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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 (; 1566/1568–1648) was an armed conflict in the Habsburg Netherlands between disparate groups of rebels and the Spanish Empire, Spanish government. The Origins of the Eighty Years' War, causes of the w ...
and the Anglo–Spanish War on April 9, 1580. The city of
Mechelen Mechelen (; ; historically known as ''Mechlin'' in EnglishMechelen 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 context. T ...
(known as ''Malines'' in French and historically in English) was conquered by
Calvinist Reformed Christianity, also called Calvinism, is a major branch of Protestantism that began during the 16th-century Protestant Reformation. In the modern day, it is largely represented by the Continental Reformed Protestantism, Continenta ...
rebel forces from
Brussels Brussels, officially the Brussels-Capital Region, (All text and all but one graphic show the English name as Brussels-Capital Region.) is a Communities, regions and language areas of Belgium#Regions, region of Belgium comprising #Municipalit ...
, 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

After the great Spanish victory in the Battle of Gembloux (31 January 1578), Brabant became the primary battleground between State and Spanish armies. The States-General and Orange had relocated from Brussels to Antwerp and began reinforcing Brussels and surrounding towns with garrisons in defence. The newly defeated States Army was unpopular, and by popular demand of the burghers of Brussels, Olivier van den Tympel's regiment, on the
States of Holland The States of Holland and West Frisia () were the representation of the two Estates (''standen'') to the court of the Count of Holland. After the United Provinces were formed — and there no longer was a count, but only his "lieutenant" (the stad ...
's payroll, took over the defence of the capital. Some States companies stationed in Mechelen by Boussu were also replaced by Hollandic companies, probably from the regiment of IJsselstein, while Pontus de Noyelles (lord of Bours) became the governor and military commander of the city of Mechelen. The population was to pay the troops' wage, but the magistrates wrote to Orange in November 1578 that they could not afford the cost of Pontus' two Hollandic companies at Mechelen, and the two companies at Vilvoorde. Two of the six Hollandic battalions were transferred to Maastricht by Archduke Matthias in January 1579 when it became clear that Parma intended to lay siege to that city. Meanwhile, there were growing religious tensions between the Hollandic soldiers in Mechelen, supported by the city's Calvinist minority, and the Catholic majority of burghers. This culminated in a street battle on 29 May 1579, after which the troops from Holland withdrew from Mechelen. Governor Pontus of Noyelles thanked Orange for (reluctantly) acquiescing to these developments, then defected to the royalist side and made peace with Parma. Thus, by mid-1579, the Lordship of Mechelen was one of the few territories in the Netherlands that had remained loyal to the Spanish King. Most surrounding cities, like
Antwerp Antwerp (; ; ) is a City status in Belgium, city and a Municipalities of Belgium, municipality in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It is the capital and largest city of Antwerp Province, and the third-largest city in Belgium by area at , after ...
,
Brussels Brussels, officially the Brussels-Capital Region, (All text and all but one graphic show the English name as Brussels-Capital Region.) is a Communities, regions and language areas of Belgium#Regions, region of Belgium comprising #Municipalit ...
, and
Ghent Ghent ( ; ; historically known as ''Gaunt'' in English) is a City status in Belgium, city and a Municipalities of Belgium, municipality in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It is the capital and largest city of the Provinces of Belgium, province ...
were controlled by
Calvinist Reformed Christianity, also called Calvinism, is a major branch of Protestantism that began during the 16th-century Protestant Reformation. In the modern day, it is largely represented by the Continental Reformed Protestantism, Continenta ...
rebels. 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


Capture of Mechelen

Just before dawn on 9 April 1580, States troops stormed the city of Mechelen. They were commanded by the Calvinist mayor of Brussels, Olivier van den Tympel, supported by English troops under command of
John Norreys John Norreys may refer to: *Sir John Norris (soldier) or Norreys (c. 1547–1597), the son of Henry Norris, 1st Baron Norreys, a lifelong friend of Queen Elizabeth *Sir John Norreys (Keeper of the Wardrobe) for Henry VI of England (c. 1400–1466) * ...
(or Edward Norreys according to Tracy 2008) and Scottish under command of Captain Stuart. After a short battle with Mechelen's
Schutterij Schutterij () refers to a voluntary city guard or citizen militia in the medieval and early modern Netherlands, intended to protect the town or city from attack and act in case of revolt or fire. Their training grounds were often on open spaces w ...
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
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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 hid in a cupboard for three days and then fled the city, dressed as a peasant. The
Carmelite The Order of the Brothers of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Mount Carmel (; abbreviated OCarm), known as the Carmelites or sometimes by synecdoche known simply as Carmel, is a mendicant order in the Catholic Church for both men and women. Histo ...
friar 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 (, ; 27 August 1545 – 3 December 1592) was an Italian noble and military leader, who was Duke of Parma, Piacenza and Castro from 1586 to 1592, as well as Governor of the Spanish Netherlands from 1578 to 1592. Nephew to Kin ...
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 ...
. 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 a component of international law that regulates the conditions for initiating war (''jus ad bellum'') and the conduct of hostilities (''jus in bello''). Laws of war define sovereignty and nationhood, states and territories, ...
admitted three days of looting, while that committed by the English lasted nearly an entire month.Nolan, C. p 269


References


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 links

''History Reconsidered: Eighty Years War 1568 -1648''
Battles of the Eighty Years' War
Mechelen Mechelen (; ; historically known as ''Mechlin'' in EnglishMechelen 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 context. T ...
1580 in the Habsburg Netherlands Conflicts in 1580 Eighty Years' War (1566–1609) Looting in Belgium History of Mechelen