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User:Harrias/Treaty of Neutrality (Yorkshire)

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The Treaty of Neutrality, sometimes known as the Treaty of Rothwell, was an agreement made on 29 September 1642 between prominent families in Yorkshire during the First English Civil War. Engineered by Ferdinando Fairfax, Lord Fairfax, the treaty was intended to maintain peace in Yorkshire during a time when both Parliamentarians and Royalists were actively recruiting military forces. The treaty failed, partly because Sir John Hotham, who had already defied the King by holding Hull for parliament and had not been invited to sign it, actively defied it. As a result, Lord Fairfax renounced the treaty and resumed military operations in Yorkshire.

Background

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Portrait of King Charles I
The withdrawal of King Charles I from London to Yorkshire made the county a key area in the early stages of the civil war.

In January 1642 the tension between the English Parliament and King Charles, which had been building throughout his reign, escalated sharply after the King had attempted to arrest five Members of Parliament, who he accused of treason. Having failed, Charles fled London with his family; many historians believe these events made civil war inevitable.[1] In preparation for the likely conflict, both sides began preparing for war; attempting to recruit the existing militia and new men into their armies.[2]

Even before the formal start of the war in August 1642, the county of Yorkshire in north-east England had been a key area in the conflict. Sir John Hotham seized Hull for Parliament in January, and after fleeing London, the King had established himself at York in March.[3] Like many other counties at the time, Yorkshire had a strong sense of independence and its interests were fiercely protected by prominent land owners in the county.[4] Typically, political factions grew amongst these land owners; one such group, which was tied together by family connections, included the Belasyses, Fairfaxes, Listers and Slingsbys. The group did not align on all topics, but according to the historian David Farr, were able to maintain a non-partisan "disagreement within consensus".[5] The faction broke apart in early 1642, as families aligned themselves with either Parliament or the King;[6] while the Fairfaxes and Listers supported the Parliamentarian cause, the Belasyses and Slingsbys believed that Charles would be easier to work with.[7]

In April, Charles attempted, but failed to take Hull, after which he held two meetings to try and raise money and rally men to his cause. The first, held on 12 May in York, was a gathering of the Yorkshire gentry in which the King petitioned that he required a force to protect him. The response was muted; the gentry remained divided and uneasy about the prospect of war. He recruited around 900 men; 200 under Sir Francis Wortley to form his bodyguard, and a further 700 from the local trained bands. In opposition, Sir Thomas Fairfax, led a group which suggested that the King should reconcile with Parliament,[8] while a large number of lesser landowners complained that they had not been invited and pushed for peace, petitioning the King; "that as your majesty hath often declared your affection to this county, so now your love might be expressed in preserving the peace thereof."[9]

After this meeting, the war of words and recruitment escalated sharply in the region; at the request of local Parliamentary politicians, Parliament demanded the King Charles disband his bodyguard. Charles refused, and in response ordered the Yorkshire trained bands not to obey Parliament. In turn, Parliament ordered local officials to secure arms and ammunition and prevent any from reaching the King in York. Charles held a second meeting on 3 June, at Heworth Moor, at which contemporary accounts estimate between 40,000 and 70,000 freeholders and gentry were present.[8] Despite the large turnout, the reception was again mixed, and Thomas Fairfax once again was prominent amongst the dissenters,[9] and presented a petition to the King denouncing his advisers and demanding he reconcile with Parliament.[8] According to the historian Andrew Hopper, the Royalists had the favour of more of the gentry, counting 242 families as their supporters, compared to 128 for the Parliamentarians,[10] but they remained cautious, and the majority on both sides were reluctant to involve themselves.[8]

Charles returned to besiege Hull with around 3,000 men in early July,[11] but by the end of the month his attempt had failed; the first open military defiance of the King.[12] Thwarted in his efforts, Charles left Yorkshire and marched south to Nottingham. He took a few hundred men with him, but was unable to convince the Yorkshire Trained Bands to leave the county.[8] On 22 August, he raised his Royal Standard and declared the Earl of Essex, and by extension Parliament, traitors, formally beginning the First English Civil War.[13] After his departure, Earl of Cumberland assumed command of the King's forces in Yorkshire.[3] The Parliamentarians did not have a unified command: Sir John Hotham held most of the East Riding, and Sir Hugh Cholmeley had a garrison in Scarborough, in the North Riding;[3] while in the West Riding, Ferdinando Fairfax, Lord Fairfax was the most prominent of the parliamentary supporters, but was reluctant to commit himself against the King.[14]

In the immediate aftermath of the King's departure in August, several of the gentry on both sides sought to dampen the escalation towards war within the county, even while continuing to consolidate their power by raising troops and establishing garrisons.[15][16][3] Despite the King's proclamation, the historian William Thurlow suggests that there was a hope in Yorkshire that as the King had left, and most of the military might of both sides was in the Midlands, "the issue would be decided by one pitched battle outside the county, after which some accommodation between King and Parliament would surely be made."[8] The fragmented nature of parliament's support in Yorkshire was starkest in the differing approaches of the Hothams and Fairfaxes. In the east of the county, the Hothams agitated; plundering the homes of Royalist supporters, while in the west, Lord Fairfax continued to counsel peace. Even after prominent Parliamentarian supporters had their houses plundered, Fairfax's response was predominantly one of peace. He met with seventeen other leading local Parliamentarians in Otley on 29 August 1642 to declare for parliament and raise forces, but at which they pledged to "keep the peace of the county entire".[9]

Treaty

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Ferdinando Fairfax, 2nd Lord Fairfax of Cameron
Ferdinando Fairfax, 2nd Lord Fairfax of Cameron

Lord Fairfax arranged a meeting with some of the local Royalists which was held on 29 September, and they signed a Treaty of Neutrality. The treaty, which it was hoped could be used as a model for the whole country to adopt, suspended both the Militia Ordinance and the commissions of array, the methods of recruitment being used to raise forces, and disbanded the forces already raised within the county. It also called for all of Yorkshire to unite to repel any external force which entered the county. Although it was signed by twelve prominent leaders, neither the Hothams (Sir John Hotham and his son, Captain John Hotham) nor Cumberland were signatories, which the modern historian Stanley D. M. Carpenter cites as "ensuring its ultimate failure".[15][17]

  • Henry Belasyse led the Royalist delegation. Attempt to reunify the 'Fauconberg group' consensus.[17]
  • Hothams unaware, felt caught out by the treaty, which would leave them vulnerable to action from the King.[17]
  • Parliament rejected the treaty,[18]
  • while the Hothams rebelled against it, and attacked Selby and Cawood Castle in early October.[19] This was done intentionally to try and destroy the treaty. They also published declarations against the treaty. (Hooper P 27)
  • By the middle of the October, Lord Fairfax renounced the treaty and resumed military operations.[18]

Aftermath

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  • Fairfaxes reputation temporarily hit, but parliament couldn't afford to be picky. Parliament leaflet blamed Royalists for having dangerous motivations, absolving Fairfax. (Hooper p 33)
  • Royalists attacked Bradford, but were repelled, and also abandoned Leeds.
  • 21 October, Fairfaxes had small command and were the hunted
  • 28 October, joined Hotham to threaten York
  • Fairfaxes and Parliamentarians largely had control of Yorkshire until approach of Newcastle in December (See Piercebridge etc.)

References

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  1. ^ Gaunt 2019, pp. 41–42.
  2. ^ Gaunt 2019, p. 51.
  3. ^ a b c d Cooke 2006, pp. 128–132.
  4. ^ Woolrych 1956, p. 696.
  5. ^ Farr 2000, pp. 255–258.
  6. ^ Farr 2000, p. 260.
  7. ^ Farr 2003, pp. 27–28.
  8. ^ a b c d e f Thurlow 1977.
  9. ^ a b c Woolrych 1956.
  10. ^ Hopper 2001, p. 139.
  11. ^ Evans 2017, p. 128.
  12. ^ Hopper 1997, p. 1.
  13. ^ Bennett 2005, p. xii.
  14. ^ Hopper 1999, p. 32.
  15. ^ a b Carpenter 2005, p. 61.
  16. ^ Hopper 2007, pp. 26–27.
  17. ^ a b c Hopper 2007, p. 27.
  18. ^ a b Carpenter 2005, p. 62.
  19. ^ Hopper 2007, pp. 27–28.

Bibliography

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