House of Commons Journal Volume 3: 23 May 1643

Die Martis, 23 Maii, 1643.

PRAYERS.

Raising Money.

AN Ordinance concerning Monies raised in divers Hundreds in the County, by Colonel Long, and other Commissioners authorized thereunto by virtue of a Commission from his Excellency my Lord General, was this Day read, and, by Vote, upon the Question, assented; and ordered, that the Lords Concurrence be desired.

Sir Peter Wentworth is to carry it up.

Prisoners of War.

Mr. Chillington, a Prisoner that escaped out of the Castle at Oxon, was called in to the Bar; and made a sad Relation of the most cruel inhuman Usage of the Prisoners there, from the Hands, and by the Directions, of one Smith, the Provost Marshal there: There was likewise, in Print, a lamentable Complaint of the Prisoners at Oxon Castle presented to the House, and read.

Mr. Chillington was again called; and said, that there were two or three Witnesses more in Town, that could attest the same Relation he had made; viz. Ellis Brooke, and Tho. Fisher, and the Wife of the said Mr. Chillington.

Resolved, &c. That a Message shall be sent to the Lords, to desire them to pass the Ordinance concerning the Usage of Prisoners.

Message to Lords.

Sir Gilb. Gerard is appointed to go to the Lords, to desire them to sit awhile; in regard that this House has Business of very great Importance to come unto them with; and Mr. Prideaux, Sir Arth. Heselrig, Sir Nevile Poole, Mr. Darley, Mr. Rigby, Sir Jo. Clotworthy, Mr. Long, Mr. Tate: And they are required and enjoined ... to relate any thing, of any thing that is now in Agitation in this House.

Answer.

Sir Gilb. Gerard brings Answer, that the Lords will sit awhile, as is desired.

Proceedings concerning the Queen.

Resolved, upon the Question, Nemine contradicente, That the Queen bath levied War against the Parliament, and Kingdom.

Resolved, upon the Question, That Henrietta Maria, Queen of England, shall be accused by this House, in the Name of all the Commons of England, of High Treason.

Ordered, That the Lords be desired, that Proclamations may issue forth to summon her to appear at a Day certain.

Mr. Pym is appointed to go up to the Lords with this Message; and to accuse the Queen of High Treason according to the Votes abovesaid.

Ship Ruby.

Ordered, That the Committees for the Safety of the Kingdom do grant their Order to the Treasurers for the Monies upon the Propositions to pay the Sum of Three hundred and Seventy-three Pounds unto Mr. Wilshire, Master of the Ruby, of London.

And it is further Ordered, That the Committee appointed for signing of Warrants for Disposal of Monies, do give Order for a speedy and present Payment to be made unto Mr. Wilshire, Master of the Ship called the Ruby, of London, of the Sum of Three hundred and Seventy-three Pounds, being really due unto the said Wilshire and Ship Company, for Freight; being hired by the Parliament to carry Corn and other Provisions unto Carricvargus in Ireland, for Relief of the poor Protestants there; to be put to the Account of Ireland, and repaid out of the Monies borrowed of the Adventurers. And whereas the said Mr. Wilshire is arrested and imprisoned, for some Debts, in which he stands engaged, upon this Service, and cannot satisfy, until he shall the said Sum of Three hundred and Seventy-three Pounds be paid unto him: It is Ordered, That the said Wilshire be freed from the said Arrests and Imprisonment, that shall be laid upon him by reason of the said Engagements; and that he shall be protected and privileged from any Actions or Suits that may commence by reason of the said Engagements, until this House shall have paid him the Monies due unto him for the Services aforesaid.

Lord Falkland.

A Message from the Lords, by Sir Edw. Leech and Dr. Bennett;

The Lords having Yesterday received a Message from his Majesty, inclosed in a Letter from the Lord Falkland to the Speaker of their House; they are now informed, that there is like to be some Restraint upon him; and that he is in Disfavour of this House: That he has petitioned their Lordships, that he might return: And that they are inclined to grant him a Pass, unless this House has something to say against him.-

Marquis Hamilton's Goods.

Ordered, That the Goods belonging to Marquis Hamilton, and shipped to be transported into Scotland, be delivered into the Custody of the Earl of Denlrigh; who has engaged his Honour, that they shall be forthcoming, to be disposed of when this House shall require: And the Serjeant at Arms, in whose Custody they are, upon Delivery thereof, shall be discharged.

Devon Sequestrations.

Ordered, The Ordinance made concerning sequestring the Estates of such as refuse to pay to the Contributions in the County of Devon, and lie in Prison, rather than they will pay, shall pass as an Order of this House only: And that the Clerk shall sign it as an Order of this House.

Prisoners of War.

Ordered, That a Message be sent to the Lords To-morrow, concerning the Usage of the Prisoners taken by he King's Forces.-

Answer to Lords.

Answer returned by the same Messengers; that this House has considered of their Lordships Message; and will send Answer, by Messengers of their own, presently.

Before this Message could be sent, the House understood the Lords were risen: And therefore Ordered, that a Conference should be desired, upon this Business, To-morrow.

Army Maintenance.

An Ordinance for securing such Monies as shall be raised by any Persons whatsoever, towards the Maintenance of the Army under the Command of the Lord Fairefax, out of the Estates of the Earl of Newcastle, and others, in actual War against the Parliament, was this Day read; and committed unto the Committee for Sequestrations.

Tax on Commodities.

An Ordinance for the laying of a Tax or Charge upon certain Commodities, for the necessary Support of the Army raised by the Parliament, and other great Affairs of the Commonwealth, was this Day read; and, by Vote, upon the Question, re-committed unto the same Committee.

Irish Affairs.

Ordered, That Sir Jo. Clotworthy shall have Liberty to propound to the House, To-morrow Morning, some Advertisements he has received concerning Ireland.

A Letter from Dublyn, of the Tenth of May, from F.W.; relating the miserable Condition of that Kingdom, and the taking in of Ballinekill by Preston the Rebel; was this Day read; and ordered to be read again, and considered of, To-morrow Morning: And that the Petition of the Lord Renulagh, now in Mr. Pym's Hands, be then considered of, likewise.

Weekly Assessments, &c.

Ordered, That it be referred to the Members of this House, that are of the Committee for Sequestrations, to consider of some Way for the better putting in Execution the Ordinances, for the weekly Assessments; for the Sequestrations; and for the Twentieth Part.

Raising Money, &c.

It is this Day Ordered, by the and Common assembled in Parliament, That whereas his Excellency the Earl of Essex, Lord General of the Army raised for the Defence of King and Parliament, directed a Commission, with Instructions thereunto annexed, unto the Right honourable the Lords Lieutenants, Deputy Lieutenants and some other Gentlemen, of the Counties of Essex, Hertford, and Bedford; and to Colonel Walter Long, a Member of the House of Commons, who, in particular, was commanded by the said Lord General to put the said Commissions in Execution, with any Two or more of the said Commissioners, according to the said Instruction therewith given, for the disarming of the Popish, and other ill-affected Parties, in the said several Counties; as also, for the raising and taking of Horse, Money, and Plate, of such as had not contributed to the Propositions of Parliament, or not proportionable to their Estates: And whereas the said Colonel Walter Long, with other of the said Commissioners, have in part executed the said Commission, in some Hundreds within the said County of Essex, and not elsewhere; and hath raised, in Money and Plate, to the Value of Three thousand Pounds or thereabouts, besides divers Sums of Money, which do yet remain in the Hands of sundry Persons in the said Hundreds, who have promised to pay the same to the said Colonel Walter Long: And whereas an Ordinance of Parliament hath since been made, for the Rating and Taxing of such Persons mentioned in the said Commission, not exceeding the Twentieth Part of their Estates, or the Fifth Part of their yearly Revenue; which is to be assessed and gathered by certain Persons named and appointed by the said Ordinance: And for that there may not be any Loss or Damage to the Parliament, or Distraction in the said County, by raising and collecting of Monies by the said several Ways: It is therefore Ordained and Declared, that the said Colonel Walter Long shall take and receive such Monies as are behind and unpaid, in such Hundreds where the said Commission hath been put in Execution; that so he may give an exact Account for the Whole; and likewise manifest his just and fair Dealings therein, having promised to leave a Book in each Hundred, of what Monies he hath received in the said Hundred, for his and their better Satisfaction and Discharge, which both Houses of Parliament do well approve of; the said Colonel Walter Long, and other the said Commissioners, not having Direction, in their said Instructions, to give Tickets unto any, as is appointed in the aforesaid Ordinance; which, notwithstanding, he shall do, to such as shall desire them: And for the Residue of the said County of Essex, and other the Counties aforenamed, where the said Commission hath not as yet been executed, There, the Persons nominated in the said Ordinance are to execute the same, according to the Instructions therein given them: And for those Monies which are behind and unpaid, in those Hundreds where the said Commission hath been put in Execution, the said Colonel Walter Long is appointed to take and receive the same, for completing and paying his Regiment; and to be accountable for that, and for the Residue, if any shall be remaining: And if any the said several Sums of Money directed by this Ordinance to be paid to the said Colonel Walter Long, shall be taken and received by any other Person, by virtue of the late recited Ordinance, or by any other Way; it shall be forthwith restored to the said Colonel Walter Long, to be employed to the Purposes aforesaid. And, lastly, it is Ordained and Declared, That all such Persons, who have paid, or shall pay, their Monies unto the said Colonel Walter Long, by virtue of the said Commission, shall not be rated and taxed again, by virtue of the aforesaid Ordinance, if they have paid according to the Proportions therein mentioned.

Earl of Chesterfeild.

Upon Information, that Philip Earl of Chesterfeild, being in open War against the Parliament and Kingdom, did, by himself, or some under his Command, about February last, at, or near the Town of Leichfeild, by Force and Violence take away, from Richard Hughes, a Carrier, the Goods of Edward Johnson of Manchester, to the Value of One hundred and Twenty Pounds; whereby he hath been much damnified, and disinabled to the Service of the Parliament, wherein he hath been, and is, very forward and affectionate: It is Ordered, by the and Commons, assembled in Parliament, that the said Philip Earl of Chesterfeild, now a Prisoner, shall not be released, or by any means exchanged for any other Prisoner, until it do appear unto the Earl of Essex Lord General, that he have restored unto the said Edward Johnson his said Goods; or else have given him Satisfaction for the Loss he hath sustained thereby.

Captain Ward.

Whereas the House is informed, that Captain Thomas Ward, being in open War against the Parliament and Kingdom, did, upon the Highway, by Force and Violence, take from the Servant of Edward Johnson of Manchester above Twenty-six Pounds in Money, a Horse, and other Goods, to the Value of Eight Pounds more; and that the said Captain Ward is taken Prisoner, and now kept in the Town of Manchester: It is therefore Ordered, by the Commons now assembled in Parliament, that the said Captain Ward shall not be released, or by any means exchanged for any other Prisoner, until further Order therein, or until such time as it may appear unto the Lord Fairfax, General of the Forces in the North, that he have given full Satisfaction unto the said Edward Johnson for the said Losses.