Siege of Portsmouth 1642
Aug 2 Portsmouth was a strongly fortified port which contained 100 cannon and 1400 barrels of gunpowder. Its governor George Goring declared in favour of the King.

 
Aug 4 The trained bands from Hampshire assemble on Portdown, effectively blockading the town and preventing supplies from getting in.

 

 The Committee of Safety allocated a sum of £1,000 for the siege.
Aug 8 Goring was expelled from the House of Commons. The Earl of Warwick and seven Parliamentarian warships arrived to prevent supplies being shipped in from the Isle of Wight or from the continent.

 
Aug 12 Goring ordered his guns and musketeers to withdraw from Portbridge - the bridge onto Portsea Island. The rearguard who were dismantling the fortifications, were attacked by a troop of Waller's men.

 

 The Parliamentarians built forts to make sure this strategic place could not be re-taken.
Aug 13 A skirmish around one of the abandoned guns from Portbridge occurred. Goring's men managed to drag the gun into the town.

The Hampshire bands attacked a mill which the defenders relied upon to grind corn but were repulsed.

 

 The only Royalist ship in the harbour, the 'Henritta Maria' was captured by a party of sailors under Captain Browne Bushell.
Aug 18 Goring expected relief from Hertford and 1,000 men. The Parliamentarians heard of this and sent another 8 companies of Sir John Meyrick's company of Greycoats and a troop of horse to strengthen the attackers. With them came another £1,000 and Sir John Meldrum to take command.

 

 Goring tried very hard to smuggle messages out hidden in coat-linings, false heels and even a dummy baby's head.
Meldrum started building batteries at Gosport and trenches on Portsea Island. Goring's gunners fired across to Gosport but did no damage.

 

 As the siege progressed, morale sank lower and there were a number of defections from the defending troops.
Aug 28 Waller came into Portsmouth to meet with Goring and negotiate a truce. Goring refused the terms.
Sep 2 Parliamentarian gunners firing from Gosport succeed in damaging the water-mill and the tower of St Thomas' church (used as a watchtower.) bringing down one of the bells.
Sep 3 Waller and Urry storm the walls of Southsea Castle and capture it. The capture of this castle meant that Portsmouth was now under fire from three directions.
Sep 4 There were only about 60 men willing to fight left in the town and so early in the morning, Goring sent out a drummer to ask for negotiations.

 
Sep 5 An exchange of hostages was followed at 10am by negotiations for terms of surrender, which were agreed at 7pm. Goring agreed to hand over the town and magazine intact in exchange for the lives and freedom of all his men.

 
Sep 6 3 officers were sent into the town to secure the magazines and stores, while Goring and his men readied to leave. Goring set sail for Holland, defiantly dropping the key to the town into the harbour.
Sep 7 Meldrum marches into the town at 6am at the head of 2 troops of horse and 2 companies of foot.
Sep 8 Sir William Lewis is appointed Governor of Portsmouth.