Account of the Books and Records of the Committee for Compounding

Calendar, Committee For Compounding: Part 1. Originally published by Her Majesty's Stationery Office, London, 1889.

'Account of the Books and Records of the Committee for Compounding', in Calendar, Committee For Compounding: Part 1, (London, 1889) pp. xxv-xxxvi. British History Online https://www.british-history.ac.uk/compounding-committee/pt1/xxv-xxxvi [accessed 19 April 2024]

ACCOUNT OF THE BOOKS AND RECORDS OF THE COMMITTEE FOR COMPOUNDING.

* * * The letters under the numbers in the margin refer to the original lettering of the books.



G 1. Y.	Parliament orders and references to the Committee for Compounding, from 28 Sept. 1643–21 Jan. 1652, not arranged chronologically. [Folio, parchment binding.]
G 1A.	Order of the proceedings of the Goldsmiths' Hall for Scottish affairs, 28th Oct. 1643—25 Dec. 1645. Several of the later orders are duplicates of those in the next volume. [Large folio, parchment binding, 104 written, and many blank pages.].
G 2, 3. A. B.	Order books of the Committee for Compounding, 10 July 1644–28 Nov. 1645, and 6 Dec. 1645— 23 Jan. 1647. [2 vols. folio, bound together.]
G 4, 5. C. D.	Order books, 26 Jan. 1647–11 Sept. 1648, and 8 Sept. 1648–17 April 1649. [2 vols. folio, bound together.]
G6, 7, 8. Ec, Eb, Ea.	Order books, 3 April 1649–3 Jan. 1650, and 8 Jan.—25 April 1650, and 23 April–24 July 1650; the first of them, from 3 April to 29 June 1649, pp. 1–133, is merely notes of fines; it then becomes fuller, and at p. 218, 27 Sept. 1649, it becomes a general order book. [Small folio, 3 vols. bound together in parchment.]
G 9. F.	Order book, 16 July 1649–18 April 1650. This contains all the general business of the committee, as well as some orders on cases. [Thin folio, parchment bound, 47 written, and many blank folios.]
G 10. I.	Order book, 26 April 1650—11 Feb. 1651. Some of these are duplicates of the orders in the preceding and following volumes. [Folio.]
G 11. H.	Order book, 9 July 1650–12 Dec. 1650. [Small folio.]
G 12. G.	Order book, chiefly on the cases of compounders, in the 2nd series of composition papers, G 174–227, 11 Sept. 1650–15 April 1657. [Folio.]
G 13. Z.	General orders passed by the Committee for Compounding, 22 Nov. 1650–7 Dec. 1654. With alphabetical list prefixed, of cases in which sequestration has been suspended, the date of the suspension, and in some cases, references to the order for it. [Small folio, parchment bound, 52 written, and many blank leaves.]
G 14. K.	Order book, 12 Feb.—29 Aug. 1651. [Folio.]
G 15. L.	Do. 30 Aug. 1651–10 Feb. 1652. [Folio.]
G 16. Q.	Do. 11 Feb.—14 July 1652. [Folio.]
G 17. S.	Do. 15 July 1652–1 March 1653. [Folio, pp. 1 to 710 written, 711 to 753 blank.]
G 18. Sa.	Orders relating to the sale of Bishops, Deans and Chapters, and delinquents' lands, and of fee-farm rents. [Folio, parchment bound, foliation continued from G 17, 754–982 written, and many blank pages.]
G 19. Sc.	Orders on reports of Brereton and Reading in composition cases, 30 Sept. 1652–27 Jan. 1654. [Folio, parchment bound, foliation continued from G 18, pp. 1031–1163.]
G 20. Sh.	Orders for grants to the wives and families of delinquents and recusants of ¹/5 to the former and ⅓ to the latter, of their sequestered estates, 29 Sept. 1652–26 June 1655. [Folio, parchment bound, foliation continued from G 19, pp. 1169–1181 written, and many blank pages.]
G 21. Si.	Orders for discharges on the Act of Pardon, 29 Sept; 1652–7 Sept. 1653. [Folio, parchment bound, foliation continued from G 20, pp. 1298–1317 written, and many blank pages.]
G 22. Sp.	Orders for payments to plundered ministers of sums granted them on compositions made with delinquents, 6 Oct. 1652–4 Sept. 1655. [Thin folio, parchment bound, pagination continued from G 21, pp. 1441 to 1496 written, and many blank pages.]
G 23. Sm.	Orders on reports, similar to G 19, 16 Feb. 1654–29 June 1655. [Folio, parchment bound, pagination continued from G 22, pp. 1578–1693 written, and a few blank pages.]
G 24. Ge.	Orders for discharges on payments of fines, 14 Oct. 1652—24 July 1655. [Folio, parchment bound, foliation continued from a volume missing that was marked G a, pp. 1071 to 1183 written, and very many blank.]
G 25. V.	Order book, 1 March 1653–28 March 1654. [Large folio.]
G 26 Ra.	Orders relating to the estates of recusants, 22 Nov. 1653–6 Sept. 1654, viz.: references to counsel of their petitions to contract, on the Act of 21 Oct. 1653, with the Committee for Compounding, for leases of the ²/3 of their estates sequestered for recusancy, pp. 1–10; orders granting the contracts requested, pp. 43, 44; notes of contracts and the fines set thereon, p. 120; and orders for discharge from sequestration of the estates thus contracted for, pp. 180–182. [Large folio, parchment bound, very many blank leaves.]
G 27. Va.	Order book, 28 March 1654–29 June 1655. [Large folio.]
G 28. Cc.	Order book, 3 July 1655–14 May 1656. [Folio, parchment bound, 28 written and many blank pages.]
G 29. Ba.	Order book, 3 July 1655–24 April 1658. [Folio, 110 written and many blank pages.]
G 30. X.	Book of letters written by the Committee for Compounding pounding to the county committees, arranged alphabetically as to counties, 14 Oct. 1650–23 March 1656, chiefly directions on cases. [Large folio, parchment bound, 503 pp., some pages between the counties, and also at the end blank.]
G 31. W.	Like letters on general business, 12 Aug. 1652–8 July 1653. [Folio, parchment bound; foliation continued from a volume missing, pp. 755–806 written, and many blank pages.]
G 32. T.	Registrar's certificates of the results of searches on cases made by him in the composition papers. 20 March 1652–8 July 1653. With a few general orders prefixed. [Small folio, parchment bound, pp. 1–265.]
G 33. T.	Continuation of the preceding, 21 June 1653–17 May 1655. [Small folio, parchment bound, pp. 265–443.]
G 34. Ta.	Like certificates, 18 May 1655–3 Feb. 1664. [Large folio, parchment bound, 131 written, and very many blank pages.]
G 35. Sl.	Book containing a list of 281 deeds for augmentation of livings from estates of delinquents, handed over by the Sequestration Commissioners to a committee for Encouragement of the Ministry. [75 pp.] To this have been added many separate orders by Edw. Rich, counsellor for augmentations, of similar augmentations. [pp. 76–203. Small folio, parchment cover.]
G 36.	Minute books of the proceedings of the Committee for Compounding, 20 Nov.–14 Jan. 1651; 16 Jan. 1651— 22 July 1651; again, 16 Jan. 1651–29 July 1651, not a duplicate of the preceding; and 31 July 1651–23 April 1652. [Folio, parchment bound, in one vol.]
G 37.	Like minute books, 6 May 1652–4 May 1653; 6 May 1653–6 Sept 1654. [Small folio, parchment bound in one vol.]
G 38.	Like minute book, 7 Sept. 1654–20 Nov. 1655. [Small folio, parchment bound.]
G 39.	Alphabetical list of persons fined on composition, giving the name, the date of settlement of the fine—1645–1650— and the amount of the fine. [Folio, parchment bound.]
G 40.	Return of compositions made in the several counties which are alphabetically arranged, giving the name, address, sum, and date, from 1647 to 1651. [Small folio, parchment bound.]
G 41.	Book marked, "Receipts for depositions, 1650, 1651," arranged for entries in counties, but the entries are very few. [Thin oblong folio, parchment bound.]
G 42.	"Reports of fines and compositions," giving the date and names, and noting which are passed, respited, or to be heard, and fines to be set—1647–1652. [Small folio, parchment cover, 37 written, and many blank pages.]
G 43.	Book of accounts sent in by Michael Herring, treasurer at Goldsmiths' Hall, of receipts from the estates of delinquents, from 17 Aug. 1645 to 31 Aug. 1652, with a few later entries. The names of the delinquents are alphabetically arranged. "In this booke is written a breviate of accompts kept by us, Rich. Waring and Michael Herring, treasurers at Goldsmiths' Hall, with delinquents, for their compositions or fines sett by the commissioners appointed by Parliament for compounding, &c." The first column contains the name, the second the fine, the third and fourth the dates of the first and second payments, the fifth notes what still remains unpaid, the entries being very few. [Large thin quarto, parchment bound, 105 written and 12 blank pages. Referred to occasionally in the Bayly Index (G 268, 269) as Tr. (Treasurers' book) and in the papers, as well as Vol. 45, which is paginated in sequence with it. This volume was printed by Thos. Dring, a London bookseller, in 1655, in a small 12mo. book, a copy of which is in the British Museum, and reprinted in 1763. Of this reprint a copy is in the library of W. Douglas Hamilton, Esq., of the Public Record Office.]
G 44.	Partial transcript of the 2 first columns of G 43. [Thick folio, parchment bound.]
G 45.	Treasurers' ledger of the daily receipts for compositions at Goldsmiths' Hall, from 23 Jan. 1650–51 to 12 Jan. 1655. [pp. 106–133.] Compositions according to the directions of the Act for Sale, dated 18 Nov. 1652, from 22 Feb. 1653 to 20 Oct. 1654. [pp. 146–154.]
	Fines for compositions upon the Act for two third parts of recusants' estates, Jan.—Sept. 1654. [p. 164. Small folio, parchment bound, foliated in sequence with G 43.]
G 46.	Entries, arranged in counties, of the names of County Commissioners and their agents, and the dates of their commissions, from 1 Feb. 1650 to 19 Jan. 1654–55, with frequent references to the order books recording their commissions to act. [Small folio, parchment cover, written at both ends.]
G 47.	Table of allowances out of delinquents' estates, as thirds, fifths, leases, jointures, annuities, debts, mortgages, rent-charges, &c., giving in columns to whom allowed, what allowed, out of whose estate, the county, whether delinquent or recusant, date of the order, 12 July 1650 to 6 Sept. 1655, and references to the old lettering of the order books where the orders are entered. [Imp. folio, parchment cover.]
	Also similar table, being the draft of the former part of the above. [24 sheets, unbound.]
G 48.	Notes of delinquents upon whom fines have been set, but whose compositions are unpaid, 18 Sept. 1655, giving the name of county, date, and amount of the fine, the reasons for non-payment, &c. With references to the order books given by their original lettering, and also to the original papers relating to the case, those of the first series of composition papers referred to as Pa, and the second series as Co. [Large folio, parchment wrapper.]
G 49.	Series of returns sent into the Treasury, in obedience to an order of 14 Sept. 1655. Particulars given in p. 741 of this volume. [4 to., rough modern binding.]
G 50.	Alphabetical lists of the earlier compounders, giving first the number of the case as it stands in the second series of the Royalist Composition Papers, then the name of the petitioner, then the date of the petition, and lastly, the date of the setting of the fine, ranging from 1645 to 1648. [Large thin folio.]
G 51.	Alphabetical lists of the earlier compounders, with the sums they have paid; and, in a few cases, the sums which they still owe; alphabetized as to the first and second letters.
	This is followed by an index to some of the names in the (third) Act of Sale, and this again by a brief index of recusants' contracts. [Large folio.]
G 52.	Notes of letters sent in 1648 in to divers counties, which are arranged alphabetically, ordering the sequestration of estates for non-payment of composition fines. [Thin small folio, parchment binding, entries few, and many pages blank.]
G 53, 54.	Fair transcripts of the reports made in the earlier composition cases, 1645 to 1647, indexed at the end of the second volume, pagination consecutive [pp. 1047. Large thick folios, modern binding.]
G 55, 56.	Fair transcripts of the particulars of estates given in by many of the earlier compounders in 1645 and 1646 [Large thick folios, modern binding.]
G 57.	Index to the two preceding volumes. The other end is an index to two vols. not identified.
G 58, 58A.	Entries of surveys of estates (in the third Act for Sale) made in 1653 to 1655, foliation consecutive. With index at the beginning of each volume, except for pp. 1–7, and from 524 to the end. [555 folios, folio, parchment binding.]
G 59.	Letters sent by the Committee for Sequestrations to the county committees, arranged in alphabetical order in 1659–60, upon Sir George Booth's rebellion. [Folio, parchment binding.]
G 60.	Two books, the contents of which are curiously intermixed. The smaller contains a list, Nos. 1 to 2,999, of the cases in the first series of composition papers, marked Pa, giving the name and the number only. The list is continued in the early part of the larger book, from 3,000 to 5,468, but up to 5,454 no name is given, the county only occasionally. At 5,455 the smaller book takes up the list, and carries it down as before, with names and numbers, to 5,491. The larger book copies this up to 5,491, and then carries it on from 6,000 to the end, 7,300, but giving, as before, only the county. Between Nos. 5,468 and 5,469 is inserted an alphabetical index to the earlier part of the first series of composition papers. [The larger vol. is folio, bound; the smaller is paper only, small folio.]
G 61–173	are a series long known and extensively consulted as Royalist Composition Papers, 1st series. To this there is a modern index of names in three vols., and of places in two vols.; but these indexes, though generally accurate as to their entries, omit many names, and they make no distinction between entries of importance and the merest casual notice; also they give no cross references to names spelled several different ways.

This series contains in vols. 61–135 the cases of claimants on the estates of those delinquents whose compositions occur in the second series. The vols. G 135–145 are miscellaneous cases. The vols. 146 to 172 contain the letters and depositions returned by the county committees on the orders in the cases of the Committee for Compounding; they are arranged in counties. The first number given in the succeeding list is that marked on the volume, and to which references are made in the index described above. The second is the present number of the volume. The third column headed Pa (contraction for Papers) (fn. 1) refers to the numbers of the cases in each volume, to which references are made in Bayly's Index (G 268, 269). The fourth gives the initials labelled on the volume, but they are often inaccurate, and the alphabetical arrangement attempted has not been perfectly carried out.



Old No.	New No.	Pa.	Lettering.
1	G 61	1–20	Ab—al
2	62	21–51A	Al—ar
3	63	51B–69	Arr—as
4	64	70–94	As—au
5	65	95–126	Au—Ba
6	66	127–144	Ba
7	67	145–182	Ba—Be
8	68	183–218	Be—Bi
9	69	219–250	Bi—Bo
10	70	251–275	Bo—Br
11	71	276–300	Br—Bu
12	72	301–330	Br—Bu—Ca
13	73	331–362	Ca—Ch
14	74	363–395	Ce—Cl
15	75	396–440	Cl—Co
16	76	441–476	Co
17	77	477–499	Co—Cr
18	78	500–521	Cr—Cu
19	79	522–544	Cu—Da
20	80	545–590	Da—Do
21	81	591–632	Do—Du
22	82	633–653	Du
23	G 83	654–699	Ea—El (fn. 2)
24	84	700–724	El—Ew
25	85	725–770	Fa—Fl
26	86	771–799	Fa—Fu
27	87	800–830	F—G
28	88	831–884	Go—Gr
29	89	885–920	Gr—Ha
30	90	921–958	Ha—
31	91	959–1019	Ha—Ho
32	92	990–1020	Ho—Hu
33	93	1021–1046	Ho—Hu
34	94	1047–1093	H
35	95	1094–1130	I—J
36	96	1131–1157	Ka—Ka
37	97	1158–1183	Ki—Kn—L
38	98	1184–1198	L
39	99	1199–1233	L
40	100	1239–1265	L, M
41	101	1266–1300	M
42	102	1301–1329	M
43	103	1330–1350	M
44	104	1351–1370	M
45	105	1371–1380	M
46	106	1381–1429	M, N
47	107	1430–1448	N
48	108	1449–1497	N—O—P
49	109	1498–1527	P
50	110	1528–1564	P
51	111	1565–1596	P
52	112	1597–1652	P, Ra
53	113	1653–1697	Ra—Ri
54	114	1698–1740	Ri—Ru
55	115	1741–1774	Ru—Sa
56	116	1775–1816	Sa—Sh
57	117	1817–1860	Sh—Sm
58	118	1860–1890	Sm—Sp
59	119	1891–1924	Sp—St
60	120	1925–1966	St—Su
61	121	1967–1998	Su—Sw—Ta—Te
62	122	1999–2018	Te—Th
63	123	2019–2040	Th—To
64	124	2040–2073	To—Tr
65	125	2074–2108	Tr—Tw—Va
66	126	2109–2129	Va—Vi
67	127	2130–2159	Vy—Wa
68	128	2160–2180	Wa—Wh
69	129	2181–2210	We
70	130	2211–2236	Wh—Wi
71	G 131	2237–2261	Wi
72	132	2262–2279	Wi—Wo
73	133	2280–2294	Wi—Wo
74	134	2295–2306	Wo—Wr
75	135	2307–2330	Y
76	136	2331–2357	Miscellaneous.
77	137	2368–2388	"
78	138	2389–2445	"
79	139	2446–2500	"
80	140	2501–2542	"
81	141	2543–2595	"
82	142	2596–2718	"
83	143	2719–2791	"
84	144	2792–2933	"
85	145	2934–3059	"
86	146	3060–3120	Bedford, Berks, Bucks.
87	147	3121–3170	Cambridge, Cheshire.
88	148	3171–3209	Cheshire.
89	149	3210–3253	Cheshire, Cornwall.
90	150	3254–3314	Cornwall, Cumberland, Derby.
91	151	3315–3356	Derby, Devon.
92	152	3357–3469	Devon, Dorset.
93	153	3470–3500	Durham.
94	154	3501–3570	Durham.
95	155	3571–3626	Durham, Essex.
96	156	3627–3700	Essex, Gloucester.
97	157	3701–3782	Gloucester, Herts, Hereford, Huntingdon, Kent.
98	158	3783–3880	Kent, Lancaster.
99	159	3881–3980	Lancaster.
100	160	3981–4060	Lancaster.
101	161	4061–4283	Lancaster, Leicester.
102	162	4284–4460	Leicester, Lincoln, London, Middlesex.
103	163	4461–4546	Middlesex, Monmouth, Northampton, Norfolk.
104	164	4547–4649	Norfolk, Nottingham, North Wales.
105	165	4650–4730	North Wales, Oxford, Rutland, Salop.
106	166	4731–4824	Salop, Somerset.
107	167	4825–4880	Somerset, Southampton (or Hampshire), South Wales.
108	168	4881–4967	South Wales, Stafford, Suffolk.
109	G 169	4968–5056	Suffolk, Surrey, Sussex.
110	170	5057–5120	Sussex, Warwick, Westmoreland.
111	171	5121–5160	Westmoreland, Wilts, Worcester.
112	172	5161–5491	Northumberland, Yorkshire.
113	173	5492–7300	Miscellaneous.

G 174–227 form the second series of royalist composition cases. They are in chronological order, for the most part, according to the date of the report on the case. They give usually report, petition, particulars of estate, and sometimes of debts, signed by the delinquent, certificates of his having taken the National Covenant and Negative Oath, and other papers. Many cases begin and end in this series, but where there are undervaluations or claims of any kind upon an estate, the papers are generally under the initial of the petitioner in the first series. These papers are referred to in many of the records as Co. (contraction for composition). (fn. 3) There is a modern index to these papers, similar to that of the first series, the names occupy one volume; places, five volumes.



Old No	New No.	Co.	From	To
1	G 174	1–47	20 Dec. 1645	6 Jan. 1646
2	175	48–98	8 Jan. 1646	10 Feb. 1646
3	176	99–145	10 Feb. 1646	5 March 1646
4	177	146–199	5 March 1646	10 March 1646
5	178	200–258	26 March 1646	1 April 1646
6	179	259–311	25 April 1646	14 May 1646
7	180	312–363	1 April 1646	16 May 1646
8	181	364–419	2 June 1646	20 June 1646
9	182	420–477	23 June 1646	9 July 1646
10	183	478–538	7 July 1646	2 March 1647
11	184	539–586	22 July 1646	30 July 1646
12	185	587–655	16 May 1646	28 July 1646
13	186	656–719	18 Aug. 1646	1 Sept. 1646
14	187	720–779	25 Aug. 1646	18 Sept. 1646
15	188	780–823	18 Sept. 1646	19 July 1649
16	189	824–875	18 Sept. 1646	24 Oct. 1646
17	190	876–933	6 Oct. 1646.	10 Nov. 1646
18	191	934–983	10 Nov. 1646	19 Nov. 1646
19	192	984–1043	24 Nov. 1646	5 Dec. 1646
20	193	1044–1100	21 Nov. 1646	12 Dec. 1646
21	194	1101–1159	Oct. 1646	Dec. 1646
22	G 195	1160–1217	1646	1647
23	196	1218–1271	1646	1647
24	197	1272–1320	1646	1647
25	198	1321–1367	1647	1648
26	199	1368–1413	1646	1647
27	200	1414–1463	1646	1647
28	201	1464–1478	1646	1647
29	202	1479–1577	1647
30	203	1578–1643	1646	1647
31	204	1644–1704	1646	1649
32	205	1705–1772	1646	1649
33	206	1772–1853	1646	1648
34	207	1854–1896	1847	1649
35	208	1897–1961	1646	1649
36	209	1962–2039	1646	1649
37	210	2040–2127	1646	1650
38	211	2128–2193	1649
39	212	2194–2279	1647	1649
40	213	2280–2375	1649	1650
41	214	2376–2461	1649
42	215	2462–2548	1649	1650
43	216	2549–2647	1649
44	217	2648–2715	1646	1649
45	218	2716–2805	1649	1650
46	219	2806–2915	1650
47	220	2916–3140	1650	1651
48	221	3033–3141	Jan.–May 1651	1651
49	222	3142–3232	1651
50	223	3233–3339	1645	1652
51	224	3340–3409	1651	1653
52	225	3410–3494	1652	1653
53	226	3496–3570	1653	1653
54	227	3571–3634

Vols. 228–243 consist of papers relating to composition cases found in bundles, which are now chronologically arranged according to the date of the opening of the case. They are as follows:—



New No.	Date.	New No.	Date.
G 228	1643 to Sep. 1645.	G 236	1649 May to Dec.
229	1645 Oct. to Dec.	237	1650 Jan. to July.
230	1646 Jan. to Apr. 22.	238	1650 Aug. to Dec.
231	1646 Apr. 23 to June.	239	1651 Jan. to May.
232	1646 July to Sept.	240	1651 June to Dec.
233	1646 Oct. to Dec.	241	1652
234	1647	242	1653
235	1648, 1649 Jan. to Apr.	243	1654 to 1659.

Vols. 244 to 264 consist of papers found in bundles, relating to the general proceedings of the Composition Committee, all calendared in the present volume, and chronologically arranged as follows:—



New No.	Date.	New No.	Date.
G 244	1643 to May 1646.	G 256	1651 Oct. to Dec.
245	1646 June to Dec.	257	1652 Jan. to March.
246	1647	258	1652 April to Dec.
247	1648	259	1653 to Aug. 1655.
248	1649	260	1655 Sept. to March
249	1650 Jan. to March.		1656.
250	1650 April.	261	1656 March.
251	1650 May to June.	262	1656 March.
252	1650 July to Sept.	263	1656 April to Oct.
253	1650 Oct. to Dec.		1659.
254	1651 Jan. to March.	284	1659 Nov. 1659 to March 1660.
255	1651 April to Sept.



G 265.	Warrants by, or to the Committee for Compounding or its officers, for payment of money, 1643–1646.
G 266.	Like warrants, 1647–1654.
G 267.	Index to a volume relating to compositions, references very numerous, but the volume to which they relate not identified. [Large folio.]
G 268, 269.	Index by [Thos.] Bayly to the first 35 books of the Composition Papers. The references are to the original lettering of the books. This index also contains references to the papers of the first series of composition papers, marked Pa, the numbers of which, in each volume respectively, are recorded in the preceding list. Vol. 268 contains the letters A to H, 269 I—Y.