Charles I - volume 523: May 1-17, 1626

Calendar of State Papers Domestic: Charles I, 1625-49 Addenda. Originally published by Her Majesty's Stationery Office, London, 1897.

This premium content was digitised by double rekeying. All rights reserved.

'Charles I - volume 523: May 1-17, 1626', in Calendar of State Papers Domestic: Charles I, 1625-49 Addenda, (London, 1897) pp. 122-127. British History Online https://www.british-history.ac.uk/cal-state-papers/domestic/chas1/addenda/1625-49/pp122-127 [accessed 24 March 2024]

Image
Image
Image
Image
Image
Image

May 1-17, 1626

May 1.
Tichborne.
106. Sir Benjamin Tichborne to Lord Conway. According to His Majesty's commandment and your directions, this bearer, Sergeant Rymes being one of four [Sergeants from the Low Countries], sent to us for instructing the trained forces of this county, Hants, is now desirous to repair to his charge in the Low Countries, having very honestly and diligently discharged his duty in the careful and exact disciplining of those seven companies committed to his charge. He has given the country great contentment by making them so perfect and expert in the modern use of their arms. I have given strict charge to every captain for the careful continuance of this course, and that their officers shall instruct their several files every holiday and Sunday in the afternoon after divine service, and that the captains themselves call their several companies together once every month at the least, and I make no doubt but those whom you shall appoint to take the care and charge thereof will see the same performed. I must now crave a favourable pardon of your Lordship, being no longer able to perform the office and duty you entrusted me withall, by reason of my age, 88 years, and the infirmities incident thereto. The greater part of my life has been spent in the service of the State, for which I have laboured with all integrity and honesty, as Queen Elizabeth and King James would testify if still living. Nevertheless, the irreconcilable malice of some, even lately in Parliament, taxes me to be a notorious Papist and a great supporter and maintainer of that sect, wherein they have greatly wronged me, without any other ground than envy, for I never refused or neglected the Church of England or the receiving of the blessed Communion. I must confess, my wife, who is now nearly 80, has of late forborne to attend the Church. We have lived as man and wife together 56 years, and it is only within the last twelve months she has refused the Church, in which doctrine all my children have been educated and continually professed the same whilst they were under my tuition. But the malice of my enemies against myself and house, which has continued ever since the Conquest, could be no longer restrained, for if they could hitherto have blemished me in my carriage and reputation I should have been sure to have heard of it. I am much bounden to your Honour, and although I am not able to do you or my country such service as formerly I have done, yet I desire that I and mine may always stand gracious in your favour, as [being of] those who will never deserve the contrary. [Seal with arms. 2 pp.]
May 1. 107. J. Vavaseur, fils Michell, alias John Durell, to Wm. Chesterman, Secretary to Lord Conway. Prays him to exert his influence with Secretary Conway that M. Philip de Carteret, Deputy Judge, may be written to, in order that he may lend a hand in facilitating the execution of the will [of the late Bailiff of Jersey, M. Herault de St. Sauveur], whose enemies are making use of the "brother of the deceased, the Denonciateur," to get the said will revoked. Various proofs given that this poor country had never thriven since the removal of M. de St. Sauveur; and, among the rest, it is instanced, that in consequence of a contagion that had appeared among the islanders, the markets of Normandy, St. Malo, and Guernsey were closed against them. [French. 2 pp.]
May 1. 108. Articles exhibited in Parliament by the Earl of Bristol against George, Duke of Buckingham. [Printed in Rushworth, Vol. I., pp. 264–6, and in Frankland's Annals. Other copies in Vol. XXVI., Nos. 3–5. 3½ pp.]
[May 2.] 109. List of names of the Council-of-War. [2/3 p.]
[May 2 ?] 110. Warrant to Attorney-General Heath to be assisting to the Duke of Buckingham in framing his answers to the Articles preferred against him by the Commons' House of Parliament to the Lords. To free you from any scruple in this case, and to secure you against ourselves and all others, you are to do nothing herein contrary to the duty of your place and fidelity to us, but to perform our pleasure therein in such sort as we have before directed. [Copy. 1 p.]
[May 2.] Notes by Secretary Coke for a speech in the House of Commons in defence of the Government's demand for supplies. For what important occasions help is demanded [of the Parliament]. What proportion of help for those occasions. For the first insist, not on ordinaries or debts, but ambassadors, building ships or forts, or ought but the war. No defence but by offending [the enemy]. Consider the enemies forces, in extent, in present forces. Mem.— That three subsidies, three fifteenths last given did amount scarcely to 240,000l. [The King of] Denmark's the only army of diversion in the field. Preparations greater than ever in Spain and Flanders. All diversions removed in Turkey, Italy, and France. War proclaimed at Madrid and Brussels. Our pilots, masters [of ships], and mariners drawn thither. [Written on the same paper as March 6. 2/3 p.]
May 5. 111. Secretary Conway to Horatio, Lord Vere, whom he addresses as "my noble brother." I send you His Majesty's dispensation for your absence from the Parliament, and I must not conceal from you the great favour he did you in expressing his sorrow that you were sick and giving you his leave to attend to your health, so that you make use of it no longer than you have necessity and that you send your proxy. I am to notify that upon a new direction you are appointed a councillor for the war, and that your presence will be importunately required. [Minute already calendared. Copy. ½ p.]
May 5.
Philpot Lane.
112. Henry Chaloner to Mr. Capper, in Wanstead. Signifies the result of his interview with his aunt at Sutton about the 250l. he had contracted with her for the care of his sisters. [2/3 p.]
May 5. 113. Account of receipts and issues of the Exchequer from 28th April till 5th May. Last general remain, 567l. 5s. 8½d.; received since, 26,337l. 3s. 11½d.; total, 26,904l. 9s. 8d., whereof issued, 25,724l. 11s. 6d. And so remains this 5th May—Recusants' revenues, 753l. 18s. 9½d.; of other natures, 425l. 19s. 4½d.; total, 1,179l. 18s. 2d. Fees, 1,813l. [4 pp.]
[May 6.] 114. Edward Nicholas to John Pennington, Captain of Her Majesty's ship the "Lion" at Plymouth. Albeit this enclosure will hasten you hither that I may more freely discourse with you, yet I cannot let this packet pass. The Officers of the Ordnance complain much that you not only transferred the ordnance out of one ship into another at Plymouth but all other the munition, whereby they know not what ordnance to require or remains to expect from the fleet. I pray you keep a perfect book of all ordnance, powder, and ammunition that you have taken out of the fleet, distinguishing which ship. The Officers of the Ordnance find most fault with you for not having sent up for them such a book. The "Vanguard" and six merchants' ships are come into Stokes Bay [near Gosport], but you are to satisfy the Parliament by whose and what warrant you delivered them to the French. The masters of the merchants' ships report that it was by my Lord [Buckingham's] command and by reason of threatening speeches which I used to them by order from my Lord, but this will be, I doubt, disproved by many witnesses and by some upon oath. It is true that, before the ambassador or his people, I did often charge them aloud to deliver them over according to Lord Conway's letter and the King's pleasure, but I fell from that language when we were [in] private with the masters, and you may remember how often I told you I had no warrant or order from my Lord for delivering over of those ships [to the French, which were afterwards employed against Rochelle], and though I did not wish you to go over into England, yet I think you may well remember I told you that you had not warrant nor could I give you any to deliver them, and that my Lord was absolutely against the lending of them; but I pray keep it to yourself until you shall be called on oath, and have leave from the King to declare that I told you I came over rather to hinder than further the delivery or loan of those ships. For when I shall have leave from the King, and shall speak on my oath, I must swear my Lord commanded me to carry myself with all due respect to the ambassador, and to apply myself to give him contentment, but to cross and hinder the delivery of the ships. I leave the rest of the passages of this business till we meet, but there be some who would fain have it proved that my Lord was the cause and principal agent for the lending of these ships, which I must on my oath swear to the contrary. I rest in haste, desiring you to have a care to dispose of all the ships and leave them in charge with the most discreet men with you. [Three seals of the Admiralty. 2 pp.]
May 6. 115. Petition of William Gore to Sir Robert Naunton, Master of the Court of Wards. His father, aged 80, was too infirm, both in body and mind, to take care of his own affairs, which had been for the ten years past managed by petitioner. Prays that he may have a writ de lunatico inquirendo, so that the custody of his father and his small estate may not be transferred to any other person. Underwritten,
115. i. Writ granted as desired, 8th May.
115. ii. Mr. Allen, of the Middle Temple, at Sir John Stroud's chamber, [re ?]quited. [1 p.]
May 6/16. 116. Amount of moneys negotiated upon the jewels of the King and Duke of Buckingham, and paid at Amsterdam. [Duplicate of Vol. XXVI., No. 59. 2½ pp.]
May 7. 117. Suggestions for the employment of a land army in war time [against Spain]. The most profitable diversion by a land army will be by putting it into Flanders if it shall be feasible, or else into Brabant, either of which places will turn all the forces of those parts to attend the actions of that army. The way by France, I fear, is not to be thought upon. By Sluys the passages are stopped by forts, by strong towns, and incommodity of the ground, and it is a most dangerous thing to land an army upon a sand without any bay, except the instruments of flat bottomed boats with oars were ready prepared. Into Brabant the States [of Holland] may give free access, but they must also give secure passage for victuals to come to the army, &c. The greatest difficulty for accomplishing of this land army will be provision of horse. [7 pp.]
[May 7.] 118. Another copy of the above. [Imperfect. 2 pp.]
May 7. 119. Information by John Griffin to Secretary Conway of the apprehension in Clerkenwell of Valentine, a Benedictine priest, and one Roper, suspected to be a Jesuit. [2/3 p.]
[May 8.] 120. Speech of John Glanville on the impeachment of George Duke of Buckingham. The burden of his speech was the 10,000l. by the Duke unlawfully exacted from the East India Company by colour of his office of Lord High Admiral, and the ships lent to serve against the Protestants of Rochelle. [Printed in Rushworth, Vol. I., p. 315, et seq. Copy. 18 pp.]
[May 8.] 121. Speech of Mr. Shelden [John Selden] on the impeachment of George Duke of Buckingham. It is chiefly grounded on these heads—That the [narrow] seas have not been guarded; that he, as Lord High Admiral, ought to have guarded them; particulars of neglect of his duty; the nature of his office; detention of the "St. Peter," of Havre de Grace. [Printed in Rushworth, Vol. I., p. 310, et seq. Copy. 12 pp.]
[May 8.] 122. Signification of the King's pleasure to the Lower House of Parliament in answer to their petition concerning the rectifying and augmenting his revenue and their care for his estate. He allows of their proceeding, but with this caution, that they will make a choice and select Committee of such as may be trusted not to lay open the weakness of his estate. His pleasure is that his officers shall acquaint them with what is necessary for their knowledge. [See Commons' Journals, Vol. I., p. 857. 1 p.]
May 10.
Ragley.
123. Thomas Harris to Lord Conway at Lavington. The waggon came to Ragley last night with the goods and servants. Here are three foxes. I desire to know whether you would have them sent to Lavington on the next return of the waggon. [1 p.]
[May 10.] 124. Speeches delivered on the second day of the Duke of Buckingham's impeachment by Sherland, Pym, Wandesford, and Eliot. [They are printed in Rushworth, Vol. I., p. 335 et seq, but with considerable alterations, and the last, by Sir John Eliot, is already calendared from another copy. See Vol. XXVI., No. 71. Copies. 49 pp.]
May 10. 125. Bond of Jeffery Brooman, citizen and merchant taylor, for payment of 20l. to Peter Leonarts and William Paggen, brewers, on the 10th of November next. [1 p.]
May 12.
Durham House.
126. Bishop Neyle, of Durham, to Secretary Conway. This bearer is the party who incurred his Majesty's just displeasure by his error of performing the clandestine marriage betwixt the young lord and lady. Yet upon my brother of Norwich's commending the man to me as an honest learned man and a good preacher, I adventuring to move his Majesty for him, he bade me send him to you, which I now do, recommending him to your Lordship's goodness. [Seal with arms. ½ p.]
May 12. 127. Account showing the receipts and issues of the receipt of Exchequer from the 5th to 12th May. Remaining on 5th May, 1,179l. 18s. 2d.; received since, 11,357l. 5s. 2d.; total, 12,537l. 3s. 4d. Issued, 11,430l. 0s. 9½d. So remains this day from recusants' revenues, 767l. 5s. 5½d.; of other natures, 339l. 17s. 1d.; total, 1,107l. 2s. 0½d. [4 pp.]
May 15. 128. Petition of John Blanche, of Guernsey, to the Privy Council, concerning a bargain for land to be let in fee farm to him by one John Gardner, who died before the said bargain could be carried into effect. Prays that the cause may be referred to the consideration of the Attorney and Solicitor-General, Gardner's widow having sued him for her husband's bargain, though never concluded. Dorso,
128. i. Ordered as desired, and to certify the Board the true state of the matter that further order may be taken. Whitehall, 15th May 1626. [1½ pp.]
May 17. 129. Statement of accounts by Simon van Cranvell in the behalf of his son, John van Cranvell, deceased, showing what moneys had been expended by him as courier in the public service. Total, 298l. 16s. 4d. Subjoined,
129. i. Mem.—The said Cranvell had promise of a pension of 300l. per annum, for which his patent was not yet sealed, but was to begin at Christmas last, and he died 20th February, for which it is desired some reasonable consideration may be allowed. [2½ pp.]