BattlefieldsSiege of Portsmouth
English Civil War

Siege of Portsmouth

1642
Hampshire, England
Also known as: Portsmouth 1642 · Goring's siege of Portsmouth
Era
English Civil War
Battle Type
Siege
Location
Hampshire, England
Status
Unregistered
The Combatants

Who Fought

Defeated
Royalists (Goring)
Forces
Royalists c.1,000–1,500.
VS
Victor
Parliamentarians
Forces
Parliamentarians c.1,500–2,000
Outcome
Royalist governor Goring surrendered Portsmouth September 7, 1642; first significant Parliamentary victory
The Battle

History & Significance

Portsmouth's Royalist governor George Goring (later to command Royalist cavalry at Naseby) declared for the King in August 1642. Parliamentary forces under Norton besieged it and, without hope of relief and with the garrison reduced by disease and bombardment, Goring surrendered. Portsmouth remained in Parliamentary hands throughout the war, denying the Royalists a vital south-coast naval base. This was Parliament's first significant military success.

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