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| The First Siege of Newark 1643 | ||
| Jan | The Earl of Newcastle
had gained control of Northumberland and Durham and had pushed south
into Yorkshire. Fairfax was pushed back into the West Riding. The Earl
ordered a Royalist garrison to be placed in Newark to protect the
southern end of his area of control.
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| Feb 27 | A parliamentarian force of 6,000 under Major
General Thomas Ballard tried to capture Newark but two days of fighting
failed to shift the Royalist defenders led by Sir John Henderson.
Ballard was wounded and 200 Roundheads were killed. His failure to take Newark cost Ballard his command and Parliament appointed Sir John Meldrum to replace him. The attack alarmed the people of Newark and defense earthworks were soon constructed to protect the town. |
The Queen had arrived in Yorkshire with much-needed arms and ammunition from the Netherlands and the King needed a safe route from there to his capital in Oxford. |
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Newark Castle in 1836. | |