The Sieges Of Gibraltar

Eighteenth century: the origin of British rule.
* Spanish War of Succession and the Anglo-Dutch taking of Gibraltar
Throughout the eighteenth century, had four sieges Gibraltar as a result of British occupation of the Rock in the Spanish War of Succession (1701-1704). England, Holland and Portugal joined forces for the cause of the Archduke Charles of Austria, pretender to the Spanish crownagainst the Bourbon pretender Philip of Anjou, supported by France. Given the possibility that Spain and France are united in a single crown, the other European kingdoms were allied against the dominance of the Bourbons.
In 1704, a fleet of 51 British ships and 10 Dutch ones, besieged the Spanish city of Gibraltar under the command of Admiral Sir George Rooke. His forces, composed of some 10,000men under Prince of Hesse-Darmstadt, landed there on behalf of the Archduke.
Against these forces there were 70 men (who were supported by volunteers and neighbors) under the command of Diego de Salinas. They had a hundred pieces of artillery, but only six gunners, which explains in large measure, the ease of conquest.
After the surrender, the Spanish population moved to the current San Roque, LosBarrios and Algeciras, constituting the true indigenous population of Gibraltar. The English took possession of the place against the stipulations of the Lisbon Convention of 1703, which prohibited foreign powers allied to the House of Austria in the War of Succession to appropriate of any port or Spanish territory, except on behalf of the Archduke Carlos and, although capitulation acceptsthereby and Prince makes waving the Austrian flag, Admiral Rooke shagged it and took the place on behalf of queen Ana I of England, that is to say, Gibraltar was taken fraudulently.

In principle the conquerors gave to the people of the Rock to stay, respecting their property and religion, but the most, faithful to Philip of Anjou, fled the city. Of the 1,200 families surveyed, all but 22 went andtook away the image of their patroness, the Crowned Virgin, and the document signed by the Catholic Monarchs in 1502 that granted its coat of arms. Those who fled found refuge in the chapel of San Roque, right place for the birth of a new city under cover from enemy fire.

Nine years later, the conquest was formalized by the Treaty of Utrecht, where the conquest of Gibraltar was recognized, butwhere is set a number of limitations to the colony, there would be no communication between the place and the Spanish territory, English rule is not extended to territorial waters and the sovereignty is not ceding sovereignty or jurisdiction, but only the property:
"The Catholic King, for himself and his heirs, assigns by this treaty to the Crown of Great Britain the full and complete ownership ofthe city and castle of Gibraltar, together with the port, defense and strength, giving this property absolutely to be held and enjoyed with all manner of right and forever, without exception or impediment [...] and should be understood that the property is transferred to Great Britain without any territorial jurisdiction and without any open communication with the surrounding country by land. "3.2 Attempts to recover Gibraltar
3.2.1 Siege of 1704
The siege of Gibraltar in 1704 was carried out by French and Spanish troops shortly after the loss to Gibraltar.
Philip V, instructs the Marquis de Villadarias the reconquest of the square. This has about nine thousand Spanish soldiers and three thousand French. Meanwhile, the British created various obstacles to hinder the assault on thecity. The troops available in Gibraltar were about three thousand men who had been following the capture of the city.

The besieged asked for help from the squadron of Sir John Leake. The arrival of the fleet thwart the attackers attempts to move three thousand men in boats to the pier south of the city. After that, the waters of the Bay of Algeciras were dominated by the British fleet and...