Cecil Papers: 1644 | British History Online

Calendar of the Cecil Papers in Hatfield House: Volume 22, 1612-1668. Originally published by Her Majesty's Stationery Office, London, 1971.

Citation:

'Cecil Papers: 1644', in Calendar of the Cecil Papers in Hatfield House: Volume 22, 1612-1668, ed. G Dyfnallt Owen( London, 1971), British History Online https://prod.british-history.ac.uk/cal-cecil-papers/vol22/pp380-384 [accessed 17 November 2024].

1644



	Brigstock.
1643–44, March 1 to 1646, September 29.	Payments by Nicholas Jackson, bailiff of Brigstock. Inter alia:
	Ffor provision for ye Earle of Manchesters army att their first goeing northward.	12	6	5
	Ffor quartering horses for Sir William Waller putt over by ye comittee of Northampton to ye castle of Rockingham.	24	0	0
	Paid for oats and hay for Coll. Rossiter.	6	0	0
	Ffor ye weekely tax for both garrisons of Northamton and Rockingham from 7th May, 1644, to September 24, and for relief of the Irish.	72	4	0
	Ffor Sir Thomas Ffarfax his army.	9	19	3
	Ffor ye Scotch army.	9	2	2
	Ffor ye Irish army.	2	14	1
	Paid ye 6th of Aprill (1645) with ye chardge of 9 soldiers goeing against Banbury.	19	4	0
	The 5 garrisons to which ye tenants of Brigstock pay are Lynn, Cambridg, Huntington, Newport Pagnell and Bedford.
	For 20 troopers of Capt. Lawrences quartered upon his Lordships land for 14 days.	28	0	0
	Ffor 2 of these troopers being sick in ye towne a moneth.	4	0	0
	Ffor 40 men chardged upon ye towne for demolishing ye castle of Rockingham.	2	4	0
	5 pp. (Accounts 43/5.)
	Civil War Exactions.
1643–44, March 25 to 1645, September 30.	Disbursements made by Allen Winsor for the tithes of Blagdon. They include inter alia: contributions towards the maintenance of troops, Poole, Warham and other garrisons; money to Captain Fry; for horses impressed to move the King's carriages from Blandford to Newbury; team impressed to move a great gun from Cranborne to Oxford; horses impressed to go to the New Forest for coals for Lord Goring's army when it lay at Cranborne; raising of dragoon horses and saddles for Sir William Waller, Sir Lewis Dives and Colonel Coker; team impressed for conveying provisions to several garrisons and for carrying lame soldiers from Cranborne to Fovant "which came forth of Poole uppon exchange"; for provisions at Whitsuntide, 1645, when Prince Maurice and his army lay at Cranborne; for quartering men commanded by "Sir James Hambelton, Lord Crafford, Colonel Bartlet, Colonel Ashley, Sir William Waller, the Earl of Essex when his army returned out of the West, 24 September, 1644"; for provisions when the King and his army lay at Cranborne, October 13 and 14, 1644; for quartering men under the command of Captain Lile and Captain Newiance, and when Lord Goring's forces camped at Cranborne in February, 1644–45. Finally, for quartering men commanded by Colonel Carrack, April, 1645.
	Note at bottom by Winsor: "In regard that men doe not sowe thaire ground itt is a cause that I am not able to pay my Lord his ffull rennte for the tithes. Ffor sence thes trobls thay have left untilled above one hundred ackers of ground in Blagden. Besids that which hath benn sowne hath bene much spoyled by solldiars horses. And that which wee have gotten into our barrenes, when any armie have marched neare unto us, wee have suffred much by them. So by this meannes the tithes are not halfe as much worthe as they have bene in times paste." Endorsed: "Allen Winsor his accompt for Blagden tythes for contribution money disbursed by him till the xxxth of September, 1645." 2 pp. (Bills 254/7.)
	Forest of Dean.
1644, May.	A paper in the case of Henry Peck as to ironworks, etc, in the Forest of Dean. People mentioned in the case include Sir Sackville Crow, Sir Thomas Pelham, Sir John Winter, MajorGeneral Massey. "Now in regard the iron works in the time of this unnaturall warrs were burnt downe by the Kings forces, and that the Parliament hath granted the premises to Major Generall Massey, whereby Mr Peck cannot enjoye the benefit of his bargaine", his suit is that Parliament should recompense him for losses which he has sustained.—May, 1644. 1 p. (Legal 238/29.)
	Roger Kirkham to the Earl of Salisbury.
[? 1644, September 10].	"The vent of the wood in the New Parke is to slow for the impatient desire I have to washe off the imaginary spotts which malitious jealousie would faine fasten on that action. I shall therefore take in the small remainder by estimate and soe represent the whole state of that businesse to your Lordships view. And herein I shall endeavor (or rather evidence) two thinges; first the vindication of my integritie, secondly the justification (in this particular onely) of my discretion and care." Reminds Salisbury that the wood in question was open to sale for a number of years and that no offer was made for it corresponding to its real value. Even Sir Robert Ffenn, who talked glibly of making £3000 from the purchase of the wood, refused to buy it at a reasonable offer. He "could hold his purse though not his tongue, for he continued the same report", although he refused a second offer. Moved by reports suggesting that he was neglecting Salisbury's interests, he finally struck a bargain in 1640 which at the time was not disadvantageous to the Earl, since the price agreed to was £1200. "He that searcheth the darkest cranies of all hearts knows that that which made me sell it was your Lordships unresistable commands, and that I sold it for noe more was because I could not gett it." As to the question of his care and discretion, he had caused all the trees "even to the bushes" to be numbered by John Siggins, and grouped according to their size and "cast into stacks", as long ago as 1637. By "this 10th of September" the stacks already made amount to 7997, and the wood still standing would account for another 600. However, since the sale the price of stackwood has risen for reasons beyond his control, and has enhanced the value of the wood to the purchasers to the extent of £750 above the purchase price of £1200. As for the causes of this spectacular rise in price, "the first is the falling in of the Scotts into Newcastle some 5 or 6 moneths after the sale, wherby London grew distressed for fewell and charcoale raised to formerly unknown rates, which advantaged them (the purchasers) not onely in the price but by the quicker returne of their moneys, for therby they were enabled to vent that in 4 years which otherwise would hardly have been done in six. A 2nd reason is that, being colliers, they could tell how to make as profitable use of the rootes as of the best wood they had, by dispersing them into the stacks and coaling all together." He requests Salisbury that all this should be taken into consideration by Sir William Ashton, William Collins or whoever he appointed to examine the matter, "for my conscience doth soe smile on this action that I dare remitt it to the judgment of my enemies, if I have any".
	As for a general defence of his behaviour and actions, he refers to a report by a certain person known to Lord Cranborne that he had bought £500 a year of property since he had entered Salisbury's service some seventeen years previously. "I ever thought that lyes raised on matter of fact had ever some ground or colour for their report, but this is wrought out of the spiders own bowells." During the whole of his service he has purchased neither lease nor land, except his house at Cheshunt. "That man, be he what he wilbe, whoe shall follow my wayes, shall purchase noe land but in the churchyard, and his winding sheet (like mine) must be of his wifes spinning." He has written this letter with the sole purpose of retaining Salisbury's good opinion of him and "to prevent the cunning of that malice that would weaken your Lordships inclination to your poore servant by suggestion of dirtie and excessive advantages of his own making." —Undated. Holograph. 3½ pp. (General 18/16.)
	Accounts.
1644, September 29 to 1645, September 29.	Household expenses, etc, compiled by Samuel Percivall. Inter alia:
	Given to redeeme Hugh the footmans livery sword which hee pawned at his goeing away.	0	15	0
2 July	To a messenger that brought a letter from London about the taking of Leister.	0	04	0
15 July	Another from London about Naesby fight.	0	04	0
28 August	For letter about the Kings being at Huntingdon.	0	02	0
29 August	To a messenger to carry Mr Algernone horse back to Cambridge.	0	05	0
	54 pp. (Box K/2.)
	Accounts.
1644, September 29.	Henry Michaell's demand for allowances for Rockborne woods and grounds up to Michaelmas, 1644.
	Ffor contribution, quarteringe and sendinge in provisions to the armyes and garrissons.	xxii¹	xv^s	x^d
	Ffor a horse taken out of the woods by the Kings souldiers when Prince Maurice came into the West.	vi¹
	½ p. (Bills 254/9.)
	Accounts.
1644, September 30 to 1645, April 8.	A bill for books and paper.
October 4	Britanicus	0	0	1
November 4	Letters of advice by Mr Withers	0	0	2
November 23	Draytons Poems	0	2	0
	Vindication of my Lord of Manchester	0	0	2
January 1	(to Mr Edward Cecil)
	Drexelius of Eternity	0	1	6
	Grammer	0	0	10
	Puerilis Sententiae	0	0	2
	Cato	0	0	3
	Lillies Rules	0	0	6
February 20	Natalis Comes	0	4	6
April 5	(to Lady Katherine Cecil)
	Bible bound in turkey leather	0	10	0
	For a payre of silver clasps to it	0	1	6
April 7	(to Bryan)
	Diurnal	0	0	1
	Britanicus	0	0	1
April 8	(to Mr Markham)
	Answere to the caracter of the London Diurnal	0	0	2
	At bottom: Receipt signed by Hugh Perry and dated 16 April, 1645. Endorsed: "10 April 1645. Mr Pirryes bill for bookes etc." 4 pp. (Bills 254/5.)
	— to —
[After December 1644].	"Sir Ffrancis Leigh died on fryday the 13th of December 1644 in Westminster. His sonne (fn. 1) dyed either a little before him or presently after him in Oxford in Allsoules Colledge."—Undated. Unsigned. Endorsed: "Sir Ff. Leigh and his sonns Wooleys deathes." and in another and [? later] hand: "1644". ⅓ p. (General 90/16.)
	Charterhouse.
[1644].	Appointment by the Governors of the Hospital of King James in Charterhouse of the Earl of Salisbury to be one of the Governors. Faded. Seals. Endorsed: "The patent of William, Earle of Salisbury, to be one of the Gouvernors of y^e Charterhouse, 1644." 1 m. (Deeds 74/3.)
	Laurence Lisle to the Earl of Salisbury.
[?1644].	As to a house of the Earl's in St. Martin's Lane of which he was tenant. Prays allowance for certain wainscot, the inventory of which is annexed.—Undated. 2 pp. (P. 1833.)