Editing Kingston upon Hull (section)

===Prospering port===
The port served as a base for Edward I during the [[First War of Scottish Independence]] and later developed into the foremost port on the east coast of England. It prospered by exporting wool and woollen cloth, and importing wine and timber. Hull also established a flourishing commerce with the [[Baltic Sea|Baltic]] ports of the [[Hanseatic League]].<ref name="VCHULL1">{{cite book
|url = http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=66770
|editor-last = Allison
|editor-first = K.&nbsp;J.
|title = A History of the County of York East Riding: Volume 1: The City of Kingston upon Hull
|year = 1969
|series = [[Victoria County History]]
|access-date = 16 February 2008}}
</ref>

From its medieval beginnings, Hull's main trading links were with Scotland and northern Europe. Scandinavia, the Baltic and the Low Countries were all key trading areas for Hull's merchants. In addition, there was trade with France, Spain and Portugal.<ref name="VCHULL"/>

Sir [[William de la Pole of Hull|William de la Pole]] was the town's first mayor.<ref name="bbc_river_hull_walkway">{{cite web
|url = http://www.bbc.co.uk/humber/content/articles/2005/07/06/coast05walks_stage4.shtml
|title = Point 4: River Hull Walkway
|work = BBC Humber
|access-date = 22 September 2007
|date = 5 October 2005}}
</ref> A prosperous merchant, de la Pole founded a family that became prominent in government.<ref name="VCHULL"/> Another successful son of a Hull trading family was bishop [[John Alcock (bishop)|John Alcock]], who founded [[Jesus College, Cambridge]] and was a patron of the grammar school in Hull.<ref name="VCHULL"/> The increase in trade after the discovery of the Americas and the town's maritime connections are thought to have played a part in the introduction of a virulent strain of [[syphilis]] through Hull and on into Europe from the [[New World]].<ref name="vikings">{{cite news
|url = https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-wellbeing/health-news/english-syphilis-epidemic-predated-european-outbreaks-by-150-years-706243.html
|title = English syphilis epidemic pre-dated European outbreaks by 150 years
|last = Keys
|first = David
|access-date = 25 February 2013
|newspaper = The Independent
|date = 24 July 2000
|location = London
|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20111110103058/http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/health-news/english-syphilis-epidemic-predated-european-outbreaks-by-150-years-706243.html
|archive-date = 10 November 2011}}
</ref>

[[File:Hull1866.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.35|Hull in 1866]]
The town prospered during the 16th and early 17th&nbsp;centuries,<ref name="VCHULL"/> and Hull's affluence at this time is preserved in the form of several well-maintained buildings from the period, including [[Wilberforce House]], now a museum documenting the life of [[William Wilberforce]].<ref name="VCHULL"/>

During the [[English Civil War]], Hull became strategically important because of the large [[arsenal]] located there. Very early in the war, on 11 January 1642, the king named the [[William Cavendish, 1st Duke of Newcastle|Earl of Newcastle]] governor of Hull while Parliament nominated Sir [[Sir John Hotham, 1st Baronet|John Hotham]] and asked his son, Captain John Hotham, to secure the town at once.<ref name="VCHULL"/> Sir John Hotham and Hull corporation declared support for [[roundhead|Parliament]] and denied [[Charles I of England|Charles I]] entry into the town.<ref name="VCHULL"/> Charles I responded to these events by [[Siege of Hull (1642)|besieging the town]].<ref name="VCHULL"/> This siege helped precipitate open conflict between the forces of Parliament and those of the [[Cavalier|Royalists]].<ref name="VCHULL"/>
[[File:Parliament Street, Kingston upon Hull, Jun23.jpg|thumb|right|[[Parliament Street, Hull|Parliament Street]], a [[Georgian architecture|Georgian]] thoroughfare in the city centre, with [[Whitefriargate]] in the distance]]

After the Civil War, docks were built along the route of the [[Fortifications of Kingston upon Hull|town walls]], which were demolished. The first dock (1778, renamed [[Queen's Dock, Hull|Queen's Dock]] in 1854) was built in the area occupied by Beverley and North gates, and the intermediate walls, which were demolished, a second dock ([[Humber Dock, Hull|Humber Dock]], 1809) was built on the land between Hessle and Myton gates, and a third dock between the two was opened 1829 as [[Junction Dock, Hull|Junction Dock]] (later [[Prince's Dock, Hull|Prince's Dock]]).<ref>{{cite book| first1 = Edward |last1 = Gillett| first2 = Kenneth A. |last2 = MacMahon| title = A History of Hull|publisher = Oxford University Press| year = 1980| isbn = 0-19-713436-X | pages = 220–4}}</ref>

[[Whaling]] played a major role in the town's fortunes until the mid-19th&nbsp;century.<ref name="VCHULL"/> As sail power gave way to steam, Hull's trading links extended throughout the world. Docks were opened to serve the frozen meat trade of Australia, New Zealand and South America. Hull was also the centre of a thriving inland and coastal trading network, serving the whole of the United Kingdom.<ref>{{cite web
 |url         = http://www.hullhistorycentre.org.uk/discover/pdf/HullsDocksandTrade%20Oct2011.pdf
 |title       = Hull's docks and trade
 |publisher   = Hull City Council
 |date        = 5 October 2011
 |access-date  = 25 February 2013
 |url-status     = dead
 |archive-url  = https://web.archive.org/web/20130525065420/http://www.hullhistorycentre.org.uk/discover/pdf/HullsDocksandTrade%20Oct2011.pdf
 |archive-date = 25 May 2013
}}
</ref>