The English Fury at Mechelen or the Capture of Mechelen was an event in the

Eighty Years' War The Eighty Years' War or Dutch Revolt ( nl, Nederlandse Opstand) ( c.1566/1568–1648) was an armed conflict in the Habsburg Netherlands between disparate groups of rebels and the Spanish government. The causes of the war included the Ref ...

and the Anglo–Spanish War on April 9, 1580. The city of

Mechelen Mechelen (; french: Malines ; traditional English name: MechlinMechelen has been known in English as ''Mechlin'', from where the adjective ''Mechlinian'' is derived. This name may still be used, especially in a traditional or historical contex ...

was conquered by

Calvinist Calvinism (also called the Reformed Tradition, Reformed Protestantism, Reformed Christianity, or simply Reformed) is a major branch of Protestantism that follows the theological tradition and forms of Christian practice set down by John C ...

forces from

Brussels Brussels (french: Bruxelles or ; nl, Brussel ), officially the Brussels-Capital Region (All text and all but one graphic show the English name as Brussels-Capital Region.) (french: link=no, Région de Bruxelles-Capitale; nl, link=no, Bruss ...

which included a large contingent of English mercenaries. The city was sacked and many of its religious treasures destroyed or plundered.Harline & Put p. 127–129

Background

In 1579, the

Lordship of Mechelen The Lordship of Mechelen was until 1795 a small authonomous Lordship in the Low Countries, consisting of the city of Mechelen and some surrounding villages. In the early Middle Ages, it was part of the Prince-Bishopric of Liège, which was c ...

was one of the few territories in the Netherlands that had remained loyal to the Spanish King. Most surrounding cities, like

Antwerp Antwerp (; nl, Antwerpen ; french: Anvers ; es, Amberes) is the largest city in Belgium by area at and the capital of Antwerp Province in the Flemish Region. With a population of 520,504,

and

Ghent Ghent ( nl, Gent ; french: Gand ; traditional English: Gaunt) is a city and a municipality in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It is the capital and largest city of the East Flanders province, and the third largest in the country, exceeded i ...

were ruled by

Calvinists Calvinism (also called the Reformed Tradition, Reformed Protestantism, Reformed Christianity, or simply Reformed) is a major branch of Protestantism that follows the theological tradition and forms of Christian practice set down by John ...

. There in 1580, plans were made to take over all remaining loyal cities, to deny the Spanish army any stronghold behind the frontline.Nolan, J. p 46 Tachtigjarigeoorlog-1580

Capture of Mechelen

The Calvinist mayor of Brussels, Olivier van den Tympel, gathered a military force, supported by English troops under command of John Norreys and Scottish under command of Captain Stuart. After a short battle with Mechelen's Schutterij and Spanish troops the city was easily taken.Knight, Charles Raleigh: ''Historical records of The Buffs, East Kent Regiment (3rd Foot) formerly designated the Holland Regiment and Prince George of Denmark's Regiment''. Vol I. London, Gale & Polden, 1905
p. 18
/ref>

Aftermath

The English and Scottish mercenaries under van den Tympel turned against the population, plundering homes, churches and monasteries; some tombstones were removed from the town's cemeteries and sold in England. Some sixty civilians were killed and Archbishop

Mathias Hovius Mathias Hovius (1542–1620), born Matthijs Van Hove, was the third Archbishop of Mechelen from 1596 to 1620. As Archbishop, Hovius presided over implementing the Catholic Reformation in the Spanish Netherlands. Early career Hovius was born in Me ...

hid in a cupboard for three days and then fled the city, dressed as a peasant. The

Carmelite , image = , caption = Coat of arms of the Carmelites , abbreviation = OCarm , formation = Late 12th century , founder = Early hermits of Mount Carmel , founding_location = Mount Ca ...

monk Petrus de Wolf participated in the defence of the city and was killed by John Norreys himself with his bare hands. Mechelen remained under Calvinist rule until it was reconquered in 1585 by the Spanish under

Alexander Farnese, Duke of Parma Alexander Farnese ( it, Alessandro Farnese, es, Alejandro Farnesio; 27 August 1545 – 3 December 1592) was an Italian noble and condottiero and later a general of the Spanish army, who was Duke of Parma, Piacenza and Castro from 1586 to 1592 ...

as one of the last cities in the

Southern Netherlands The Southern Netherlands, also called the Catholic Netherlands, were the parts of the Low Countries belonging to the Holy Roman Empire which were at first largely controlled by Habsburg Spain (Spanish Netherlands, 1556–1714) and later by the A ...

. The event was named the ''English Fury'' after the ''Spanish Fury'' that hit the city in 1572. However, the looting committed by the English in the same town was longer and more intense than that perpetrated by the Spanish. Contemporary

laws of war The law of war is the component of international law that regulates the conditions for initiating war ('' jus ad bellum'') and the conduct of warring parties (''jus in bello''). Laws of war define sovereignty and nationhood, states and territ ...

admitted three days of looting, while that committed by the English lasted nearly an entire month.Nolan, C. p 269

References

;Citations ;Bibliography * (Dutch) * * * {{cite book, last=Tracy, first=J.D., title=The Founding of the Dutch Republic: War, Finance, and Politics in Holland 1572–1588, year=2008, publisher=Oxford University Press., isbn=978-0-19-920911-8 ;External link
''History Reconsidered: Eighty Years War 1568 -1648''
Battles of the Eighty Years' War

1580 in the Habsburg Netherlands Conflicts in 1580 Eighty Years' War (1566–1609) Looting History of Mechelen