Siege of Lier (1582)

The Siege of Lier of 1582, also known as the Capture of Lier or Betrayal of Lier, took place between 1 and 2 August 1582 at Lier, near Antwerp (present-day in the Belgian province of Antwerp, Flemish Region, Belgium), during the Eighty Years' War and the Anglo-Spanish War (1585–1604).[1][4][5] On 2 August the Spanish army commanded by Governor-General Don Alexander Farnese, Prince of Parma (Spanish: Alejandro Farnesio), supported by part of the States garrison (a discontent group of Scottish troops led by Captain William Semple), captured and seized the town, defeating the rest of the Dutch, English and German troops under Governor of Lier.[3][4] All garrison was killed or captured.[6] The news of the Spanish success at Lier produced a great shock to the States-General at Antwerp, where the sense of insecurity was obvious, and many of the Protestant citizens sold their houses, fleeing to the north of Flanders.[7]

Equestrian statue of Don Alexander Farnese by Francesco Mochi.
Siege of Lier (1582)
Part of the Eighty Years' War and the Anglo-Spanish War (1585–1604)
Date1-2 August 1582
Location
Lier (present-day Belgium)
Result Spanish victory[1][2]
Belligerents
United Provinces
 England		  Spain
Commanders and leaders
William Semple
(Desertion)[3]		 Alexander Farnese

The consequences of Semple's action were considerable because Liere was a strategic position, regarded as "the bulwark of Antwerp and the key of the Duchy of Brabant".[3] The betrayal of Bruges in the following year by Colonel Boyd was probably prompted by his countryman's example.[3][5] After a short visit to Prince Alexander Farnese at Namur, Semple was sent to Spain with a strong recommendation to King Philip II of Spain, who according to the Italian Jesuit Famiano Strada, handsomely rewarded him.[8]

The next Spanish success was on 17 November, when the Spaniards led by Johann Baptista von Taxis (Spanish: Juan Baptista de Taxis) captured Steenwijk (taken by Dutch States forces on 23 February 1581)[9] forcing the Protestant troops to surrender.[10]

See also

Notes
  1. Rebellion, Repression, Reinvention: Mutiny in Comparative Perspective. Jane Hathaway p.49
  2. Scots in Habsburg Service: 1618 - 1648. D. C. Worthington p.68
  3. Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900, Volume 51. William Semple by Thomas Graves Law.
  4. George Daniel Ramsay p.189
  5. European Warfare 1494-1660. Jeremy Black p.110
  6. The Road to Rocroi: Class, Culture and Command in the Spanish Army of Flanders 1567-1659. Fernando González de León p.115
  7. Ramsay p.189
  8. Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900, Volume 51.
  9. Tony Jaques p.969
  10. Tracy pp.83–84

References
  • Black, Jeremy. European Warfare 1494-1660. Routledge Publishing 2002. ISBN 978-0-415-27531-6
  • Black, Jeremy. War in the World: A Comparative History, 1450-1600. First published 2011 by Palgrave MacMillan. ISBN 978-0-230-29858-3
  • Jane Hathaway. Rebellion, Repression, Reinvention: Mutiny in Comparative Perspective. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data. USA. ISBN 0-275-97010-8
  • D. C. Worthington. Scots in Habsburg Service: 1618 - 1648. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data. Printed in the Netherlands. ISBN 90-04-13575-8
  • George Daniel Ramsay. The Queen's Merchants and the Revolt of the Netherlands: The End of the Antwerp mart, Vol II. Manchester University Press. ISBN 0-7190-1849-8
  • Tracy, James. The Founding of the Dutch Republic:War, Finance, and Politics in Holland, 1572–1588. Oxford University Press. 2008. ISBN 978-0-19-160728-8.
  • Jaques, Tony. Dictionary of Battles and Sieges: A Guide to 8,500 Battles from Antiquity Through the Twenty-first Century. Greenwood Press. 2006. ISBN 978-0-313-33536-5

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