arrison ▁to ▁that ▁seven ▁years ▁before . ▁His ▁son , ▁Sir ▁Thomas ▁G org es , ▁became ▁captain ▁in ▁turn , ▁and ▁in ▁ 1 5 9 3 ▁he ▁reported ▁that ▁the ▁castle ' s ▁gun ▁platforms ▁were ▁in ▁serious ▁need ▁of ▁repair . ▁▁ 1 7 th ▁century ▁▁ ▁In ▁the ▁early ▁ 1 6 0 0 s , ▁England ▁was ▁at ▁peace ▁with ▁France ▁and ▁Spain , ▁and ▁the ▁country ' s ▁coast al ▁def ences ▁received ▁little ▁attention . ▁The ▁G org es ▁family ▁continued ▁as ▁capt ains ▁at ▁Hur st , ▁with ▁Sir ▁Edward ▁G org es ▁taking ▁up ▁the ▁post ▁in ▁ 1 6 1 0 , ▁but ▁the ▁castle ▁was ▁neglect ed . ▁In ▁ 1 6 2 8 , ▁the ▁castle ▁was ▁unable ▁to ▁prevent ▁F lem ish ▁ships ▁from ▁passing ▁along ▁the ▁Sol ent , ▁as ▁only ▁four ▁or ▁five ▁of ▁the ▁castle ' s ▁twenty - se ven ▁guns ▁were ▁functional , ▁and ▁the ▁fort ▁had ▁no ▁am mun ition ▁or ▁pow der ▁for ▁them . ▁The ▁government ▁replaced ▁all ▁the ▁br ass ▁ord n ance ▁in ▁the ▁castle , ▁which ▁were ▁preferred , ▁particularly ▁on ▁ships , ▁as ▁they ▁could ▁fire ▁faster ▁and ▁more ▁safely , ▁with ▁iron ▁guns ▁in ▁ 1 6 3 5 . ▁ ▁At ▁the ▁beginning ▁of ▁the ▁English ▁Civil ▁War ▁in ▁ 1 6 4 2 ▁between ▁the ▁supp or ters ▁of ▁Charles ▁I ▁and ▁Parliament , ▁the ▁castle ▁was ▁occupied ▁by ▁Captain ▁Richard ▁Sw an ley ,