishes did not decide much. Both sides had a few injuries and captured some prisoners. Some prisoners were later exchanged.
Desertion became a big problem for the Royalists. By August 15, Goring's army had only 200 men left. It was thought that half of them would leave if they had the chance. In contrast, the Parliamentarian army had about 740 men. During this time, both sides talked a few times. These talks, called parleys, mostly led to prisoner exchanges.
The fighting was not just on land. On the night of August 15, Parliamentarian forces captured a ship called the Henrietta Marie. This was done in a surprise attack. Around the same time, the number of Parliamentarian ships blocking Portsmouth grew to seven.
Meanwhile, Parliament's forces began setting up a firing position in Gosport. John Meldrum was in charge of this. The Royalists tried to shoot at this position with their cannons, but their shots did little damage. On August 20, Parliamentarians started firing two cannons at the city from their new position. Portsmouth's cannons fired back, but again, they had little effect. More cannons opened fire on September 2.
Southsea Castle Falls
By early September, the Royalist soldiers at Southsea Castle had dwindled to only about a dozen men. On the night of September 4, 400 Parliamentarian soldiers, with ladders and cavalry, set out to attack the castle.
The soldiers were spotted and fired upon by Portsmouth's cannons. However, they managed to reach the side of the castle facing the sea. At the same time, a small group went to the main gate and demanded the castle surrender. The castle's captain asked them to come back in the morning.
Soon after, Portsmouth's cannons fired again at the attacking force. The Parliamentarians then climbed the walls and captured the castle without more fighting. A large group of Parliamentarian soldiers was then placed in the castle to make sure it stayed in their hands.
The Surrender of Portsmouth
After Southsea Castle fell, even more Royalist soldiers left. Their numbers dropped to only 50 or 60 men. Many of these soldiers were not well trained.
Talks about surrendering began at 10:00 AM on September 4. A final agreement was reached by 7:00 PM. The agreement allowed the Royalist soldiers to leave safely. All prisoners were released, except for Parliamentarian soldiers who had switched sides. Goring chose to travel by sea to Holland.
The Royalists were able to get good terms for their surrender. This was partly because they threatened to blow up Portsmouth's gunpowder. They had 1,200 barrels of gunpowder stored in the Square Tower. Goring and his soldiers were given a couple of days to get their affairs in order. Parliament officially took control of Portsmouth on September 7 at 6:00 AM.
