William Cavendish Lord Newcastle, the Royalist commander in the north, thinking that his attentions might be better served elsewhere, Hull being as he thought isolated, commenced campaigning in Lincolnshire. That error of judgement allowed Sir Thomas Fairfax who showing great elan, vigorously raided many of the Royalist garrisons that still remained in the East Riding. He culminated his marauding activity with a successful raid upon Stamford Bridge, approximately six miles from the walls of York itself.

The earl of Newcastle, fearing for the safety of York withdrew his troops from Lincolnshire in order to regroup for the defence of York and the eventual capture of the troublesome garrison at Hull and its port facilities. By the end of August Sir Thomas Fairfax had made yet another fighting retreat towards Hull. Newcastle advanced in strength of numbers made up of 12,000 foot and 4,000 horse together with an artillery train including the huge guns "Gog" and "Magog". Sir Thomas' base had been the town of Beverley, 8 miles north of Hull where he had been free quartering his force of 1,800 foot and 20 troops of horse. Beverley, with some justification, expected that Sir Thomas would make a stand in order to defend their town but rather than even attempt such an action the decision was made to withdraw back to the total safety of Hull. So it was that on the 28^th of August 1643, Beverley was abandoned to the depredations of the Royalist army. The following quotation comes from "Hull's Managing of the Kingdom's Cause", a contemporary account published in a Parliamentary pamphlet : "..the men (Royalist soldiers) that stayed in the Town fell to their old Trade of Plundering, spoiling and stripping all ages and Sexes ...... they plundered the whole town consisting of above a thousand families and sent their booty of cattel and goods to Yorke. ............ Thus they have done also to all the Towns adjoyning." Four or five days later Newcastle's advance guard was within a mile of the walls of Hull, the main body of the army had quartered in the vicinity of the villages of Cottingham and Newland, four miles to the north and north west of the town.

Fairfax, learning from his predecessor, ordered the Humber banks to be cut and the sluices opened on the 14^th of September, which together with the rising autumnal tides soon flooded the land around the town for a distance of at least two miles. On the 16^th, the North Blockhouse, a very solid brick built artillery fort constructed during the reign of Henry VIII, on the east side of the town was partially destroyed by an explosion caused when a careless gunner entered with a lit slow burning match. No record survives as to the fate of the gunner. A similar explosive accident occurred at a Royalist powder store by the Hull Bank north of Sculcoates on the 28^th of September. A few days before, a detachment of Oliver Cromwell's horse arrived on the south bank of the Humber. It had been decided that Hull was, in spite of the ongoing siege, safe enough so that the removal of Sir Thomas Fairfax's 21 troops of horse could be spared from the defence of Hull for impending Parliamentary actions in Lincolnshire. Arrangements were soon agreed for the transfer of men and horses, which had been suffering somewhat from lack of fodder, to Lincolnshire. During the transfer, on the 26^th of September, two of the 17^th century's most constitutionally influential men met for the very first time when Cromwell was ferried across the Humber to finalise the purchase of arms and munitions for his campaign in Lincolnshire. The conjunction of Oliver Cromwell and Sir Thomas Fairfax altered the course of British history irrevocably. The Fairfax cavalry were soon moved to the vicinity of Horncastle in Lincolnshire of which more later.

The Humber Estuary was kept for Parliament by ships Lion and Employment, which were able to maintain essential supplies to the town though never enough, according to the town's people. More importantly, from a strategic aspect, they were able to hinder construction of Royalist fortifications along the banks of the Humber as at the one at Paull in Holderness. They also allowed for the garrison to be reinforced with the arrival of Sir John Meldrum and 400 soldiers, soon followed by a further 250 men commanded by Sir William Constable who arrived some time after his men.

Even though there were constant complaints from Hull to Parliament, so dire were the conditions for the besiegers it was reported by Sir Philip Warwick "...that the season having been very wet - his men standing ankle deep in dirt and at a very great distance from the town, I so conceived that those without were likelier to rot than those within to starve, and by assault there was not the least probability to carry it....." Notwithstanding, the Royalists were able, on the 9^th of October, to mount concerted attacks, which occurred simultaneously against the Hessle Gate and the Charterhouse fortifications. Both, though initially successful, each objective being taken, were soon repulsed. Those attacks plus the persistent encroachment of Royalist earthworks and the recently arrived reinforcements, almost forced the Hull commanders on the 10^th of October, to organise a mass breakout from the town on the following morning. At 7 of the clock in the morning of the 11^th of October 1643, 1,500 men, which included soldiers from the garrison, sailors from the ships and some of the bolder town's men with a solitary troop of horse mustered in the town. In overall command was Sir John Meldrum, assisted by Colonel Lambert and Admiral Rainsborough who was acting as a colonel for the day's events.

An initial diversionary attack was launched from the Northgate in the direction of the Royalists in the Newland and Sculcoates area. The main thrust was then launched against the west in the direction of Anlaby. What happened next was reported in a dispatch from Ferdinando Lord Fairfax dated 12^th October 1643, quoted here in full :

Since the account, I gave your Excellency a few daies since, of oure condition at Hull, on the 5^th of this instant Sir John Meldrum, that gallant Gentleman is happily arrived here, with foure hundred men from the Earle of Manchester, and two hundred and fifty men are since come to me from Sir William Constable, but Sir William himself is not yet here. Some little service, I thanke God, we did on Monday morning last, what time the Enemy assaulted one of our outworkes, but was beaten back with the losse of eleven or twelve men, and some officers, without the losse of any of mine. Yesterday, being the eleventh of this instant I thought it fit to draw forth what strength I could well make in a salley to drive the Enemy from a new worke that in the night hee had encroacht very neere us on the West side of the Town, and It pleased God to give a blessing to the attempt. My men I divided into two bodies under the command of Colonell Lambert and Colonell Rainborrow (sic) Captaine of the Lion who brought some seamen to our assistants and all under the the command in chiefe for that service of Sir John meldrum ; whose valour and discretion with the other two Colonells throughout the whole action I cannot mention without high commendation. About nine of the clocke by an assault two several waies the service begun ; for such an enterpise : for the truth is we could not take that early advantage that I desired for such an enterprise : in a short time we gained one of their workes and assaulted them in another ; an it was not long ere we were unhappily forc't to retreat and the enemy recovered all againe. BUT through the goodnesse of God my men were soone rallyed their spirits recovered and they suddenly repossess't of the last worke, beat them out of all the rest in that part and got possession of one of their great Brasse demy Cannon. The enemy thus fled and the ground ours we drew that Great Gunne out of danger of their reprisall : About two houres after our possession of those works the enemy had drawne down a full body of reserves of Horse and Foot from their Quarters, their numbers we know not, but about 36 Colours some of our men could tell ; with these they opposed our tired men - and that in truth with excellent resolution but it pleased God after two houres sharpe encounter or thereabouts they left the Field ; since that we have drawne into the Towne their great Demi Canon one Demi Culverin one Saca three Drakes and one case of small pieces some Armes and a carriage of Great Bullet beside some Powder which was made use of against them. This last night I finde they have drawn of(f) the rest of their Ordnance from their other workes and so are like to be at some further distance from us though I am informed they intend to keepe a Garrison at Beverley and to raise some works somewhat more remote from us. However My Lord we heartily and thankfully acknowledge the powerful and wise hand of our God in all this desire he should have the glory of all : the event whereof your Excellency shall assuredly have an account of with the first opportunity by

The 12^th of October saw the final lifting of the "Siege of Hull" and the event was marked by a public holiday held annually until the Restoration. Hull Bench Book V states :

"MEMORANDUM IMPERPETUUM to the praise and Glory of God that the 11^th of October 1643 the Siege was raised which had bene continued against this Towne by the Earle of Newcastles great Army for the space of ----- weekes last past.". So intense had been the battle of the 11^th that at the cessation of the cavalry Battle of Winceby, fought upon the same day in Lincolnshire with the assistance of Sir Thomas Fairfax and his troops of horse, four miles east of Horncastle and about 40 miles from Hull, the noise from the discharge of the guns at Hull could be plainly heard. Hull was still safely held for the Parliament and subsequent Royalist withdrawals to the vicinity of York soon led to the besieging of that city by Parliamentary and Scottish armies. This in turn evoked a mass breakout from the York, which had been reinforced by the redoubtable Prince Rupert and his forces. The ensuing encounter called the Battle of Marston Moor (2^nd July 1644) was the largest of the war. The supremacy of Cromwell's cavalry was a deciding factor in what turned out to be the decisive battle in the north of England. Apart from singular small and isolated garrisons the entire north was transferred from the control of the king to that of Parliament.

The town of Kingston upon Hull and its people were finally safe from the ravages of war, apart that is for rebuilding, the sorting out of compensation claims, and the charges and countercharges of those who had been for or against one faction or another. It did however continue to prosper but its experiences with war through to the 20^th century were far from over. The words of Andrew Marvell, the 17^th century poet seem appropriate to close this chapter of the town's history :

By Malice some, by Errour more misled;

If gracious Heaven to my Life give length,

Leisure to Times, and to my Weakness Strength,

Then shall I once with graver Accents shake

Your Regal sloth, and your long Slumbers wake:

Like the shrill Huntsman that prevents the East,

Winding his Horn to Kings that chase the Beast.