|
| March 25. |
Address of the House of Commons to the King concerning
Ireland, with his answer thereto. (Both printed in Commons
Journals, Vol. IX., pp. 276, 278.) [S.P. Ireland, Car. II. 335,
No. 147.] |
Nov. 20.
Whitehall. |
Another copy of the proclamation for suppressing Popery,
calendared ante, p. 27. [S.P. Ireland, Car. II. 309, p. 376.] |
| [1673 ?] |
Three papers relating to striking of the same character as those
in Vol. 339. The first gives the cases of Capt. Grey in the
Henrietta yacht, Capt. Crow in the Merlin yacht, and Sir George
Downing. The first and third of these cases are quoted in papers
in the above volume with a reference to this paper. The second
are quotations from the French law about ships not stopping when
summoned and of a law made in the second year of King John
concerning ships that refuse to strike and lower their topsails.
The third narrates how the Pope's galleys under Fra. Vincenzo
Rospigliosi, being sent to Candia in aid of the Venetians, refused
to join the Venetian fleet, because the Captain of the Venetian
galeasses would not salute them first, and therefore quitted the
service and returned home, to the great scandal of Christendom.
(These three papers have now been placed at the end of the volume
containing the other similar papers.) [S.P. Dom., Car. II. 339.] |
1674.
[Feb. 6 ?] |
"An Act for the better prevention of illegal exaction of money
from the Subject." This is one of the numerous bills introduced
for this purpose in the House of Commons. It is endorsed "1675,"
but must be a copy of the bill introduced in the session of 1674, as
there is a provision that after the first day of Michaelmas Term,
1674, it shall be given in charge of every assizes and quarter
sessions. (See Commons' Journals, Vol. IX., p. 304.) [S.P. Dom.,
Car. II. 368, No. 172.] |
| [1674, Nov. ?] |
Alderman Patience Ward to Secretary Williamson. Begging his
influence that Mr. Disbrow, his brother-in-law, may not be made
sheriff of Cambridgeshire, he being very incapable of performing
the duty. (See ante, p. 398.) [Ibid. No. 173.] |
| [1674, Nov. ?] |
John Seymour to the King. Petition to put in Arnold Griffith as
joint reversioner with himself for one of the five places of under
searcher in the port of London, his nephew, Hugh Seymour, who
was joined with him, being slain when serving as captain of the
Foresight, in the war against the Dutch. (See ante, p. 432.)
[Ibid. No. 174.] |
| Dec. 8. |
The King to the Bishop of Carlisle. Signifying his pleasure that
a dispensation be granted to Nathaniel Cole, M.A., rector of Skelton,
Cumberland, to be absent from his living for one year in order to
travel into France, he leaving a person approved by the Bishop to
discharge his duties during his absence. [S.P. Dom., Entry
Book 27, p. 64.] |
1674.
London. |
"A just Vindication of the Principal Officers in his Majesty's
Ordnance, from the false and scandalous aspersions in a printed
libel, entituled 'An exact Relation of the engagements and actions
of the fleet under Prince Rupert in the summer's expedition,
1673,' printed for Nathaniel Brooke, Stationer to the Ordnance
Office." At no time in any of the late wars against the Dutch were
the fleets better provided with cannon, ammunition and stores than
that set out this last spring under Prince Rupert, besides the other
great stores of granadoes, firearms, pikes, &c., provided by his
Highness' particular order, and laden on six great ships under the
charge of Jonas Moore, who attended on the Prince, and at the
last going out in July they provided, besides the gunners' stores for
the whole Navy, all fitting stores and equipage for the land forces
and train of artillery, in case a descent had been made, all which to
the value of 40,000l. and upwards have been sent out by them
extraordinarily and on the credit of the office last summer, without
one penny advanced for the same. |
|
In the first Dutch war 40 rounds to each gun was as great a
proportion as the ships could stow. Some indeed, but only a few,
might take in more. This rule will be best judged by the powder,
not naming for brevity's sake the rest of the stores. |
|
12,000 barrels of powder completed the proportion of 40 rounds
to the 60 ships commanded by Prince Rupert last summer, which
proportion with shot and all other stores answerable they carried
out with them last May, and they had besides the above mentioned
six vessels attending them, so there was no reason the hearts of the
whole fleet should fail, as doubtless this cowardly libeller's did.
At the return of the fleet to the Nore, 8 June, the officers had
provided 5,000 barrels of powder, with shot and ammunition proportionable, and 10 June 16 great vessels loaded therewith were at
anchor near the fleet under the charge of Sir Jonas Moore and
Samuel Fortrey, clerk of the deliveries, where they found those
ships sent with stores for the fleet returned without having delivered
any of them. |
|
The fleet might have been supplied with gunners' stores in a few
days, but many ships were to be repaired, which the Officers of the
Navy, whom this libeller has likewise most unjustly aspersed, with
all possible expedition refitted in less than three weeks, so that by
the first week in July the fleet was supplied with 4,100 barrels of
powder, shot and other stores answerable, making up with what
they had the entire complement of 40 rounds, on which they sailed
with 14 store ships of the office attending them, by which it
appears how false his second scandal is, for the fleet had spent little
above one-third of their stores, viz., 4,100 out of the 12,000 barrels. |
|
At the return of the fleet in August the officers of the Ordnance
sent another supply of 5,000 barrels of powder and stores
proportionable, but they had spent little more than one-sixth
of their powder and stores, viz., 2,000 out of 12,000 barrels, above
9,000 barrels being brought back, besides the stores sent along,
which returned without any diminution, and in all these engagements not much above half the stores of the first supply were
expended. |
|
One ship, the Royal Prince, confessed by all to have been most
engaged, will afford a clear demonstration. Her first complement
was 430 barrels, the supply she took in 176, 606 in all. The gunner
brought back and delivered last September 395 with stores answerable to this Office, which makes the expense something above
one-third. The Rupert, which made most complaint, brought back
two-thirds of her powder and stores. [Printed pamphlet. S.P.
Dom., Car. II. Case F.] |
| [1673 or 1674.] |
Lady Sanderson to the King. Petition for a fine of 320l. for a
riot committed lately (Jan., 1672–3; see S.P. Dom., 1672–3, p. 445)
at Chippenham in the presence of five Justices. [S.P. Dom., Car. II.
368, No. 175.] |
| [1674 ?] |
Laudatory Latin hexameters to Sir J. Williamson, Privy Councillor
and Keeper of the Records, by William Nicholson, two lines being
in Runic characters copied from those on the building now used
as a baptistery at Bridekirk. [Ibid. No. 176.] |
| [1674 ?] |
Similar Latin Elegiacs by [John] Cooke, addressed to Williamson,
giving him the same titles as the last. [Ibid. No. 177.] |
| [1674 ?] |
Answer by Stephen Lynch to the petition of James Kennedy,
styling himself Conservator of the privileges of the Scotch nation
throughout the 17 provinces of the Netherlands, complaining that a
new English consulate having been erected at Bruges to which
Lynch was appointed, from the indefinite clauses of his commission
he comprehends the King's Scots subjects in his English gift, and
has levied a tax on them and their ships, who are liable only to the
Conservator, that Lynch refuses to desist from such unjust practices,
and praying that Lynch be obliged to restore what he has unjustly
extorted and to abstain from the like oppression in future. |
|
Lynch answers that he has been Consul in Flanders about
14 years, that his commission extends to all the King's subjects,
and empowers him to receive all profits any other English Consul
enjoys in any of the Catholic King's dominions not excepting the
duties usually received in Malaga, &c., from the Scots as well as
from the Irish or English; that his commission is in the usual style
of that of other Consuls; that the Scots are not regarded in Flanders
separately from the rest of the King's subjects, nor have they there
any particular or more ancient privileges than the English or Irish;
that it is the first complaint made against him in 14 years, and
that not by merchants and skippers, who are best able to judge of
such extortions as are complained of; that he has certificates and
testimonials of his Majesty's Minister and of the whole factory in
Flanders as well as of the merchants trading thither to the contrary;
that possibly Mr. Kennedy's commission as Conservator in the
whole 17 provinces with his method of acting there is more liable
to exceptions than that of the English Consul in Flanders, since
there are no precedents of one person acting by the same commission in the dominions of two different princes or states, Sir W.
Davidson, the last Conservator, having never extended his jurisdiction beyond the United Provinces; that Lynch hopes his actions
were as free from all extortions and oppressions for the last seven
years as they are certified to have been for the other seven, and he
is resolved never to oppress or extort from any of the King's subjects,
English, Scotch or Irish, but to be content with such consulage as
has been usually paid in Flanders and other countries whither his
Majesty's subjects trade. |
|
Besides Kennedy by his commission is made Conservator of the
Scotch privileges in the Netherlands and Resident for Scotch affairs
in the 17 provinces, so he must claim the profits in Flanders, either
as Conservator, which, 'tis conceived, is by his commission limited
to the United Provinces only, or as Resident, whereas his Majesty
has one already at Brussels. (Sir W. Davidson became Conservator
in 1661, and Henry Wilkie was Conservator in March, 1674–5, so
this document must be earlier than the last date.) [3 pages. S.P.
Dom., Car. II. 368, No. 178.] |
| [1674 ?] |
Thomas Richardson, late gunner, and Charles Richardson,
matrosse, of the Castle of Carrickfergus, to Sir J. Williamson. Petition, stating that the petitioner faithfully served the late and present
Kings, that Sir R. Southwell, in whose hands petitions of the
petitioner have been since about 6 Jan., 1672[–3], says the King
and Council have rejected them all, and begging him to stand
their friend, that Sir Henry Ford, Lieut. Francis Hatton,
Matthew Hamon, belonging to the Duke of York's Life Guard
of Horse, and Peter Phibart and the petitioner, Thomas, may
be examined face to face on oath to show how his Majesty
has been wronged, and how Hallburt Cunningham, Lieutenant
of the Ordnance, and Hugh Montgomery have embezzled and
much weakened his Majesty's magazine and train of artillery,
and further begging him to commiserate the deplorable condition
of the petitioner, Thomas, who has lost his wife and two of
his children, and has all he possessed seized for rent and
for other necessaries to maintain them in their sickness, and,
though 198l. 12s. was stated by Lord Berkeley for their arrears
and their continuance ordered, they were slighted by the Lieutenant
of the Ordnance, notwithstanding Sir R. Byron's letter to him, and
begging him to cause their petitions and remonstrances to be read,
and that they may have a powerful order for their pay and for
the continuance of their employment, and satisfaction for the
loss of their time and for their charges. [S.P. Ireland, Car II.
335, No. 148.] |
| [1674]/1675 [Dec. 31.]/Jan. 10. |
Extract from a letter written at Vienna. A spy named William
Van Schrotter, native of Saxe Gotha, has been sent from here to
England. The pretext is, that he is to inquire about some matters
of trade, since he is well known, and has formerly served in the
Royal Company of Trade, but the truth is, he is sent as a spy.
You can inform yourself of it and assure the King of Great Britain
thereof.* [French. S.P. Dom., Car. II. 368, No. 179.] |
| 1675. Jan. [19]/29. |
Copy of a paragraph of the Latin Gazette of Cologne of that date.
The Hague, 24 Jan. The Prince of Orange does not yet trust his
renewed friendship with the King of England, and does not think
it will be firm and constant, until the Duke of Lauderdale, who
insolently and impudently attacks his Highness, be expelled from
Court, and the British troops be re-called from France where they
are serving, and till the English Parliament remaining firm in
their design shall have excluded the Duke of York from the succession to the Crown, and, should the King die without heirs, transfer
it to the Prince of Orange.* [Latin. Ibid. No. 180.] |
| [Jan. ?] |
Lieut. Michael FitzGerald, Garrett Stacke, Garrett Condon and
others, prisoners in Newgate, to the King. Petition for a reprieve,
they having been under the command of Dixon alias Cusacke, who
had a French commission under the name of Dixon, and being
found guilty of piracy with him, as they never did anything but in
obedience to their captain's command, according to their duty, and
never mistrusted the sufficiency of their captain's commission,
and also since they served his Majesty both by sea and land till
the late reducement of the army in England. (See ante, p. 526.)
[Ibid. No. 181.] |
| [Feb. 6.] |
Grant of a baronetcy to Cornelius Martin Van Tromp with
remainder to his brothers, as in the minute thereof calendared ante,
p. 573. [Latin. Copy made in or after 1717, as it is endorsed
"Johannes Walraven, his Majesty's Resident as Elector, &c., at
Amsterdam—services particularly in the seizing of Gortz." Ibid.
No. 182.] |
|
Note.—Both these extracts are dated 1675. It is doubtful whether this
is the original date or whether a transcriber in England put the year
according to English style. In any case the contents of the second
extract seem to indicate a date later than either 1675 or 1676, but
the figures are perfectly plain. |
