ABSTRACT
After the failure of the Aberdeen doctors to widen the discussions on the National Covenant, the relations between Charles I and the majority of the Scottish nation declined. Attempts by the king to manipulate the General Assembly of the Scottish Kirk and the Estates (the Scottish Parliament) during the late summer of 1638 failed to influence the flow of events and Charles switched his policy to favour his military preparations. War broke out in summer 1639. The north of Britain was swept into the wars of Charles’ reign quickly. Geography dictated that the far northern counties of England were the king’s front line whilst the great expanse between them and the Trent was to be the marshalling yard for the armies of men, and for the convoys of food and weapons. The first ‘Anglo-Scots’ or ‘Bishop’s War’ of 1639, because it was over in a few days in early June 1639, was very much a ‘phoney war’ as far as military action was concerned. In logistical terms there had been much action, much ‘sound and fury’ as the North mobilised its own resources and prepared to accept the resources of other regions. William Robinson of Falsgrave, Scarborough, was worried as the summer of 1640 approached. He was a skilled man, whose hands (and God’s providence-he admitted) were his only means of earning a living for him and his wife; and now he was enlisted. He contacted his colonel who considered the case. William was probably hoping to be released from service, but the colonel’s decision provided only a financial solution. William was given a suit of clothes by the constable, 40s by Ralph Pearson and 12d a week was to be paid to his wife during the period William was under arms. The town council did not want to go to the trouble of finding soldiers for the war more than once and was keen that soldiers dispatched to Sir Hugh Cholmeley remain under arms. Nevertheless, Sir Hugh decided that four of the town soldiers should not have been sent to him because of their family commitments and released them from service. The town wrote back, disputing the men’s claims and asked Sir Hugh to recall them to the colours rather than burden the town with the effort of finding more men.1
