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April 4.
Caerum? |
53. Serjeant Wm. Glynn to Richard Chaloner, Tower St., London.
I have received my wages by my uncle, Mr. Puleston, except four
marks due for the subsidy. Please now to pay my Easter wages to
Mr. Jenyns of the Boar's Head, Westminster, and the bearer will
pay you 6s. 8d. for your trouble. [½ page.] |
| April? |
54. Instructions by the Lord Protector and Council for John
Brende, muster master in the Northern parts. |
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To muster all the troops, including the Lord Lieutenant's and
Lord Warden's, and to send word if many are licensed to be absent. |
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To examine the late muster books. |
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To muster all at his first coming, and then monthly or oftener if
he thinks good. |
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To see that those newly taken are only paid for the time they
have been in wages. |
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To put out all not fitly horsed and harnessed; those who have
lost horses in the service to have a time appointed for getting others. |
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To send word of vacancies, when order will be given whether to
fill them or not. |
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No money to be paid without the muster master's warrant.
[1½ pages.] |
April 8.
Newcastle. |
55. John Brende to the Lord Protector. I arrived at Newcastle
7 April, and found the mariners mustered and paid, and an order
given for furnishing the ships. I intend to muster the 200 of
the said mariners intended to move by land, and Mr. Holcroft's
band newly arrived, and to repair to Lord Grey and take order for
mustering the rest. [½ page.] |
April 8.
Newcastle. |
56. John Brende to the Lord Protector. Pray direct Lord Grey
to grant a passport to John Wymes my prisoner, who is unable to
pay 100 marks which he agreed on for his ransom; he consumes
here more than he will be able to pay. [½ page.] |
April 9.
Warkworth. |
57. John Brende to the Lord Protector. The mariners have been
mustered by the Lord Lieutenant, and paid by Mr. Uvedale at the
first rate ordered, without deduction of imprest money. The captains
say they disbursed more than their imprest to men sent away sick, and
denied any imprest to the mariners. The Lord Lieutenant will call
the captains before him to account for the imprest. I am going to
take the musters of the fortresses, that I may be ready to muster the
hands as they set forwards. [1 page.] |
April 11.
Carlisle. |
58. Instructions by Lord Wharton for his son Sir Thomas Wharton, and his son-in-law, Mr. Musgrave, on which to know the
Protector's pleasure. |
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To declare the order taken for pledges and prisoners, and ask his
pleasure for the ransom of Lairds Johnston and Dunmelier, the
Abbot of Salsyde, and others, and for Dunmelier's two sons in Yorkshire to be brought to Carlisle. |
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To show the state of the Borders and proceedings of the Maxwells,
Irwins, Johnstons, Bells, Armstrongs, &c.; also of the execution
of men, the pardon of the Parson of Monsell, &c. |
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To ask pensions for the gentlemen who in great numbers have
done good service on the Borders. |
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To ascertain his pleasure about my accounts in the Exchequer,
and the tithes I have occupied; show him the want of a house, hay,
corn, fire, and the increase of expenses at Carlisle. |
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Without the help of King, Protector, and Council, I cannot serve
in so great a charge, and would not live in it for worldly profit. |
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To remember Milk and that country. [1½ pages.] Annexing, |
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58. i. "A note for Milk." There should be a fortress in the
castle for 100 men, to compel the head thieves of Annerdale to serve against their own nation, who for two
crowns more would change weekly or daily. The fortress
at Kirkcudbright might be more easily made. [Scrap.] |
April 16.
Newcastle. |
59. Sir Thos. Holcroft to the Lord Protector. I arrived at
Newcastle with my company the 6th instant, where Lord Grey
and Mr. Brende have taken the musters of me and 300 men; Lord
Grey charges me with 400, which I never had, as my Lord Chancellor can declare. To-day I am going towards Berwick with my
company; we shall enter the 20th, and I trust to do according to
your wishes, notwithstanding I have been in great danger, and as
yet have not the best health. |
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With regard to the West Borders, on my arrival at Carlisle, there
was no store of malt or other corn to serve the purpose committed
to me by you, and corn is dearer and scarcer there than in other
parts of England, because the West Borders of Scotland have been
destroyed, and they have put in their pledges and assured men for
their own commodity, and to use the market at Carlisle. There
were also no hops nor vessels to brew in, nor casks to fill, nor boats
to carry, but one of 16 and another of 10 tons, nor any boats
between that and Liverpool above two tons a piece. |
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As for Lord Wharton's journey in Scotland, it did not go so clear
with us as reported, for we had 400 taken prisoners, and 400
geldings and carriage horses, and at my coming away from Carlisle,
not delivered, which has not been seen before, but the Scotchmen
were in great comfort that journey. I will not for shame write you
the number by 10,000 men, that our men wanted to go to Dumfries.
I find them much discomforted for the taking of their servants
and friends, with the loss of their horses. |
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My Lord Warden handled the thing very honourably, or else it
had not been so well upon our part, for the treason was great;
he gave knowledge over night of it, and made the gentlemen privy
to it, knowing his band to be big enough, and the exploit near
hand, and gave the adventure; yet some gentlemen of honest
houses did not so well that day as they might. Jack Musgrave
the King's tenant of Bewcastle, and the Armstrongs of Liddesdale,
&c. served well that day, or it had been wrong with the Warden.
John Maxwell was well rewarded for that journey with the daughter
and heir of Lord Herris, which is counted to be of as great lands as
Lord Maxwell. |
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The coming in of John Maxwell and laying his pledges meant
nothing less than to serve any true part with England. He had been
a suitor before for Lord Herris' daughter, and the Governor refused
her, and then the Vicar of Carlaverock drew appointment with
my Lord Warden to bring him and his friends into England, and
the Governor, perceiving that the West Borders of Scotland were
like to be English, drew an appointment with Drumlangrick and the
said Vicar to work the treason, and to come home, and he should be
rewarded with the said daughter. Since coming from Carlisle, the
Vicar has suffered, which will cause the harder war upon the
Borders; the Maxwells might not well spare his head, for he had
the greatest wit and inventing of them all. |
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Those that know Kirkcudbright say that it is one of the greatest
havens of the world, and that in St. Mary's island, two miles from
the town, there is a house belonging to the abbey, and fresh water
there, but they never heard of larger vessels than 40 or 50 tons
unloading or putting in there, unless through a storm; the larger
ones go to Ayr or Dumbarton, for the country of Kirkcudbright is
so full of mountains, rocks, &c. that nothing can pass but upon a
man or horse's back. |
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I need not declare to you the weakness of Carlisle. I daresay
the castle and the town would take 3,000 men, if need should require,
and there are not 200 weapons in all the town; nevertheless in our
Borders are straight passages, and 300 men would keep them better
occupied than 3,000 within Carlisle. |
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In a conversation with the Lord Warden touching Lord Dacre, he
informed me how good you were to Lord Dacre since he came into
these parts, but that you made no account of him. I told him you
were only good to Lord Dacre as to all noblemen, and had always
regard to the King's officers before others, and that there were no
man's doings nor letters out of the North of better credit with you
than his; he replied he did not mistrust your goodness, but the
setting forth the other man so much by his friends, and the bruit of
the same remaining so much among the Scots might be a hindrance
of his well proceeding. A few words written by you to the Lord
Warden would comfort him, for he has been more pricked at of late
than a King's officer should be. |
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Since coming to Newcastle, Lord Huntley has visited and embraced me, and said, "Bed-fellow, welcome from Kirkcudbright; if
you had gone thither, I and all my company had been slain there."
I told him I knew of no such journey, but was directed to the
Lord Warden at Carlisle; he said you told him there were neither
English nor Scotch in Carlisle but know for what purpose I came
thither. The Earl and all within Newcastle know much better
than I our purpose into Scotland for this time, for they tell me we
shall fortify at the church where the battle was, and I believe it,
as we shall have a better supportation for victuals by the sea there
than in the other place. You may see whether things be secretly
kept or not. I am sorry to leave Dunbar behind us. I dare not
write to you my fancy, but I fear you have been wrongly informed
of Dunbar, or else there has been too much told me other ways.
[2/34 pages.] |
