The Cautionary Towns were three strategic Dutch towns which, under the 1585 Treaty of Nonsuch , were held by English troops as security for assistance provided by Elizabeth I during the Eighty Years' War against Spain . They included Brill (Brielle) in Holland and Flushing (Vlissingen) and Fort Rammekens on the nearby island of Walcheren . The bases were returned to the Dutch Republic in 1616.
10-660: English and Scottish volunteers serving with the Dutch Protestants against Spain helped capture Brill , Rammekens and Flushing in 1572 and garrisoned them soon after. When the Anglo-Spanish War began in 1585, it was important to keep these strategic ports out of Spanish hands. In the Treaty of Nonsuch , the Dutch effectively ceded control of the three towns to Elizabeth I as security for her assistance and it
20-486: Is frowned upon by many and the police often fine anyone caught with chalk after latex paint was used by a small number of participants which caused damage to cars, streets and houses in 2002. The kalknacht origins lie in the actions of locals who painted chalk on the doors of those citizens and officials who were loyal to Spanish rule. By doing this they targeted those houses for the Geuzen to find all people who could resist
30-427: Is the Dutch name for April Fools' Day . The Capture of Brielle is still celebrated by its inhabitants each year on the first of April. Festivities include a reenactment of the battle and with a tradition called kalknacht (chalk night) where during the night before the festivities begin in earnest the mostly adolescent participants use lime chalk to write slogans and draw pictures on windows. The kalknacht tradition
40-645: The Watergeuzen , on 1 April 1572 marked a turning point in the uprising of the Low Countries against Spain in the Eighty Years' War . Militarily the success was minor as the port of Brielle was undefended, but it provided the first foothold on land for the rebels at a time when the rebellion was all but crushed, and it offered the sign for a new revolt throughout the Netherlands which led to
50-616: The Cautionary Towns be returned to them but the English refused. Philip III of Spain eventually conceded the point, having decided their neutrality permitted him to gain access to the English Channel . This presented a threat to the Dutch and when it became apparent the 1609 Twelve Years' Truce would not be renewed, they sought to recover the towns; with James I unwilling to recall Parliament and thus short of funds,
60-807: The Dutch ambassador was authorised to offer up to £250,000 for their purchase. In May 1616, they agreed a price of £213,000. During the Third Anglo-Dutch War in 1672, when a combined attack by Charles II of England and Louis XIV of France brought the Dutch close to defeat , Charles demanded the permanent cession of Brill, Flushing and Sluys to England. However, the Dutch rejected these terms and their position soon recovered. Capture of Brielle Dutch victory Western Europe Western Europe Western Europe Western Europe Western Europe Western Europe Western Europe East Indies Western Europe European waters Americas East Indies The Capture of Brielle by
70-597: The capture. The Capture of Brielle and its aftermath forms a major part of the plot in Cecelia Holland 's novel The Sea Beggars - though the depiction in the book in many ways departs from the historical facts. 51°54′00″N 4°10′00″E / 51.9°N 4.16667°E / 51.9; 4.16667 Cecelia Holland Too Many Requests If you report this error to the Wikimedia System Administrators, please include
80-405: The evening of April 1, the 600 men sacked the undefended port. As they were preparing to leave, one of the men said there was no reason they should leave where they were. Dutch students are taught a short rhyme to remember this event: meaning "On April 1st, Alva lost his glasses," making a pun between bril , Dutch for 'glasses', and the name of the town, Brielle or Den Briel . "1 April"
90-621: The formation of the Dutch Republic . The Watergeuzen were led by William van der Marck, Lord of Lumey , and by two of his captains, Willem Bloys van Treslong and Lenaert Jansz de Graeff . After they were expelled from England by Elizabeth I, they needed a place to shelter their 25 ships. As they sailed towards Brielle, they were surprised to find out that the Spanish garrison had left in order to deal with trouble in Utrecht . On
100-485: Was agreed that England would garrison them at its own expense. Elizabeth's favourite, Robert Sidney, 1st Earl of Leicester was made governor of Flushing in 1588, with Thomas Cecil, 1st Earl of Exeter , appointed governor of Brill; he was succeeded by Sir Edward Conway who named his daughter Brilliana in honour of the town. When the 1604 Treaty of London ended the Anglo-Spanish War, the Spanish demanded
#634365