George
Goring, the son of the 1st Earl of Norwich, was born in 1628. When
he was 21 he married Lettice Boyle, the daughter of the Earl of Cork.
In 1633 his father-in-law bought him a commission as a colonel and
fought at the Siege of Breda in 1637.
Goring
commanded a regiment for Charles I in
the Bishops' War in 1639. The following year he was appointed Governor
of Portsmouth.
In
1641 Goring became involved in a conspiracy against Royalist officers
and there were suspicions that in any future conflict he would fight
for Parliament. However, just before the outbreak of the Civil
War he
declared for Charles I.
In September 1642 Goring surrendered Portsmouth
to Parliamentary forces led by William
Waller.
Goring now fled to Holland where he assisted Henrietta
Maria to
buy weapons and to find recruits for the Royalist army. He eventually
returned to England and took part in the battle of Seacroft Moor in
March 1643. He was captured two months later but after being held
at the Tower
of London was
released in exchange for the Earl of Lothian in April 1644.
In June 1644 Prince
Rupert and his Cavaliers set out
to rescue the Earl of Newcastle and
his forces from the city of York. On 2nd
July the Royalists confronted the Parliamentarians at Marston
Moor. That afternoon
Oliver Cromwell and his forces charged
John Byron and his cavalry. His men, instead
of pursuing Byron's cavalry, regrouped and returned to protect the
infantry that had now come under attack from Goring and his cavalry.
His charge was briefly successful and as a result replaced Henry
Wilmot as Lieutenant-General of the Cavalry.
Goring's military reputation
improved further after his performance at Newbury in October 1644.
He was sent to the West Country but while there was involved in a
series of disputes with Prince Rupert.
Goring, who had a serious drink problem, was defeated by Thomas
Fairfax
at Langport in July
1645.
In November 1645 Goring
went into exile. The following year he joined the Spanish Army of
Flanders and took part in the siege of Barclona (1652). George
Goring died in Madrid
in 1657.
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