The Queen then retired to York, under the protection of Newcastle. The Duchess says:—
“My Lord finding Her Majesty in this condition, drew his Army near the place where she was, ready to attend and protect Her Majesties Person, who was pleased to take a view of the Army as it was drawn up in order; and immediately after, which was in March, 1643, took Her journey towards York, whither the whole Army conducted Her Majesty and brought her safe into the City. About this time, Her Majesty having some present occasion for Money, My Lord presented Her with 3,000£ Sterling, which she graciously accepted”—Charles and Henrietta seldom “graciously refused”—“and having spent some time there in Consultation about the present affairs, she was pleased to send some Armes and Ammunition to the King, who was then in Oxford; to which end, my Lord ordered a Party, consisting of 1500, well commanded, to conduct the same, with whom the Lord Percy, who then had waited upon Her Majesty from the King, returned to Oxford; Which Party His Majesty was pleased to keep with him for his own Service,” much to the loss and inconvenience of Newcastle.
The Queen’s presence did much for the King’s cause in Yorkshire. Some time earlier, Sir Hugh Cholmley had been induced by his friend, Sir John Hotham, to take the side of the Parliament; and, as a reward, he had been made Governor of the Castle of Scarborough, a fortress of considerable importance. But, when the Queen came, says Clarendon, he “very frankly revolted to his allegiance; and waited on Her Majesty for her assurance of her pardon”. He then delivered up the Castle of Scarborough to Newcastle, who reinstated him as Governor of it, on behalf of the King. It may be worth mentioning that Clarendon says Cholmley had[59] “oftener defeated the Earl of Newcastle’s troops ... than any other officer of those parts”.
[59] Vol. II, part I. book vi.
The Queen wrote, in a letter to Charles I, on 20 March, 1643: “Sir Hugh Cholmley is come in with a troop of horse to kiss my hand; the rest of his people he left at Scarborough, with a ship laden with arms, which the ships of the Parliament had brought thither. So she is ours.”
To some extent, the propinquity of the Queen was also influencing the Hothams; although they hesitated to follow the example of Cholmley by delivering up Hull to Newcastle. Sir Philip Warwick says[60]:—
“The Queen presently after landed at Burlington Bay with good provision of arms, ordnance, and ammunition, and was by the Earl of Newcastle conveyed to York; and she so influenced Sir Hugh Cholmley, who commanded the port of Scarborough for the Parliament, and old Sir John Hotham and his son, who commanded Hull, that important garrison; that had she been as successful in the last as she was in the first, the whole North had been cleared, and that undoubtedly would have turned the scale upon the South, and restored his Majesty unto his just rights, the people unto their true liberties, and the nation unto its former profound peace. But Hotham’s timorous temper betrayed himself and the design.”
[60] Memoires, p. 237.
Cholmley immediately became very active in the King’s service; and, to some extent by his assistance, Newcastle obtained command of almost the whole of Yorkshire. The younger Hotham at about this time explained the position of himself and his father to Newcastle, in the following letters:—