36. Surviving the War

During most of the Wars of the Roses, Hull remained loyal to Henry VI and the Lancastrian cause.  The Battle of Towton on 29th March 1461 though was a clear sign that Hull needed to switch allegiance for its own survival.  Towton was a ferocious ten-hour endurance test during which participants fought whilst being lashed by rain and snow.  The battle finished with the Yorkist army mercilessly killing fleeing Lancastrians until, it was said, their lifeless bodies formed a bridge across the river Coln.

In the face of this ruthlessness, Hull set about demonstrating its support for the newly crowned Yorkist king Edward IV.  The town sent him the customary gift of several barrels of wine and also provided his ally the Earl of Warwick with a ship and crew.  In May the Mayor and other prominent citizens rode to York to pledge their loyalty in person.  Doubtless during the course of this visit they made sure to mention that they had recently expelled 32 people from Hull who had failed to show support for the new king.

At least Edward’s victory meant that for the first time in many months, Hull could relax its security measures.  There were still though regular demands for men and equipment.  Eighty-eight inhabitants contributed £42 in coin and kind to equip the Mary Bedford for the king’s service.  These included a miller who donated corn to the value of 6s 8d and Peter and Lauren Berbruer who gave three barrels of beer.  Despite this public generosity, the town still had to borrow £200 pounds in 1461 to meet such demands.  It was also forced to dig up its pioneering system of underground water pipes in order to sell the lead.

Deep down though Hull’s people remained loyal to the deposed Henry VI, as when the chance came to snub Edward IV they took it.  After losing the support of the Earl of Warwick, Edward was forced into exile in 1469 and Henry was re-adopted as king.  Edward returned in 1471 landing at Ravenspurn, a small port near Spurn Head that has since fallen into the sea.  He then made his way to the nearest town but Hull refused to let him in.  The rest of the country though was more welcoming and Edward was soon back on the throne.  

Hull’s aldermen, knowing that Edward would now hold a grudge against them, began cultivating the support of his brother Richard, Duke of York, by provided him with men for his battles against the Scots.  When in 1483 Richard was raising an army to usurp the throne, Hull sent him twenty soldiers plus £15. Once Richard had taken the crown, his coat of arms was speedily placed above Beverley Gate.  All this grovelling paid off as Richard rewarded Hull with a grant to export goods without paying custom duties.

After only two years though Richard was gone, replaced by the largely unknown Henry Tudor.  Once again Hull’s Mayor and prominent citizens rode to York to pledge their loyalty to the new king.  Once again the town was called on to provide men for the king’s army as he cemented his rule.  Given the tremulous events of the past few years, the people of Hull must have wondered just how long this new king Henry VII would last.

Picture: The Historie of the Arrival of King Edward IV. A.D. 1471”(1838) Camden Old Series. Cambridge University Press, 1, pp. 1–40 https://doi.org/10.1017/S2042169900000687

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35. Hull’s Mayor Joins the War

Richard Hanson was well known in mid-15th century Hull.  He was one of the town’s top merchants, frequently to be found on the High Street conducting deals and inspecting merchandise.  Like other merchants he was involved with the town’s governance and was one of its longest serving aldermen.  He also became mayor four times when most people completed just a single term.  As mayor he would have been an unmissable figure, presiding over market days and town meetings dressed up in his robe, cape and furs.

Hanson served as mayor during a decade when England descended into war as the Lancastrians and Yorkists fought over who deserved to rule.  His final term began in 1460 as the conflict was in full swing.  Any plans he had for the future of the town had to be laid to one side, as his priority had to be keeping citizens safe from the violence happening all around them.

In autumn 1460, the Yorkists appeared to have the upper hand as they held King Henry VI a prisoner in London.  However, Queen Margaret was preparing to fight back by raising a new army and asked that men who supported the Lancastrian cause gather near Hull.  From across the north fifteen thousand answered her call including Richard Hanson.

A Yorkist army marched north to answer this new threat led by Richard, Duke of York. They faced a hazardous journey along waterlogged roads in the bitter winter weather.  The two sides met on 30th December near Wakefield with Richard and his tired troops facing an army twice their size.  Unsurprisingly the Yorkists lost and lost badly.  2000 died including their leader Richard whilst the Lancastrians suffered just 200 fatalities.

Throughout the war Hull had remained on the side of the Lancastrians, so town authorities were pleased when news came through of this victory.  They bought a horse from one of the town’s butchers and sent it to Queen Margaret’s army along with a barrel of wine.  Then however their happiness was punctured by the news that although the Lancastrian dead were few in number, among them was their mayor Richard Hanson.

The newly energised Lancastrian force began the march down to London but were forced to turn back after meeting resistance at St Alban’s.  Following this the Duke of York’s son, Edward, was proclaimed king.  Then, like his father before him, he too marched north to confront a Lancastrian army.  So the war dragged on and the lives of Hull’s citizens continued to revolve around protecting their town from attack, only now it was without the help of one their most experienced leaders.

Picture: Extract from 'Gregory's Chronicle: 1451-1460' taken from British History Online http://www.british-history.ac.uk/camden-record-soc/vol17/pp196-210

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34. Hull Prepares to Defend Itself

Autumn 1460 found England in limbo.  After winning the Battle of Northampton, the Yorkists now held King Henry VI prisoner, however nobles in Parliament wouldn’t agree to Richard, Duke of York, replacing him as king.  They preferred the compromise of Edward, Richard’s son, succeeding after Henry died. The Duke of York though wanted to wear the crown himself and wasn’t prepared to give up the fight now.  As both sides prepared for yet more violence, across the country people looked on wondering if they would get caught up in the conflict.  With no one else to turn to, it was every town for itself. 

In Hull one of the first security measures to be put in place was to close all entrances into the town aside from Beverley Gate, so that visitors could be more easily monitored.  To guard against attack from the river, gates or bars were placed at the end of staithes.  At the top of Bishop’s Lane, where the ground had been too soft to build the town wall, barrels of stones were used to block up the gap in the defences.

Hull’s aldermen were given additional powers to try and prevent people causing trouble.  Their permission had to be sought if a stranger wished to stay in town more then one night.  If the aldermen suspected you were hiding an unauthorised stranger, they had the authority to search your house.  And they would only give permission for your guest to stay, if you promised you would be responsible for their behaviour.

Defending Hull was a team effort. At any one time, a quarter of the town’s men were on guard duty either along the walls or patrolling the streets.  Archers were stationed at the end of each staith.  Men were called upon to take their turn digging ditches in front of the barbicans at Hessle, Myton, and North Gates.  If you failed to turn up to do your bit, you were fined.  Plus no doubt your neighbours would make it very clear what they thought of you putting everybody’s lives at risk.

The fact Hull was a port made it vulnerable.  No ship was allowed to dock until the aldermen had interrogated the captain, purser and master as to their motives for coming to Hull and a limit was introduced on the number of sailors that could be on shore at any one time.  To guard the quayside, a ship belonging to Claus Orton was requisitioned, equipped with guns and anchored by the jetty.  More than 100 people also dipped their hands into their pockets to buy an iron chain to string across the mouth of the river Hull.

On this high state of alert the people of Hull tried to continue with their everyday lives despite knowing that at any moment they may be called on go and fight to protect their homes and families.  They waited for the nobles to stop squabbling and decide who should be king, however as Christmas 1460 approached the issue was still not resolved.

Photos: Top, remains of Beverley Gate, Hull; Bottom, surviving example of defensive gate with barbican, Walmgate, York.

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33. An Unwelcome Visitor

As befitting any medieval noble worth his salt, Thomas Percy, Baron Egremont, held quite a few official posts.  One of these was Admiral of the Humber, which gave him rights over dealing with maritime misdemeanours in Hull’s admiralty court.  Previous holders of this post had been content to bask in the prestige of the title and leave the actual mundane admin to Hull’s aldermen.  Egremont though decided he wanted to more hands on, so in April 1460 he marched on Hull flanked by a mass of armed supporters and demanded his right to chair a session of the admiralty court.

Egremont was not the kind of man you wanted to be involved with.  He’d previously tried to incite revolt at York, which had included dragging the town’s mayor to Bootham Bar and publicly attacking him.  These actions got Egremont sent to jail, where he remained for two years before escaping.  Understandably therefore, Hull’s aldermen were not overly keen to let him into their town and instead closed and barred the gates against him.

The aldermen then sent a messenger to King Henry VI pleading for help, together with some wine in the hope that even royals could be swayed by the gift of a bottle (or in this case two entire barrels).  Then Hull bunkered down and waited for Henry’s response.  Egremont prowled threateningly outside, promising death to those who crossed his path.  A 24-hour watch was placed all along Hull’s defensive walls to monitor his movements.  Inhabitants rattled around inside their town fearing what would happen if Egremont tried to force the gates or attempt a hostile landing on the quayside.

It took two long weeks for the king’s answer to arrive.  When it did, Hull’s streets sounded with the clang of the Guildhall bell as citizens were called together to hear the reply.  It was bad news.  Egremont had to be let in.  On the plus side though, most of his army had to stay outside.  He could bring in with him just 60 horsemen, which was the minimum retinue someone of noble birth could reasonable be asked to have without it being an insult.  As an extra precaution, it was decided that the guards along the walls would remain for as long as Egremont stayed.

The Mayor and two hundred of Hull’s most esteemed inhabitants formally received Egremont as he entered through Beverley Gate.  He was entertained and given a good meal which doubtless included a glass or two.  It was then humbly explained to him that the business of the admiralty court could not be settled just yet as most unfortunately crucial documents relating to the Admiral of the Humber’s rights were down in London.  If this displeased Egremont, he didn’t get an opportunity to enact his revenge.  Just a few months later he was dead, executed after being on the losing side at the battle of Northhampton.

Picture: Bricks in Princes Dock Street showing the former location of a watchtower in Hull’s defensive wall

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32. Hull in a Violent World

Yorkshire in the 1450s was a violent place.  Two of the major landowning families in the county were the Nevilles and the Percies and between them existed a long-standing feud.  This rivalry heated up in the face of Henry VI’s weakness and the knowledge that he would do nothing to punish them for fighting.  Consequently these ambitious neighbours used their men, money and status to drag the whole county into their squabble and Hull wasn’t excused.

When in summer 1453 Henry VI suffered a mental collapse Thomas Percy, Baron Egremont, saw an opportunity.  Wressle castle, 30 miles to the west of Hull, had been built by the Percy family, however they had lost it in 1403 after they were involved in rebellion against the king.  This loss was one thing but what Egremont couldn’t stand was that following a recent marriage the castle now belonged to the Neville family.  The thought of his deadly rivals at Wressle was too much for him to bear.

On 24th August Egremont and his private army ambushed a group of Nevilles travelling back from the wedding.  Most of the men with Egremont worked on the Percy estates but not all.  Others came from nearby towns including 16 from Hull.  This ambush achieved little apart from a chance to show displeasure, however crucially it went virtually unpunished.  The king sent a stern letter telling those involved not to do it again, but men like Egremont didn’t pay heed to simple letters.  Emboldened he now set his sights higher.

In May the following year Egremont and his allies attempted to incite revolt in York.  He appealed to the people of Hull to join him, knowing that he had at least a few supporters in the town.  Luckily Hull refused this offer.  By now Richard, Duke of York, was acting as Lord Protector whilst the king recovered from his illness, and Richard’s wife was a Neville.  It came as no surprise therefore that when Egremont’s revolt failed, Richard seized the opportunity to throw him in jail.  Richard also sent thanks to Hull for refusing to support the revolt.

Henry VI eventually recovered in December 1454, although not everyone was pleased about his return to health.  Richard had rather enjoyed his taste of power and many nobles thought he had made a better job of being king than Henry.  Gradually the country split between Lancastrians, supporting Henry, and Yorkists, supporting Richard.  After many threats, hard stares, and minor skirmishes, full-scale hostilities finally erupted on 23rd September 1459 at Blore Heath, Staffordshire. 

Hearing of this battle, Hull’s aldermen took measures to protect their town from attack.  After all as a strategic port it was a prize worth fighting over.  Each night 24 men were placed on watch and it was ordered that no corn should leave town in case a siege situation developed.  Then everyone waited.  Around the middle of October came news of the battle of Ludford Bridge, and how the Duke of York had fled to Ireland.  The guard was stood down and everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

Picture: Section from map by Gerard Mercator, 1564, showing the location of Hull and Wessle

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