Border Papers volume 1: June-September 1589

643. Scrope to Walsingham. [June 17.]

"This day my cosin Richard Lowther dyd infforme me that Robert Maxwell bastard brother to the Lord Maxwell, dyd send to him desiring to speak with him secretly; which my cosin Lowther will not do without your honores good liking." If you approve, he will do anything for her Majesty's service, seeing he is now sheriff and one of her sworn servants. I think he is presently writing for your honour's pleasure herein. Carlisle. Signed: H. Scrope.

1 p. Written by Lowther. Addressed. Indorsed.

644. Richard Lowther to Walsingham. [June 17.]

Acquainting him of Maxwell's request, for his sanction to their meeting, and that he will report their conference to him and the Lord Warden. Carlisle. Signed: R. Lowther.

1 p. Holograph. Addressed. Indorsed.

645. Scrope to Walsingham. [June 20. 1589.]

Having by means of a friend in Scotland, received the enclosed letter from one Edward Maxwell to Lord Herryes, though I cannot credit it,—I send it as it came to my hands, for your consideration. And I have with haste, sent a servant of mine to such friends as I have in Scotland, to learn more of the matter. Carlisle. Signed: H. Scrope.

1 p. Addressed. Indorsed.

Inclosed in the above:—

(Edward Maxwell to Herries.)

"My lord, aftir my hartlye commendation of serwice. It will pleis yowr lordschip to wit that Thomas M^cKowloche twtor of Ardwell hais comen to the Lard of Lowchenwair, and hais schawen to heym that thair is seyne xviij schoir of salis iucomen to Lowchrian in the Renis of Galoway, swponit to be Spanyertis. I trast yowr lordschyp will sone gat wit of the samen, gef it be of trowthe. God kep yowr lordschyp etarnally. Be yowr lordschypis sarwand at power." Signed: "Edward Maxwell of Droumcoltrum."

In one handwriting. Addressed: "To the rycht honorable my lord Heris."

646. Forster to Walsingham. [June 22.]

I have received your letter this day, wherein you write that you understand by Sir Cuthbert Collingwood's letter to my lord President, that I intend, at a meeting with the opposite warden tomorrow, to file and deliver up his sons and friends into the hands of the Burnes. "Wherof I marvell greatlie, that Sir Cuthbert is not ashamed to reporte such false and forged informationes, and that he dare presume to abuse your honour or my lord presidente with such manifest lyes! For if one worde of his informationes be trewe, I shall never have creditt." Though I have written often to the ambassador and opposite warden, to move the King and council to appoint meetings, the warden has refused to meet this half year and more, and there is no likelihood of any meeting as yet.

"I truste your honour will consider, that I respecte not my dewtie soe litle, cousidereinge her Majesties former lettres and your honoures, that I will shewe any extremytie to Sir Cuthbert, contrarie to justice, for any former greife. And if it come to the heareinge, I will trewlie prove that I have dealt more aequallie with him and his freinds, then any freind I have! Wherfor I doe humblie beseache your honour for Gods sake to speake to my lorde Presidente to directe his honours lettres to any in theis parts, to have the heareinge and exameneinge of thes matters: and if I prove not his informationes to be false and forged, I shall take with discreditt. Or otherwaies, I truste your honour will not geave creditt to any such light and surmysed enformationes, nor conceave ane ill opynione in me without a cause." The information, that it was agreed at the last meeting of commissioners at Berwick, that filing bills should be referred to their next meeting, is not so, for then the wardens could do no justice, except for new bills since the commissioners' last sitting. "And wheras Sir Cuthbert and his sonnes are areasted to answear at the next meatteinge,—if they absent themselves, they must neads be fyled conditionallie, for lacke of answear, althoughe they be never so cleane; but if he and his sonnes doe answear as they shall have lawfull warneinge, their is not one in England that fyles the bill, but ther bodie shall abide triall. And as for me, I never intended to fyle them, nether cane they justlie saie but I have delt uprightly with them at all tymes. Wherfor I doubte not but if your honour were once advertised of the trouth, ye woulde accounte one Sir Cuthbert as he deserves with his false enformationes!" At my house nigh Alnwick. Signed: John Forster.

2 pp. Addressed. Indorsed.

647. Scrope to Walsingham. [July 31. 1589.]

"I did louge agone wryte unto you, desieringe to have her Majesties likinge and allowance made knowne unto me concerniuge th'imployeinge of my cosen Richard Lowther as my deputie warden." I hoped to have heard thereon from M^r Wolley, whom you recommended in the matter, in your absence. Now that the nights are lengthening, I would be glad to hear her Majesty's resolution, either for this gentleman, who is a very sufficient man, or such other as may please her.

It will also be needful to use the services of her Majesty's tenants in Burgh barony and Gilsland, who have at present no known officer, and therefore [ pray you to move her highness for the appointment of two officers to exercise them. Thanking you for the advertisements of "the Portugall affaires," and your favour to my servant Feildinge in his "poore sute." Carlisle. Signed: H. Scrope.

1 p. Addressed. Indorsed.

648. Garrison of Berwick. Michaelmas.

"Dewe to the garison of Barwick by Robarte Bowes esquior thesaurer ther, for the tow yeares endid at Michaelmas 1588 and 1589, with the allowance of xxxli. for the portage of mmmli. to Barwick."

5 pp. Indorsed: "Declaration what ys payd of the towe yeares pay, viz. 1588 and 1589."

649. Statement by Robert Vernon. Michaelmas.

"Dewe to Veruon victueller of Barwicke for victuells delivered by him uppon warrantes and tickettes, beinge dewe uppon the two yeares paie ended 1589, with his awnswer conceruinge the objections that the same should not bee paide and allowed unto him."

Sums due him in accounting with captain William Carie, captain John Case, his "livetenante and auntiente," captain William Walker, and Anthonie Coleman, in all, 268l. 1s. 7d.

"Wherefore I doe most humblie beseeche your honor to geve suche direction as I maie bee satisfied and paied suche sommes as are dewe unto mee uppon the two yeares paie approved to bee dewe by the othes of the captaiues clarkes and victuellers, and confessed by the captaines them selves, before Sir Henrie Woodriugton, Sir Jhon Selbie, Sir Simon Musgrave and others at the paimente of the 3000li.

M^r Thresorer saithe that hee will geve order to his man Sheperdson that those sommes chardged by mee uppon capten Case and Coleman shalbe satisfied unto mee, so that there shalbe noe varience for the same." Signed: Robert Veruon.

2 pp. Indorsed (as title) and with calculations by Burghley.

650. Declaration by Vernon. Michaelmas.

"Robert Vernon humbly sheweth unto your honor that wher ther resteth dew unto divers captaines here under named thes somes followinge, ther victuells, imprestes, and ticketes to the marchautes defalked, viz."—

Captains William Carie, Edward Woode, Richard Pikman, John Case, Robert Carvile and Richard Hames [in all] 542l. 9s. ½d. "Yf yt please your honor, he thinketh hit weare convenient to be wholy payed unto the captaines, wherebie the maie fully paie there soldiers that which resteth clerely dew unto them, as Sir William Read hath donn"—viz., out of money in his own, Sir William Read's and the Treasurer's hands [in all] 627l. 19s. 11¾d.

1 p. Indorsed: "1589. A declaration what remaneth clerly dew to the captains of Barwicke for the said yere, and how the same maie be fully payed, whereby the shall have no excuse in paying their soldiers." And by Burghley "Rob^t. Vernon."

651. Scrope to Walsingham. [Sept. 30.]

"This daye by ten of the clocke, I receyved your lettre, togeather with one other enclosed, directed from M^r Vicechamberlyn unto M^r Francies Dacre, which accordingly with all expedicion I dyd send with a servante of my owen to Croglyn, from which place M^r Dacre (as before I signifyed unto yow) was departed, and nowe (as I credible heare) boith he and his sonne are present with the Kinge at the courte in Scotlande.

Sir, I am very crediblie advertished that the Lorde Maxwell came to his owen howse at Drumfreyes yeasternight." I return M^r Vicechamberlain's letter by reason of M^r Dacre's departure. Carlisle. Signed: H. Scrope.

"Postscript.—Sir, I render unto yow my right harty thauckes for your advertishementes."

1 p. Addressed. Indorsed.