House of Commons Journal Volume 3: 15 July 1643

Die Sabbati, 15 julii, 1643.

PRAYERS.

Assessments.

UPON Information given to this House, that many Persons are, upon the Ordinance of the Twentieth Part, assessed beyond the Meaning of that Ordinance, and to the Discouragement of many People well affected to the Parliament; it is Ordered, That it be recommended to the Assessors, to take care, that none be assessed but such as are fit to be assessed; and in such a Measure and Proportion, as they are fit to be assessed.

Crimes', &c. Sequestrations.

Ordered, That the Sequestrators in the County of Surrey do take Care, that the Three hundred Pounds by the Year allowed by Sir Tho. Crimes to his Son, in War against the Parliament, be sequestred.

Ordered, That the Estates of Sir Tho. Crimes and Mr. Simonds, be sequestred, for refusing to obey the Commands, and to put in Execution the Orders, of the House.

Aid to the Army.

Resolved, That the Aid of my Lord General shall be recommended to the Committee of the Militia of London: And the House doth declare, That it shall be an acceptable Service in any Man, that will give any Assistance, in Men, Horse, Monies, or Ammunition, to my Lord General: And this House doth engage the publick Faith for Repayment: And that it shall be an acceptable Service in all such as shall encourage others to this Assistance.

The like Order and Declaration is made for the Assistance of Sir Wm. Waller, and the Lord Fairfaxe.

Merchant Taylors Company.

Upon a Letter, this Day read, sent from the Master and Company of Merchant Taylors to Colonel Langham, a Colonel in my Lord General's Army, and now upon Service (of the Eleventh of July); intimating unto him, that the Company had elected him Master of that Company for the Year ensuing; and requiring him to come up, to be here on Wednesday next the Nineteenth of this Month, to be sworn; and to do all other Things incident to his Place;

The Question being put, whether he should be dispensed for his Employment, and attend this Service of the Company;

It was resolved negatively.

It is further Resolved, That it be recommended to the Company, that no Fine be laid or levied upon him for his Absence and not attending the Service of the Company; and that this his Absence shall be no way prejudicial unto him: And Mr. Spurstoe is desired to carry this Order to the Company.

Isle of Ely.

Upon the Report from the Committee;

Resolved, That Directions shall be sent to the Committee of the associated Counties, at Cambridge or elsewhere, forthwith to send some Forces into the Isle of Ely, to be commanded by Mr. Torrell Jocelyn, in the mean time, until further Order shall be taken by my Lord General, or by this House: And Mr. Jocelyn is hereby required to take the Charge and Government of that Place, and of the Forces there, and to be sent thither, for the Security thereof, in the mean time, till further Order: And the House doth recommend it to my Lord General, to have Commission for the Government of that Place, if his Excellenoy, in his own Judgment shall approve thereof: And that it be referred to Sir H. Mildmay, and Mr. Solicitor, to prepare a Letter, to be sent to my Lord General, and to the Committee at Cambridge. And it is further Ordered, That Mr. Jocelyn shall have Liberty to take in with him such Forces as he can get from Cambridge, or elsewhere, for the Security of that Place.

It is Ordered, That the Committee for the Safety do send this Letter to my Lord General, to recommend this Business to his Excellency. And

Mr. Solicitor, and Mr. Reynolds, are added to the Committee for these associated Counties.

Pass Warrants granted.

Ordered, That Mr. Ben. Barten, Servant to the Chancellor of Scotland, shall have Mr. Speaker's Warrant to go to Oxon with his Letters from Scotland, and to return to London, and back to Scotland.

Ordered, That, * *, Servant of the Lord Tulibarr, shall have Mr. Speaker's Warrant to go to Oxon, to procure Licence to transport the Body of the Lady Roxborough into Scotland; provided that he carry no Letters, or any thing else, with him, that may be prejudicial to the State.

Message to Lords.

Mr. Bainton went up to the Lords, to desire them to expedite and speed their Answer, to the Ordinance concerning the Excise: The Letters and Instructions for Scotland: To the Ordinance for Sir Peter Ricaut's Adventure: And carried up some additional Names to the Committees for the Twentieth Part, in the Country of Sussex.

Navy and Customs.

Mr. Green reported from the Committee for the Navy, the State of the Customs, and the State of the Navy: The which were read: And it is Ordered, That it be referred to the Committee for disposing of Monies, to consider of a Way of furnishing the Committee of the Navy with present Monies, according to their present Wants; and to make speedy Report hereof to the House.

Trial of Earl of Portland, &c.

A Message from the Lords, by Sir Rob Riche and Mr. Page;

The Lords, not long since, acquainted this House with a Petition they received from the Earl of Portland; desiring a speedy Trial, and Ease of Imprisonment: They have likewise, this Morning, received the like Petition from the Lord Conway: They desire this House would take both these Petitions into as speedy Consideration as with Conveniency they could.

Ordered, That these Two Petitions shall be taken into Consideration, with as much convenient Speed as may be, according to the Desire of the Lords.

Answer returned by the same Messengers; that this House has considered their Lordships Message; and will take both those Petitions into Consideration, with as much convenient Speed as may be, according as is desired by the Lords.

Intercepted Letters.

Ordered, That all the Letters now in the Hand of Mr. Whittacre, directed to my Lord Conway, and intercepted, be all delivered to the Committee of Five.

Answer from Lords.

Mr. Baynton brings Answer, that the Lords do agree to the additional Names of the Committees for the Twentieth Part in the County of Sussex: As to the other Messages carried up by him, they will send Answer by Messengers of their own.

Letter to Nicoll.

Ordered, That Sir H. Mildmay do write a Letter to Mr. Nicoll, and convey this Letter unto him, to be by him delivered, and the Business recommended, unto my Lord General.

Bishop of Canterbury's Trial.

Ordered, That Mr. Pym do deliver unto the Committee, where Mr. Salloway has the Chair, all the Papers concerning the Trial of the Bishop of Canterbury: And that the Committee be enjoined to hasten that Trial.

Berkeley's Trial.

A Message from the Lords, by Dr. Heath and Mr. Page;

The Lords have put off the Trial of Mr. Justice Berkeley till Tuesday next, peremptorily; and therefore they do desire this House to be prepared against that Time.

King's Children.

Ordered, That a Conference be desired with the Lords on Monday next, concerning the appointing the Lady Vere to govern the King's Children at St. James', and displacing the disaffected Persons that attend the said Children.

Newcastle.

Ordered, That the Report concerning Newcastle shall be taken into Consideration on Monday Morning.

Holy Island.

Ordered, That the Committee for Newcastle Business do send away the Two Ships, and Provisions, for Holy Island.

Message from Lords.

Message from the Lords, by Sir Rob. Riche and Mr. Page;

That the Lords had received a Letter from Ireland, which they thought fit to communicate unto this House; and do desire this House to sit awhile, because they have Business . . great Importance to communicate unto you.

Answer.

Answer returned by the same Messengers; that this House will sit awhile, as is desired.

Letter communicated.

The Letter brought down by the Messengers, being not a Letter from Ireland, as they said, was read; which was directed to the Earl of Manchester, Speaker of the House of Peers, dated at Edenbrough, the Twenty-ninth of June, subscribed "Loudoun Cancellarius;" concerning the taking of Ships going from Scotland to the Army in Ireland, but Dunkirks and Irish Rebels.

Intercourse with Scotland.

Ordered, That it be referred to the Committee of the Navy to provide Three small Vessels, to carry Passengers and Pacquets between the Parliament and Scotland.

Bishop of Chichester.

The humble Petition of Hen. Bishop of Chichester was read; and ordered to be referred to the Committee for Sequestrations, in the County of Sussex.

Resolved, upon the Question, That this House doth declare, that the Composition, made by Sir Wm. Waller and the Council of War, with any Persons, upon the taking of the Town of Chichester, doth not excuse them from the Ordinance of Sequestration of the personal Estate of the Persons so compounding.

Exchange of Prisoners.

Ordered, That this House do approve and allow of the Exchange of Dr. Turner, Fellow of Marten College, now a Prisoner to the Parliament, for Mr. Gregorie, Minister of Cicester, Prisoner at Oxford: And do order, that the said Dr. Turner shall be discharged, upon Certificate that the . . Mr. Gregorie shall be discharged, upon these Terms.

Conference with Lords.

Message from the Lords, by Sir Robert Rich and Mr. Page:

That the Lords do desire a present Conference in the Painted Chamber, concerning the Instructions to be sent into Scotland; and the Excise.

Answer returned by the same Messengers; that this House will give a present Meeting, as is desired.

Mr. Pym, Mr. Noble, Mr. Reynolds, and Mr. Darley, are appointed Reporters of this Conference.

Committee for Bristoll.

Ordered, That the Committee for Bristoll do meet on Monday in the Afternoon, at Three of Clock, in the Exchequer Chamber; and so from time to time.

Conference.

Ordered, That Mr. Pym do make his Report, on Monday, of this Conference.

Privilege.

Resolved, &c. That Mr. Wood, that arrested the Servant of Sir Anthony Irbie, be forthwith sent for, as a Delinquent, for the Breach of Privilege.

Richard's Sequestration.

Whereas Mr. Solomon Goris was indebted to Sir Peter Richard, by two several Bills of Exchange, of the Dates of the Thirteenth and the Twentieth of March last, the Sum of Eight hundred and Sixty-five Pounds Eighteen Shillings and Nine-pence Sterling: And whereas, by an Order of the House of Commons, of the One-and-twentieth of June last, Direction was given to the Committee for Accompts, for sequestring of the Estate of the said Sir Peter Richard, to the Use of the Commonwealth; which hath been done accordingly; and thereupon the said Mr. Goris hath paid the said Sum of Eight hundred and Sixtyfive Pounds Eighteen Shillings and Nine-pence, for the Use aforesaid: It is now Ordered, by the Commons assembled in Parliament, that the said Solomon Goris shall be saved harmless, and indemnified, against the said Sir Peter Richard, and all other Persons, concerning the same: And they declare the same to be an acceptable Service, and will save him harmless therein.

Pettus Decree.

Whereas the Petition of Catharine Pettus Widow, late Administratrix of the Goods and Chattels of Wm. Pettus her late deceased Husband, after a Suit, first commenced about Twelve Years since in Chancery, by her said late Husband, against Thomas Bancroft Gentleman, surviving Executor of Wm. Pettus, her said Husband's late Father, for a Legacy of One thousand Six hundred Pounds, now due Fifteen Years since; and her said Husband, and the said Bancroft, being both dead, the Suit is since revived against Bancroft's Widow: The Legacies and Damages, after Hearing, for Arrears thereof, audited and certified in Chancery, amounted to One thousand Six hundred and Twenty-two Pounds, and was ordered to be paid accordingly: But the Defendant absenting himself, and standing out all Process of Contempt in Chancery, and a Serjeant at Arms; upon a further Hearing, before the Lord Keeper, and Judges, Assistants, a Commission of Sequestration under the Great Seal, was granted to Eight Commissioners, or any Two of them, to sequester the Estate of the said Thomas Bancroft, liable to the said Legacy; since which time the said Commissioners have so far proceeded in the Execution of the said Commission, that they have, upon Examination of Witnesses, discovered and sequestred divers Houses in London, and divers Lands and Tenements in the County of Norfolk, which were bought with the Testator's Money, according to the Petitioner's Father's Will; and have taken the Profits of Part thereof, by the Space of a Year, until of late, by Force and Violence, expelled, by such as claim by a Title pendente lite: And the said Sequestrators are still willing further to proceed in the Execution of the said Commission; who have also Power to examine Witnesses, to discover the Estate liable to pay the Arrears of the said Legacy: But the Petitioner can reap no Benefit thereof, by reason of the Ordinance of Parliament restraining all Proceedings at Oxford; and the Defendant, Mrs. Bancroft, concealing herself, and her Husband's said Estate, the Parties being heard before the Committee of Obstructions in Courts of Justice, and reported to the House of Commons: It is Ordered, that the Petitioner shall receive the Fruit and Benefit of her Suit; and that the said Decree, and Orders thereupon shall be obeyed, and put in Execution, by the Ordinance and Authority of both Houses of Parliament: And if any shall disobey the same, then the said Sequestrators are to certify their Proceedings, and the Names of such as shall oppose the same; to the end, that such further Proceedings may be taken, by the Parliament, against them, as shall be meet.