House of Commons Journal Volume 3: 26 July 1644

Die Veneris, Julii 26, 1644.

PRAYERS.

Prisoner discharged.

UPON the humble Petition of Major Tho. Drake, now in Custody of the Serjeant at Arms; and upon the Report from the Committee of the West, to whom the Consideration of this Business was referred; it is Ordered, That the said Tho. Drake be forthwith discharged from any further Restraint: But he is not to depart the Town, without first acquainting the Committee of the West, and their Leave obtained.

Pembroke, &c. Committees.

Resolved, &c. That this House doth nominate and approve of Sir Rich. Philips Baronet; Jo. Langharne, Arth. Owen, Roger Lorte, Lewis Barlow, Esquires; Captain Rich. Swanley, Captain Smythe; to be added to the Committees for the Three Counties of Pembroke, Caermarthen, and Caerdigan.

Resolved, &c. That Tho. Wogan, David Morgan, John Lloyd, shall be put out from being Committees; for that they are turned to Them that are in actual War against the Parliament.

The Lords Concurrence to be desired herein.

Restoring Lorte.

Resolved, &c. That this House doth agree with the Committees in Pembrokeshire, &c. that Roger Lorte Esquire be freed from all Delinquency; and that his Estate be discharged from Sequestration, and he restored to his Estate and Goods: And it is referred to the Committees, to consider of the taking away his Evidences, which ought not to be done, by the Ordinance of Sequestrations; and of restoring them unto him, according to the Ordinance, in all Points.

Naval Affairs.

Whereas Captain Rich. Swanky is appointed, by the Lord Admiral, with a Squadron of Ships, to attend the Service of the Kingdom in and about Milford Haven, in the County of Pembroke; which Haven and County is infested and endangered by the Rebels, that destroy all before them with Fire and Sword: It is Ordained, by the Lords and Commons assembled in Parliament, That the said Captain Swanley shall have Power and Authority to land such Forces as he can well spare, out of the said Ship, from time to time; and to join with Rowland Langharne, Major General of the Forces of the said County of Pembroke, and of the Counties of Caermarthen and Caerdigan, and be aiding and assisting unto him in all Land Services, for the Subduing of the said Rebels, and Reducing of the said Three Counties to the Obedience of the King and Parliament: And is hereby authorized to do all and every Act and Thing, which shall be for the Advantage and Furtherance of the said Services; and shall forthwith, with his said Ships, repair, for the Purposes aforesaid, to Milford Haven.

The Lords Concurrence to be desired herein.

Resolved, &c. That Eighteen of the King's Ships and Pinnaces, and Ten Merchant Ships, shall be provided, and set to Sea, for a Winter Guard: And that it be referred to the Committee of the Navy, to take care of setting forth to Sea the said Ships.

Excise on Flesh.

Mr. Green reports the Amendments to the Ordinance for the better Levying the Excise upon Flesh: The which were twice read; and, upon the Question, assented unto; and the Ordinance, with the Amendments, passed, upon the Question; and ordered to be sent unto the Lords for their Concurrence.

Capture of Dutch Ship.

A Letter from the Committee in Sunderland, of Julii 16, concerning the Dutch Ship, whereof Kirkhoven was Captain, and in which Lieutenant Colonel Ogle was taken; and the Papers and Lading, and other Prisoners; was this Day read; and ordered to be referred, with all the Particulars inclosed, to the Committee of the Navy: And it is referred to the Committee, to put the Ship and Goods in an ordinary way of Tryal, in the Court of Admiralty: And they have Power to give Order for the Examination of any of the Prisoners in the Court of Admiralty, for the better evidencing of the Matter.

Ordered, That it be referred to the Committee of Examinations, to send for and examine the Prisoners sent up from Sunderland, and to dispose of them into Custody, as they shall see Cause.

Ordered, That it be referred to the Committee of the Navy, to prepare a Letter in Answer to the Letter of Julii 16, from the Committee in Sunderland; and to signify unto them the Consent of this House, that they make use of the Dutch Man of War, surprised by Captain Haddock; and employ it for the Service of those Parts.

Ship Sarah.

Ordered, That the humble Petition of James Greenway, of Lynne Regis, Merchant, be referred to the Consideration of the Committee of the Navy, to call all Parties concerned before them; and to report unto the House the true State of the Business: And that the Committee do give Order, unto the Judge of the Admiralty, to suspend all Proceedings upon the Ship Sarah, of Lynne, and her Lading, until the House take further Order.

Message to Lords.

Mr. Strode is appointed to go to the Lords, to desire them to expedite the Ordinance for Martial Law; and to acquaint them with what has happened in the West, concerning the hanging of many honest Men, for adhering to the Parliament, by Sir F. Dodington, &c. as is informed.

He is likewise to carry up the Petition of the Daughters of Captain Rob. Turpin.

Turpin's Daughters.

The humble Petition of the Daughters of Captain Rob. Turpin, who was executed at Exeter for adhering to the Parliament, was this Day read; and ordered to be referred to the Committee for the West, to give Order for the auditing the Debentures to Captain Rob. Turpin; and to think of some Course for the Satisfaction; and to think and consider of some Reward to be made unto them, out of some of the notorious Delinquents Estates in the West Country.

Memorandum, This Petition was presently carried up to the Lords, by Mr. Strode.

Hanging of Turpin, &c.

Ordered, That it be referred to the Committee of the West, to examine the Matter of Fact concerning the Hanging of Captain Rob. Turpin, and Sixteen more, by Sir F. Dodington: And that they write a Letter to my Lord General, to inform him of the Informations this House has received, of Captain Rob. Turpin, and Sixteen more, being hanged by Sir F. Dodington; and to desire his Lordship to inform himself of the Matter of Fact; and to do therein as to his Lordship shall seem just.

Member deserting Parliament.

A Letter from Mr. Bingham, Governor of Poole, of July 23 1644, concerning Mr. Constantine, formerly a Member of this House.

Resolved, &c. That Mr. Wm. Constantine shall be forthwith committed Prisoner to the Compter in Southwarke, for deserting the Service of the Parliament, and adhering to the Enemies of the King and Parliament, now in Arms against the Parliament.

Mr. Constantine was called in to the Bar: And, kneeling there, Mr. Speaker, by the Command of the House, acquainted him with the Heinousness of his Offence; and declared unto him the Judgment of the House, for committing him Prisoner, for deserting the Parliament, and adhering to the Enemies of the King and Parliament.

Ordered, That it be referred to the Committee of the West, to examine Mr. Constantine upon all such Matters as he can inform, as may be serviceable to the State.

Ordered, That whatsoever Person that formerly was a Member of Parliament and has deserted the Parliament, and shall be taken by any of the Forces in the Parliament's Service, shall be immediately sent up to the Parliament, and no Exchange pass upon him, without the Consent and Order of the Parliament.

This Order to be sent to the Committee of both Kingdoms, to send to the Commanders in Chief of all the Armies and Brigades in the Parliament's Service.

Answer from Lords.

Mr. Strode brings Answer, That the Lords had the Ordinance concerning Martial Law in Consideration, at the Time that the Message came; and that they will send Answer by Messengers of their own. They have read the Petition of the Daughters of Captain Rob. Turpin, and returned it back to the House.

Excise Accounts, &c.

Resolved, &c. That it be referred to the Committee for Excise, to peruse and consider of the Accounts of the Commissioners of Excise for the Time passed; and, with the Advice of the Auditors, to consider of such a Discharge to be given them, for the Time passed, as they shall think fit; and to present it to the House.

Resolved, &c. That Tho. Falconbridge and Wm. Bond, Esquires, shall have Allowance made unto them for the Service they have done in the Accounts of Excise, for the Time passed, besides Consideration for their Clerks, after the Rate of Five hundred Pounds per Annum to each: And that it be referred to the Committee for the Excise, to consider of settling an Allowance upon them for the future; and to consider of an Allowance to be given to the Auditors Clerks, for the Time passed, and for the future.

Resolved, &c. That the List of the Names, and the several Salaries of the Officers employed in the Receipts of the Excise, or otherwise, signed by the Committee of the Excise, or any Five of them, for the Time passed, shall be a sufficient Warrant unto the Auditors, having compared the same with the Receipts of the said Officer or Officers, to pass and allow thereof; and accordingly to discharge the Commissioners of Excise, for the Time passed.

Army Affairs.

Ordered, That the Report from the Committee of both Kingdoms, concerning the Armies in the North, and the Brittish Army in Ulster, be made the first Business Tomorrow Morning.

Transaction with Holland.

Ordered, That Sir H. Mildmay do, To-morrow, go up to the Lords, to desire them to appoint a Time for the Committee of Lords and Commons appointed to consider of the Complaints of the States Ambassadors, and of the Complaints of the English Subjects, touching the Detention of their Ships, to meet.

King's Children.

Ordered, That Mr. Speaker give Order to the Court of Guard, that there may be no Stop in the Passage of the Princess, and Duke of Gloucester, with their Retinue and Servants, to Chelsey, To-morrow, to the House of Sir Jo. Danvers.

Hertfordshire Petition.

Ordered, That the Gentlemen of Hertfordshire do present their Petition to the House To-morrow, the first Business.

Committees joined.

Ordered, That the Committee for the Earl of Manchester's Association be joined to the Committee for the Business of Hertfordshire, as to the Business of Hertfordshire; and do meet upon it this Afternoon.

Grant to Rolle.

Whereas, by an Order of this House, of the Fourteenth of June last, it was Ordered, That John Rolle Gentleman, a Member of this House, should have paid unto him the Sum of Eight thousand Six hundred Fortyone Pounds, out of the Estates of Sir Paul Pinder, Sir John Worstemholme the elder, Sir John Jacob, Sir Abraham Dawes, Sir John Harrison, Sir John Worstenholme the younger, (being Heir and Executor to the said Sir John Worstenholme the elder) and Sir Wm. Acton, Knights, to be levied upon the Persons, and out of the Lands, Tenements, Goods, Chattels, Debts, and Credits of them and every of them, by Seizure, Distress, or otherwise: It is further Ordered, That the Committees appointed by Parliament, in any City, Town Corporate, or County, within this Kingdom, or any Three of them, shall have Power, and are hereby authorized, to seize, distrain, and levy upon any the Lands, Tenements, Goods, Chattels, Debts, and Credits, belonging to the said Persons, or any of them, the said Sum of Eight thousand Six hundred Forty-one Pounds, or as much thereof as shall be found or discovered to be within their respective Places, where they have Authority and Power to levy Monies by virtue of any Ordinance of Parliament; and the Monies so levied to pay, or cause to be paid, unto the said John Rolle, upon his reasonable Demand. And, for the better Execution of this Order, the Committee of Examinations shall have, and hereby have, Power to send for any Records, Books of Accounts, Papers, Persons, and Witnesses, which can by any ways discover the Estates belonging to any the said Persons: Who are hereby required to see a due Execution of this Order, according to the true Intent and Meaning thereof. And all Sheriffs, Deputy Lieutenants, and all other Officers and Persons, shall be aiding and assisting to the said several Committees for the better Execution of all and singular the Premises.