House of Lords Journal Volume 8: 3 June 1646

DIE Mercurii, 3 die Junii.

PRAYERS, by Mr. Sallawey.

Comes Manchester, Speaker.

Surry Justices and Hall.

Upon reading the Petition of Sir John Lenthall, and other Justices of the Peace for the County of Surrey:

(Here enter it.)

And it is Ordered, That it is referred to the Judges, to consider of some Way how the Justices may be secured, and the Business against Hall be put into a Way of Proceeding, and report the same to this House.

Message from the H. C. with an Order about the Excise.

A Message was brought from the House of Commons, by Sir Nevill Poole Knight, and others:

To desire their Lordships Concurrence in an Order appointing Persons to manage the Excise. (Here enter it.)

Read, and Agreed to.

The Answer returned was:

Answer.

That this House agrees to this Order now brought up.

Letter from Cheshire.

A Letter from the County of Chester, was read, with a Particular inclosed of the Sufferings of that County.

(Here enter it.)

Cave to be Instituted to Middleton Cheney.

Ordered, That Mr. Doctor Heath shall give Institution and Induction to Mr. John Cave, Master of Arts, to the Rectory of Midleton Cheyney, in the County of North'on; being presented thereunto by Sir John Dreydon.

Ordinance for White to be Minister of Pimpern.

The Ordinance for making Mr. White Minister of the Church of Pimperne, in the County of Dorsett, was read the Third Time, and Agreed to.

Morton to be instituted to Sudbury.

Ordered, That Doctor Aylett shall give Institution and Induction to Richard Morton Clerk, Master of Arts, to the Rectory of Sudbury, in the County of Derby; presented thereunto by Sir Edward Vernon the Patron thereof.

Beamont to be instituted to Sutton.

Ordered, That Doctor Aylet shall give Institution and Induction to Francis Beamont, Master of Arts, to the Vicarage of Sutton, in the County of Yorke; presented thereunto by the Commissioners of the Great Seal.

Vaughan to be bailed.

Upon reading the Petition of Lloyd Price: It is Ordered, That Herbert Vaughan be bailed; and it is referred to the Committee of Lords and Commons for Sequestrations, to examine the Business, and report the State thereof to this House.

Cooper, Breams, and Wilson, about Lady Mary Crane's Will.

Upon reading the Petition of Wm. Cooper, Dan. Breams, and Marthana Wilson; shewing, "That the Controversy between themselves, concerning the Validity or Invalidity of the Will of Dame Mary Crane, is come to an Agreement; and that the Petitioners now have fully agreed with the said Marthana Wilson: The Petitioners humbly desire that their Business or Cause may be dismissed out of this House to the Judges Delegates."

Which this House Ordered the same accordingly.

Ordinance to raise Forces for Ireland.

Ordered, That the Ordinance for the raising of Horse and Foot for Ireland shall be taken into Consideration To-morrow Morning.

E. of Lincoln's Petition for Money due to him.

Upon reading a Petition of the Earl of Lyncolne; desiring, "That those Monies which he hath disbursed for the Service of the Parliament in the County of Lyncolne:" (Here enter it.)

It is Ordered, To (fn. 3) be sent down to the House of Commons, with special Recommendations, that, he being a Person that hath deserved so well for his good Affection (fn. 4) expressed to the Public, some Course may be taken for the Payment of such Monies as are due unto him.

Plymouth Duty Ordinance.

The Ordinance concerning further Security to the Treasurers of Plymouth Duty, was read the Second Time, and committed to these Lords following:

Any Three, to meet on Friday Morning next, at Nine of the Clock; and the Merchants are to have Notice of it.

Letter from Cheshire, complaining of their heavy Taxes, and praying Relief on account of their Sufferings.

"For the Right Honourable the Speaker of the House of Peers; and for the Honourable William Lenthall Esquire, Speaker of the House of Commons.

"Right Honourable,

"We formerly received an Ordinance of Parliament for a Weekly Levy within the County of Chester, for the Relief of the Brittish Army in Ireland. May it please you to be informed, that, when that Ordinance came unto us, Chester was not reduced, but a great Part of the County under the Command of that Garrison; so as the Money could not then be raised: Only we did in other Parts, more free, collect some small Sums, and paid the same according to Direction, and according to the Capacity of our County, remaining under such public Pressures and Necessities: And now we have received an additional Ordinance for Six Months longer; whereupon we humbly crave to present to the Honourable Houses of Parliament the deplorable Condition and weak Estate of our County at this Time, occasioned by that large Proportion of Sufferings that have fallen upon us more than other Counties compared with the Quality thereof, as we humbly conceive may appear by the Particular annexed and otherwise, too tedious for your Honours Perusal; in relation to which, we doubt not but your Honours will account it an Aggravation of all our other Distresses, that we have no Member remaining in the Honourable House of Commons, unto whom we might with Confidence present our Desires and Condition: And therefore we are constrained to be humble Petitioners unto your Honours, that you would be pleased to interpose your Assistance for us, and (as some Part of the Burthen we are sensible of) to obtain for us, that our County may be freed from Payment of the Remainder of the said Monies expected from us, which we (for our own Parts) should be ready to obey, as all other Commands of the Parliament, to the utmost of our Abilities, though we should thereby incur the Odium of the People, whose Clamours and Sense of Misery we could neither withstand nor be ignorant of, and which we trust your Honours will receive for an Apology for this Boldness; and further wherein we humbly crave the Order of the Houses, by your Honours Endeavours for us; by which and former Engagements upon us, we shall wait and remain

Knotsford, May 22, 1646.

"Your humble Servants,

"G. Booth.

"H. Brook Vic.

"Tho. Stanley.

"W. Manwaringe."

Particular of their Sufferings, and State of the County.

"A Particular of some Part of the Sufferings and present Condition of the County Palatine of Chester, humbly presented to the Right Honourable the Lords and Commons now assembled in Parliament.

"1. First, about Michaelmas (Three Years agone), the King's Majesty in Person came to Chester with His Forces, and then to Namptwich; plundered the same, and a great Part of the Country, taking away all or most Part of the Arms belonging to the Trained and Freehold Bands.

"2. Afterwards the Lord Capell came several Times into the Country, with an Army against Namptwich; and in like Manner spoiled and robbed the Country.

"3. At Christmas was Two Years, or thereabouts, the Army that came out of Ireland, commanded by the Lord Byron, besieged Namptwich, and spoiled the Country.

"4. To resist the said Army, the Country was raised, and Two Armies brought into this County, the First out of Lancasheir, the other commanded by Sir Thomas Fairefax, to raise the Siege at Namptwich, which was extraordinary Charges to the County.

"5. Prince Rupert's Army marched through the County when he did go to Yorke, and at the same Time Colonel Goreing with another Army came through Part of the County; both which Armies plundered the Country both of Goods and Cattle, and did what Spoil possible, to the Impoverishing of the same, and utter Undoing of many Families.

"6. After the Battle at Yorke, the Prince with his scattered Forces came back through the County, and in like Manner spoiled the Remainder of the Country.

"7. That in Lent last was a Twelve-month, our Forces having besieged Beeston Castle, Prince Rupert came with an Army thither, raised the Siege, and, as formerly, plundered the Country, and so returned.

"8. To resist that Incursion, the Scotts, with a great Army, came into the County, and Colonel General Rossiter and other Forces; who notwithstanding were our Friends, yet did much Damage in the Country, by taking away both Goods and Horses to a very great Number and Proportion.

"9. That about a Year agone, when as the King's Forces marched towards Leicester, they came through Part of this County, and, as formerly, plundered the same.

"10. That, in August last, when the Scotts Army came from Hereford to follow the King's Forces into Yorkesheir, they came through this County, and committed much Spoil and Damage in the same.

"11. That, when our Forces had taken some Part of Chester, the King's Army came to Rowton Heath, as also General Points' Forces, and others of adjacent Counties, where there was a great Battle, both which Armies were chargeable to the Country.

"12. The Charges of the Sieges of Chester, Beeston Castle, Halton, Hawarden, and Hoult, Castles, cannot be valued.

"13. The Charges of maintaining our own Forces, Horse and Foot and Garrisons, in constant Pay, for Three Years and a Half.

"14. This constant Charge and Damage that those of the King's Army that kept Chester put the Country into, by plundering upon all Advantages, and raising great Sums of Money therein.

"15. The great Sums of Money that this County hath been necessitated to pay unto the Auxiliaries, Horse and Foot, that served in the Leaguer at Chester, forth of the Counties of Lancasheir, Darby, Stafford, Warwick, Shropsheir, Wales, and other Places; besides the Money was granted by the Honourable Houses of Parliament, there yet remaining to be paid unto those Forces above Five Thousand Pounds, which Money for the present cannot be raised, to give Satisfaction.

"There are divers other particular Sufferings of this County, that might be added, and are omitted.

"H. Brooke Vic.

"G. Booth.

"Tho. Stanley.

"W. Manwaring."

Order, appointing the Commissioners of the Excise.

"Ordered, by the Lords and Commons assembled in Parliament, Thomas Foote, John Kendrick, Thomas Cullam, and Symon Edmonds, Esquires, Aldermen of the City of London, and John Lamott and Edward Claxton Esquires, shall manage the Excise during the Time that both Houses have passed the Ordinance for continuing the Excise, according to such Instructions as are or shall be given by both Houses of Parliament."

E. of Lincoln's Petition for Money disbursed by him for the Use of the State.

"To the Right Honourable the Lords assembled in Parliament.

"The humble Petition of Theophilus Earl of Lincolne;

"Sheweth,

"That there is due unto your Petitioner, upon his Accompt delivered in upon Oath to the Committee for taking the Accompts of the whole Kingdom, and allowed by them, for several Disbursements by him made for the Public Service, upon a Letter written him by express Order of the House of Commons (which he is ready to produce), and for Personal Pay due to him as Colonel and Captain of Harquebussiers, the Sum of One Thousand Seven Hundred and Eighty-four Pounds and Four Pence (as by a Certificate from the said Committee hereunto annexed doth appear); and that your Petitioner, by reason of the said Disbursements, and of the often Incursions made, and great Taxes levied, upon his Estate within the County of Lincolne, by the Enemy's late Garrisons of Newarke and Belvoir Castle, and other Abatements of Rents by reason of the Troubles of these Times, hath been necessitated, for the Support of his Family, to contract unto himself several Debts, for which he is now extremely importuned, and his Sureties with great Rigour prosecuted, and which he is no way able to satisfy, unless some Course may be taken for the Reimbursement to him for the said Surplusage of his said Accompt.

"May it therefore please your Lordships, to take your Petitioner's Case into Consideration, and to recommend the same unto the House of Commons, that he may be so reimbursed thereof as may tend to the Supply of his said Necessities, and be agreeable unto their said Order and Letter, and in such Manner as to your Lordships shall seem most convenient.

"And he shall ever pray, &c.

Certificate from the Committee of Accompts about it.

"To the Right Honourable the Lords assembled in the Upper House of Parliament.

"The humble Certificate of the Committee for taking the Accompts of the whole Kingdom, concerning the State of the Accompt of the Right Honourable Theophilus Earl of Lincolne, which was delivered in by his Lordship to us, upon Oath, the One and Thirtieth Day of January, 1644.

"Upon Examination of the Accompt above mentioned, we find the State to be indebted to the said Earl in the several Sums here under specified; (videlicet,)

"Besides the Two Thousand Three Hundred and Ninety Pounds, Nineteen Shillings, and Four Pence, first above written, his Lordship demandeth Allowance, in his Accompt, of several other Payments and Disbursements, amounting to the Sum of Twelve Hundred and Seven Pounds and Eleven Shillings; but, because no Vouchers are yet produced to make the same appear, we have thought fit to respite the Allowance thereof.

"Memorandum, That as yet we have not received the Accompts of the Country, whereby to charge his Lordship any further than he acknowledgeth in his Accompt.

"All which we humbly certify, and leave to your Honours Consideration.

"Wm. Prynnes.

"Antho. Biddolph.

"Jn. Grecory.

Edw. Meade.

"Tho. Andrewe.

"Oliver Clobery.

Rob't Ellis.

"Ellis Cumliff.

Wm. Harrington.

"Job Throckmorton."

Letter to the E. of Lincoln, that the H. C would reimburse him the Money he laid out for the Public Service.

"My Lord,

"The House of Commons hath ordered me, by this Express, to desire that your Lordship will rest satisfied with the Orders of both Houses concerning the disposing of the Monies in the County of Lincolne; and further to desire also, that your Lordship will notwithstanding go on with your Levies; and thereupon I am also authorized to assure your Lordship, that whatsoever Monies you shall disburse upon the Levies, the House will carefully see them reimbursed: And so, having nothing else but to represent to your Lordship what an honourable Esteem the House hath of your Lordship's Affection in this Cause, so far promoted thereby, I take my Leave, and rest,

Dec. 23, 1642.

"Your Lordship's humble Servant,

"Anth. Nicoll.

"To the Right Honourable the Earl of Lincolne, these, at his House in Lincolnesheir, present. Haste, Haste, Post Haste."

Adjourn.

House adjourned till 10^a cras.