The seizure of Hartlepool in November 1569 was the northern rebels most ambitious strategic move. Northumberland and Westmorland took the port intending to use it as a landing point for the Spanish troops they expected from the Duke of Alba. When no Spanish ships appeared Hartlepool was quickly abandoned. The episode reveals the international dimension of the Northern Rising as part of Philip II of Spain's broader anti-Elizabethan strategy.
Minimal at seizure
Rebel cavalry under the Northern Earls; small Crown garrison
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