Categories
life Military History

The City that turned its King away twice

Kingston upon Hull was the place where the real spark of a rebellion occurred. the English Civil War has many claimants to its origins. From Parliamentarians to Scottish religious covenantors the subsequent victory had like success many parents. Failure is invariably an orphan.

Nowadays the differing claims are somewhat muted through 300 years of reconstituted monarchy.

So we should not underestimate the risk a certain Sir John Hotham took. Twice he refused King Charles access to the vital weapons arsenal held within the walls of Kingston upon Hull.

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/02/Hull._1611_John_Speed_in_The_Theatre_of_the_Empire_of_Great_Britaine.jpg

On the map the gate No7 was the Beverley Gate where King Charles I was denied entry and whose foundations are preserved today. The foundations now lying below current street level were given a new surround and saved for the City as part of the 2017 cultural celebrations.

In 2017 they were not quite ready for the public – today you can descend to the original gate level and see them as King Charles would have done!

Hull as it is known today is interesting not just because of its white telephone boxes and the Amy Johnson statue!

It is not regarded as a classic city of the north like York or Chester, yet it is full of history.

In 2017 the city enjoyed UK city of culture status and this gave it a big lift in terms of arts and culture – like so many places Covid19 has dented the benefits.

I have previously blogged about the Narwhals tusk……………now departed to the north sea

https://thewargamingerratic.home.blog/tag/narwhal/

Do not be deterred – go and see Hull and visit that gate where history was made.

William of Orange one of our influential British Monarchs has an equestrain statue in Kingston upon Hull on the edge of the Old Town.
The River Hull empties into the broad Humber Estuary some 25 miles from the north sea
Arnald, George; Charles I Demanding Entrance at the Beverley Gate, Hull, 23 April 1642; Ferens Art Gallery; http://www.artuk.org/artworks/charles-i-demanding-entrance-at-the-beverley-gate-hull-23-april-1642-78270

I wonder what would have happened had Charles secured Hull?