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Charles I. The Lord President resided in the Manor House,
now the Wilberforce School for the Blind near to Bootham
Bar ; the council held its sittings at the Guildhall. In 1572,
the Earl of Northumberland was beheaded in the Pavement,
and his head set on a pole on Micklegate Bar for the part he
took in the last rebellious attempt made by the Roman
Catholics to establish their power in England, which is called
the Rising of the North." In 1608, James VI. of Scotland
passed through the city on his way to London to receive the
English crown ; he stayed three or four days, was lodged in
the Manor House and attended the Minster services several
times. In 1617, he again visited York, when he attended
service at the Minster. In 1639, Charles I. stayed in York
some three or four weeks on his way to meet the Covenanters
of Scotland, spending the time in marshalling his army. The
following year a great council of peers met, and held its
meetings in the Deanery, under the presidency of the king.
In 1641, the council of the north was abolished. Charles
again came in 1642, fixing his residence at the Mansion
House, then close to the Minster, and stayed five months in
the city, during which time the state printing-press was
brought from London and erected in St. William's College,
near the Cathedral. In 1644, York was fully garrisoned,
and put in a complete state of defence, guns being placed on
the walls and gates under the command of the Marquis of
Newcastle. Early in this year the Parliamentarian army, under
the command of the Earl of Manchester, assisted by Scotch
allies, lay siege to and completely invested the city, several
batteries being erected so as to command it from different
points, and placed under the orders of Sir Thomas Fairfax,
Earl of Leven, Cromwell, and others. For twenty-two days
the troops and citizens within the walls defended it with great
spirit and valour. Charles, well knowing how important it
was to retain possession of such a stronghold, sent Prince
Rupert with twenty thousand men to its relief. On his
approach, the Parliamentarian army withdrew to Marston
Moor, where it was followed shortly after
by Prince Rupert,
and on July 2nd the deadly battle was fought, which
brought ruin to the royalist cause, this being the last of
many battles fought for the possession of the City of York.
On the 16th July, 1644, it was formally surrendered to the