The Siege of Newcastle occurred from 3 February to 27 October 1644 during the First English Civil War when an invading army of Scottish Covenanters captured the major English city of Newcastle upon Tyne from its Royalist garrison.
Background[]
In September 1643, Parliamentarian and Scots commissioners signed the Solemn League and Covenant, which bound the Covenanters to bring in an army on the side of Parliament, and committed both countries to establishing a common form of worship, which the Scots believed would be Presbyterianism. The Scots army entering England was opposed by King Charles I's northern army, commanded by the Marquess of Newcastle. Newcastle could do little to stop the Scots, sparing only a token force to defend his year as he fought against Thomas Fairfax's Parliamentarian army in Yorkshire. The poorly-equipped Royalist militia regiments left behind to watch the border were forced to retreat in the face of the Scots, forcing Newcastle to return to the city of Newcastle just twelve hours before the Scots arrived.
Siege[]
On 3 February 1644, the Scots began their siege of Newcastle. The Earl of Callander secured surrounding towns such as Newburn as the Marquess of Newcastle bolted south to defend York from Fairfax, who stormed Selby in April. After the Battle of Marston Moor was fought to the south, resulting in a decisive Parliamentarian-Covenanter victory, the fate of Newcastle and the other Royalist strongholds in North East England was sealed, as all garrisons were now separated from any prospective relief forces. The Covenanters used bombardments and mines to breach Newcastle's walls, taking the western half of the city on 19 October. The city surrendered on 27 October, the same day as Tynemouth.