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This site deals with the Civil War as it affected the north-east of England in 1644. A more general history of Robert Curthose's "New" Castle is included. Some photograph's have been included showing what remains of the town walls . Hopefully this site will continue to grow until it forms a detailed picture of the English Civil War in the region. The Civil War in the north-east January to June 1644 This link will take you to a short history of the Newcastle campaign when the forces of the Scots Covenanters clashed with the northern English royalists prior to the battle of Marston Moor and the storming of Newcastle Upon-Tyne. It is also planned to build up a bibliography of recommended reading. All suggestions are welcome. Email weyweb@hotmail.com Short history of the Castle The City, or town as it was until 1882, got its name from the 'New Castle' founded in 1080 by Robert Curthose, eldest son of William the Conqueror. He chose for its site the Anglo-Saxon cemetary of the settlement of Monkchester. The cemetary was not, however, the earliest use of this area, the graves being found dug into the ruined walls and metalled roads of the Roman fort of Pons Aelius. Curthose's castle consisted of a fortified enclosure, surrounded by a clay rampart, which was probably topped by a timber palisade and an external ditch. The only defences of this period to remain visible are the ditch between the Black Gate and the railway, and the base of a small stone tower, once embedded in the rampart and now restored beneath the viaduct. This early castle was rebuilt in stone in the late 12th and early 13th centuries by Henry II and John. They were responsible for the keep (1168-78), a gatehouse (behind the Black Gate) and an enclosing curtain wall in which were three small gates or posterns. One survives, the South Postern over Castle Stairs. There were two important additions later in the 13th century, an aisled hall (under the yard of the present Moot Hall and the one time County Hall), and a bigger and better gatehouse, the Black Gate (1247-50) The Black Gate The Castle Keep The Curtain Wall Photograph's of the Town Wall External Links Colonel Robert Overton's Regiment of Foote The English Civil War Society The Sealed Knot Society

The Siege of Newcastle Upon Tyne July to October 1644 The siege of Newcastle Upon Tyne caused the greatest physical and social upheavel which the town was to experience until the coming of industrialisation and the railway in the 19th century. Prelude The civil war began in 1642, but there had been unrest and conflict with Scotland since the re-establishment of Presbyterian government in 1638. The English government despatched Sir Jacob Astley, a professional soldier, to review the state of Newcastle's defences in 1638 and 1639, Astley found that the medieval walls of the town were indefensible against 'modern' siege warfare and recommended that new artillery positions should be added to or close to the towers on the walls. A Scottish army invaded the north of England in May 1640, defeated the force sent against it at the battle of Newburn in August and then occupied Newcastle for nearly a year. Recent archaeological excavatiions have found the remains of artillery fortifications in the form of stone built bastions at the Castle and the Plummer tower, on the eastern side of the town wall circuit. The stone walls of the bastions were reinforced with wooden beams and had a broad steep sided ditch outside. It is lekely that such bastions were added all around the town walls in accordance with Astley's recommendations. Two artillery forts were also built. One was at Shieldfield, and was still visible in 1830. The other, within the town walls near the Sallyport tower, was known as Carr's Battery after Alderman Leonard Carr who had been appointed Chief Surveyor for building a fort in Newcastle, cannon were also mounted on the roof of the Castle Keep. The Scottish army led by the Earl of Leven crossed the border in support of the Parliamentarian cause and arrived outside Newcastle in February 1644. The royalist mayor, Sir John Marley refused to treat with the Scots and destroyed the northern suburbs and part of Sandgate 'lest the enemy should tak advantage thairof'. Leven's forces seized the Sheildfield fort but then moved on south to try and secure the Durham coal pits and strategic coastal positions such as the fort at South Shields. For a time the army based itself at Sunderland. Although the royalist forces were unable to defeat the Scot's in battle they succeeded in preventing them living off the land and at the end of March 1644 Leven led his army south, later to join the Parliamentarian foces at the siege of York. In June preparations for the capture of Newcastle began in earnest. A smaller Scottish army under the command of the Earl of Callender crossed the border and after securing several other north-east towns, marched on Newcastle and took possesion of the Gateshead side of the Tyne bridge. Reinforcements were needed before a full scale siege could mounted and these were forthcoming after the fall of York in July when Leven's army was able to march back north. The Siege Leven's forces arrived at Gateshead on 12th August and within a few days siege operations were fully under way. A Parliamentarian correspondent gave a vivid picture of the struggle:- "The enemy from the castle doth mightily annoy us with their great artillery, but the Scots are casting up with incessant labout what works they can both by day and night to defend themselves. In the meanwhile, our pioneers are as busie at works underground as our canons are playing above it. The endeavors of both sides are indefatigable and in the thick clouds of smoke the thunder of the canon perpetually disputing." The royalist garrison rejected commands to surrender and at 5pm on the 19th October 1644, after a day of artillery bombardment and mine explosions had left huge gaps in the town walls, the town was finally stormed and captured. John Marley and some of the garrison retreated to the castle keep and resisted for a few more days before surrendering. The whole town had suffered damage in the course of the siege. It was reported that people in the lower part of the town were forced to flee to the upper parts to escape gunfire from Callender's batteries on the Gateshead riverbank. Large sections of the town wall were completely demolished, St Andrew's church was badly ruined and may houses destroyed. Some physical scars of the siege can still be seen. The town wall between Hanover street and Forth street clearly shows where breaches made on the 19th October 1644 were later repaired. The larger of the two made by artillery, seems to be the breach referred to in Council minutes as '56 yards long, att the freers'. It was rebuilt by the Corporation in 1647. A smaller breach was caused by the explosion of a mine near the White Friars Tower. Life under siege As in every war the civilian population suffered its own privations. At the beginning of the siege the suburbs were burnt by the defenders to prevent their use by the enemy, while within the walls the town houses were commandeered as billets for the garrison. After the capture of Newcastle the Scottish army stayed in occupation until 1647. Houses near the gates in the town wall were requisitioned to serve as guard-houses, an unpopular practice even though the occupants were compensated for the inconvenience. Evidence of the Scottish occupation of Newcastle comes from the large number of Scottish coins - usually Turners worth 2d - found on archaeological sites of the period. There are no reliable civillian casualty figures for the siege, but the town's parish registers record some of the fatalities:- Ather Herron bured....which was kild with a granad (grenade) George Fishburne bured....which was kild by ye skotes at the spitll Edward Mylburne bured....which was kild in pilg(rim street) by the Scotes at the skirmes (skirmish) After the garrison was withdrawn the town was governed by a Corporation sympathetic to the Parliamentarian cause until the restoration of the monarchy in 1660. The civil war was one of the first to be extensivley covered by the press. The quality of printed material available in the 17th century reflects widespread public interest in contemporary events and an increase in literacy across all ranks of society. An example of this is the graffiti left by soldiers in the king's chamber of the castle keep, where the names of John Danby and Thomas Cuthbert and the date 1644, can still be traced. The armies and their equipment The 17th century saw vast changes in military methods and weaponry. Firearms became the main weapon of the infantry and cavalry, though both continued to use swords and pikes or lances. Thousands of cannonballs would have been fired during the siege by both sides. Many were found in the last century when the town walls were being demolished. The civil war armies were composed largly of civilans or part-time soldiers (the Trained Bands). The need to rapidly arm large numbers of such men came at a time when methods of mass production were evolving. In consequence the arms and 'dress' of the opposing sides were very similar - the beginnings of military 'uniform'. The Parliamentarians controlled the main English centres of armament production, so the Royalists bought great quantities of cheap arms from abroad - particularly from Germany and Holland.

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