Charles I - volume 526: March 1627

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

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'Charles I - volume 526: March 1627', in Calendar of State Papers Domestic: Charles I, 1625-49 Addenda, (London, 1897) pp. 199-205. British History Online https://www.british-history.ac.uk/cal-state-papers/domestic/chas1/addenda/1625-49/pp199-205 [accessed 24 March 2024]

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March 1627

[March 1.] 22. [Secretary Coke] to the King. Reporting the state of the preparations. According to your Majesty's letters and commands of the 25th of February last, I have endeavoured to render unto your Majesty a due and just account of such services as your Majesty hath thereby required, which I humbly present unto your gracious and favourable construction. First. Whereas you expect that the ten ships should set to sea some time this week at the furthest, I certify that the Victualler of the Navy was paid and assigned before the receipt of your letters according to his contract with us in writing, and hath since under his hand, dated upon Tuesday last [the 27th of February], declared that the victuals for the "Lion" were sent from hence to Chatham upon Saturday last, and that he doubted not but that it was by the ships side before that date; for the other six ships of merchants and His Majesty's pinnace here in the river [Thames] their victuals were most aboard, and the rest lay by the ships' side, and all ready to be delivered as fast as they would receive it in; and for the other three merchants' ships at Portsmouth their victuals were likewise ready, and some provisions which that place could not yield were put aboard to go from hence for more safety with the ships from London. The Treasurer of the Navy [Sir William Russell] likewise was all paid according to his contract, and he hath declared under his hand upon Tuesday last, that for so much as concerneth his office the same is and shall be dispatched as fast as the Commissioner [of the Navy's] warrants come to his hands, for the payment of what is included in the estimate, and that in true substance the work is already done. And, lastly, the Lieutenant of the Ordnance [Sir William Heydon] hath declared under his hand, upon Wednesday last [28th February], that he did undertake that by Saturday or Monday night next all munitions and provisions required out of the office of the Ordnance shall be delivered aboard the 10 ships. Secondly. The recruits [for the King of Denmark] are appointed by the Lords [of the Council] to be at their rendezvous, viz., part of them at Hull upon 30th March, and the residue at London and Harwich upon the 25th. Mr. Burlamachi hath accepted assignments for his satisfaction upon the loans of cos. Somerset, Wilts, Leicester, and Derby, and the tin farm for 40,000l., in consideration whereof he hath undertaken, under his hand dated upon Tuesday last, to furnish such money as shall be necessary for transporting the troops out of the Low Countries to Stade; also for the charge of sending over the recruits from hence, and likewise for three months' pay for these troops after their arrival. Thirdly. Although there be no estimate come unto me for the great fleet, yet I have treated with the Farmers of the Great Customs for the advance of 30,000l. or thereabouts upon the next year, who promise, shortly after conference between them, to give me an answer; but it will be better for your Majesty's service to spare that advance until the greatest extremity of wants shall require it, and rather to take into contemplation the sale of the French goods, the money raised upon the sale of Barnwood Forest and the woods there, the creation of two barons, and some things else which you may please to acquaint me withal. And it is to be considered that the freight of the ships returned from Cales [Cadiz] will shortly fall upon your Majesty, which will amount to 50,000l. or thereabouts, besides 1,000l. is vehemently called for by the Ambassadors from the States [of Holland] for the interest due to the States, by which means the provision for the fleet will rather seem more impossible than difficult if it be truly intended. Touching the 4,000l. payable to "my Lord of Espiny" and Sir James Sinclair for the raising of certain Scottish companies for the service of the King of Denmark, Mr. Burlamachi hath declared under his hand, dated upon Tuesday last, that he hath undertaken to disburse the same upon an assignment then made to him of so much out of the French [prize] goods at Dover, and having already given satisfaction to them there is no further delay or impediment of this service. Touching the 350l. a week for the shipwrights, Sir William Russell declared on Wednesday that he acknowledged himself satisfied for a fortnight's pay thereof according to the order of the Lords, and from the thenceforth the rest shall be also weekly paid to him. Touching the four ships set forth to guard the fishermen, the Treasurer of the Navy on the same day declared that he had received payment for that service, and has accordingly despatched the same; and the Victualler hath already received all the money due for his part out of the loans of Suffolk, and has accordingly performed that service as is testified under his hand. The Lieutenant of the Ordnance hath likewise undertaken under his hand that all munitions, &c., shall be delivered as fast as the gunners will attend to receive the same. Touching 100 lasts of gunpowder or saltpetre to be provided from beyond sea for supply of His Majesty's stores, Mr. Burlamachi has undertaken the same upon an agreement for 14,000l. out of the moiety of the loans, the other moiety being assigned to the Ordnance Office for payment of 29,000l., whereof 12,000l. are for arrears due before my time, and 17,000l. for provision of iron shot and other necessaries for His Majesty's stores. Thus I have made my humble relation to your Majesty of the state of these services, which I have done with the voucher of the subordinate officers' hands in writing, to the end that the same may be extant to justify my relations when you shall require the same, and that if any defect shall fall out (which I hope will not) it may alight on him in whom the default shall be found; and so assuring your Majesty that there shall be no neglect of mine in your service, and hoping that you will not lay greater burden upon your revenue and means than the same can bear, and that you will protect me against all inferences or imputations that may be cast upon me thereby, wherein, as in all other things, I depend and live by your gracious favour and accustomed justice, I humbly kiss your Majesty's hands. [Draft. 4 pp.]
March 4. 23. Proclamation against furnishing the King of Spain with warlike stores. [Already calendared under date. Copy. 3½ pp.]
[March 4.] 24. Project for dispensing with the above proclamation at sea, so far as concerns the transporting of corn and linen cloth into Spain in favour of the French. These are, therefore, to signify to all the King's subjects having commissions of reprisal that they forbear interference with any French ship in that regard until the King's pleasure be signified to the contrary. [Draft with alterations. 1¼ pp.]
March 6. 25. Application for restoration of Robert Brerewood, Esq., to his former office of Clerk of the Prentice or Town Clerk in the city of Chester, from which he had been suspended at the instance of Edw. Whitby, the Recorder, for certain irregularities in his office, but which was not intended to be of long continuance, subscribed by 14 aldermen, 10 sheriff peers, and 23 common councillors. [Sheet of paper.]
March 7.
Guernsey.
26. Sir Philip Carteret, Bailiff, and five others, Jurats of Jersey, to Lord Conway. The Lieutenant-Governor here [Peyton] has acquainted us with the Council's letter to our Governor showing how His Majesty, out of his princely care for all his subjects in these so dangerous times, has cast his favourable eye on this island, and ordered that soldiers be levied and sent from cos. Southampton, Dorset, and Wilts for its better defence, for which we return thanks. These precautions are most needful, considering how the French do daily use His Majesty's subjects, and more particularly the common rumour that they aim at these isles. Within these few days a very strict arrest has been made in St. Malo of all shipping over 40 tons, as informed by a ship which escaped thence in the night. Ten good ships are making ready there with all possible expedition, and many small boats in other places. We are suitors that your Honour would move the King that some soldiers may speedily be sent to reinforce the garrison in Castle Cornet, for that the inhabitants, who for the most part are very poor, think themselves sufficiently fatigued with watching, warding, and repairing the fortifications at landing places about the isle, and ought not to be constrained as they are, for fear of a surprise, to watch in the castle 30 per night. We beseech you that some ships may be stationed near these isles, as that would frustrate any French enterprise more than anything else. [2 pp.]
March 8. 27. Letters of Dispensation granted by Archbishop Abbot, containing a license for Tristram Blackden, of Witham, co. Essex, to practise the art of surgery within the whole province of Canterbury. Subjoined,
27. i. Confirmation by the King in accordance with the Statute of Henry VIII., of the dispensation granted to Tristram Blackden. Westminster, 10th March. [Latin. 1½ pp.]
March 11. 28. Margaret Hyll to Sir Richard Carnsewe [Carnshaw]. Awhile since it was your pleasure to distrain my cattle, except I fetched them by virtue of a precept, which I accordingly did. The county court being to-morrow I have sent to know your pleasure if I should forbear returning the precept and attend you in person with a friend that we may have a friendly conference, which I would defer till after Easter Monday. If you do not like this arrangement I must return the precept. [½ p.]
March 13. The King to Captain John Pennington. Instructions already calendared under date March 11th. See Vol. LVI., No. 85. [Copy in Volume of Admiralty Collections, Domestic, Elizabeth, 1590, Vol. CCXXXVII., fol. 41b.]
March 14. Grant to Queen Henrietta Maria of the house and messuage called Oatlands, co. Surrey, and [of reserved rents from] other lands in various parts of England, as part of her jointure, during life. [Similar grants already calendared under dates March 8th and March 12th. [Docquet, see 29th March 1626, Addenda.]
March 15. 29. Instructions by Lord Treasurer Marlborough for drawing out a commission to the persons named to inquire into the condition and money value of the materials and site of Ruthin Castle, co. Denbigh. What rent is now paid for the same, what the improved value, and whether it be granted by lease, and to whom and for what time. [½ p.]
March 15.
Westminster.
30. Grant to Gilbert North, Esq., of 700l., forfeited by the outlawry of Edward Harrison upon a statute entered into by Sir Henry Fynes. [½ skin of parchment.]
March 15.
Westminster.
31. Grant to Anthony Hobarte of a weekly market and two fairs yearly in the town of Lednes alias Loddon, in co. Norfolk. [½ skin of parchment.]
March 15.
Battersea.
32. Oliver St. John, Viscount Grandison, to his nephew Sir Thomas Roe, Ambassador at Constantinople. Acknowledging the receipt of sundry letters from him, the last being in October, and excusing his own seldom writing by reason of his infirmity which prevents him from informing himself of those things which might avail Roe's service. Howsoever, the letters sent from hence failed to reach you, yet the resolution continues firm for your return this year, and Sir Peter Wych is knighted and prepared to go to free you, yet now I hear he is stayed, owing to some exceptions taken to his person. I know not what it is till I speak with the Duke [of Buckingham] again, but if he should, stay here they will send another. I understand that Sir Robert Killigrew, who was assigned to be ambassador into Holland is off from that employment, and I moved the Duke for you, but by reason of his being at Newmarket with the King, I have not spoken with him again, but now I will. So I hope to see you return with honour, which your great services have deserved. I cease to trouble you further until a better occasion. Postscript.—Commend my love and service to my noble niece. I got a sight of your cypher from Robert Braithwaite. [Seal with coronet and crest. 1 p.]
March 16. 33. Thomas Bredeman, a prisoner in the Gatehouse, to Secretary Conway. Earnestly beseeches Conway to procure his release without which he is likely to perish. Represents as reasons his never tainted loyalty, the loss of a command in his own country, and the hazard of his shallow well in this solitary cell. Postscript.—This is the fourth or fifth petition to your Lordship. [Seal with devi[ce. 1 p.]
March 16. 34. Exceptions taken to Sir John Eliot's account, amounting to 1,860l. 2s. 1d. In this is included a demand for 337l. 15s. 5d. to be allowed for the moiety of the ship which he pretends the Lord Admiral gave to Sir Edward Seymour. He is reported to have received 170l. for the French ship laden with fish taken by the Turks and seized at Plymouth, and 200l. for a Hamburgher relieved by men of Dartmouth from Dutch pirates, also 280l. for wines claimed by Mr. Barker of Plymouth, for all these sums he accompts not. Suggestion for a commission and examination to inquire into these matters [affecting his conduct as a Vice-Admiral] by which the truth of his proceedings will appear. Underwritten,
34. i. Note the charges to be extravagant, and let the exception be general to respite the passing of the accompt. [1¼ pp.]
March 17. The Council to George, Earl of Totnes. Proposals for remedying the great inconvenience which many of His Majesty's ships suffered by overweight of ordnance. Request his opinion and advice for remedying the same. [Domestic, Elizabeth, 1590, Vol. CCXXXVII., Admiralty Collections, fol. 34b.]
March 19.
Savoy.
35. George, Earl of Totnes, to Edward Nicholas, Secretary to the Duke of Buckingham. The enclosed project is no child of mine, but the invention of Mr. Englebert, which he is desirous of submitting to the King, but desires to have it first pass his Grace's approbation. Because you know the best times when the Duke is most at leisure, I thought good to send him and his petition to you with these lines, praying you to find a time to acquaint his Grace therewith. [Seal with coronet and arms. 1 p.]
March 21. Docquet of Sign Manual Car. I., Vol. III., No. 30, already calendared under date 24th March. [See 29th March 1626.]
March. 36. Warrant to [John Murray], Earl of Annandale, appointing him keeper of the deer and game about the castle of Farnham. Underwritten,
36. i. Lord Conway desires the Clerk of the Signet to prepare a warrant for the game keeping in the usual form. [Draft. 1½ pp.]
[March.] 37. Note of business for present consideration in the Council of War. Yesterday the captains who were conceived to have consented to the petition delivered to His Majesty appeared before the Lords. There were divers that neither gave consent nor had knowledge of it, but had interest in the sufferance and pretence of payment as much as any. It was debated amongst the Lords what course should be held with them, and it was resolved they should be called in, and after some sharp reprimand for the indiscretion of the petition both in matter and manner of delivery, that His Majesty's gracious favour should be showed to them in passing [over] their offences and contenting himself with a small example for this time, and then to declare His Majesty's gracious intention to pay them their whole arrear upon account as soon as money should come in, and in the meantime to give them a month's entertainment to carry them down into the country, and order there to be paid their growing entertainments of 56s. a week which the Lord President [of the Council] did effectually perform concerning the narration. For the execution, by disputes, there arose some difficulties, the Earl of Dorset alleging that if the arrears should be paid upon Dorsetshire, there would not remain money to satisfy the growing entertainments, which would much unsatisfy the country to have the soldiers there, and no money in their hands to pay them, but to have to depend upon the Exchequer pay. It was then conceived that the money of some other counties might be employed for the supply of their payment; but in this point Mr. Chancellor of the Exchequer [Sir R. Weston] produced a note of the disposition of the moneys which were in any sort certain in all the rest of the shires. This brought the execution of this [business] wholly to a stand; besides, there were several propositions not resolved of, as whether money for the officers should be paid to them or to the billeters, which is considerable, and perhaps would be best divided between them. Another proposition was how the captains who had no companies and their officers should be enjoined to go down into the country and live there without charge or receive their pay weekly by some officer, and so left to their liberty. The Lord President [Henry, Earl of Manchester] hath the notes of what the sum is of the month's pay; what the sum is for eight months' pay, and what the weekly payment is. The resolution of all, what to be done, and how, remains yet [to be settled], saving that all those captains and officers are contented to go down into the counties having a month's pay paid to them. The captains and officers for Ireland, who are in number 19 captains, 14 lieutenants, 17 ensigns, 28 sergeants, and 20 drummers, are appointed to be heard to-day. [2 pp.]