House of Lords Journal Volume 10: 12 December 1648

DIE Martis, 12 die Decembris.

PRAYERS, by Mr. Prophett.

Domini præsentes fuerunt:

Comes Denbigh, Speaker this Day.

Letter, &c. from the L. Admiral.

A Letter from the Lord Admiral, with a Paper inclosed, being the Results of the Council of War, was read. (Here enter them.)

And Ordered, To be taken into Consideration To-morrow Morning; and the Lords to have Notice to attend the House.

Letter from Guernsey.

A Letter from the Governor of the Isle of Guernsey, was read. (Here enter it.)

Letter from the L. Admiral, with the following Resolutions of the Council of War.

"For the Right Honourable Edward Earl of Manchester, Speaker of the House of Peers pro Tempore.

"My Lord,

"Receiving a Letter from the Committee of Lords and Commons sitting at Derby House, touching the Revolters Preparation to get forth to Sea; I did with the First Opportunity call a Council of War, of such Captains of the Fleet as could here be got together, to consult thereupon; by whom I was desired to represent to the Right Honourable the House of Peers several Matters referring to the Fleet, which, I conceive, will be best done by a Copy of the said Council of War. And therefore I send it here inclosed, desiring your Lordship to present the same, together with my humblest Service, to my Lords the House of Peers; to whose Consideration and Wisdom referring it, I rest,

"Your Lordship's

Aboard The St. George, in The Downes, 9 Decembr.1648.

"Humble Servant,

"Warwicke."

Resolutions of the Council of War, concerning the Reduction of the Revolted Ships; - for the Fleet to remove from Goree;-desiring Pay for the Fleet, and a Supply of Stores and Provisions for it;-and advising how it should be stationed.

"At a Council of War, held aboard The St. George, in The Downes, on Friday the 8th of December, 1648.

"Present:

"A Letter from the Committee at Derby House, dated 1 Decem. and directed to the Lord Admiral, was now read; Notice being thereby given of the Revolters Intention and Endeavours to get out to Sea; which, as to some of the Ships, hath been also communicated this Day to the Lord Admiral by other Ways.

"Resolved, &c.

"That the Lord Admiral be desired to represent unto the Houses of Parliament, and the Committee at Derby House, the Reasons inducing the Council of War's Resolution for the Fleet's Removal from Goree; videlicet,

"1. The Frostiness of the Season when the Resolution was taken.

"2. The Probability of the Frost's continuing.

"3. The sudden Increase of Frosts in those Parts.

"4. The apparent Danger thereby threatened to the Fleet.

"5. The Opportunity of a fair Wind then offered.

"6. The Danger of having the Fleet kept in, if the Wind should have altered.

"7. The drawing of the Fleet's Victuals near the Proportion requisite for the Ships coming in.

"8. The Uncertainty of Supplies from England.

"9. The Difficulty of getting aboard Supplies from Holland; and the Impossibility thereof in case the Frost should have increased to the Freezing up of the Inland Passages.

10. The ill Quality of some of the Victuals lately before sent from London, which hazarded Distempers among the Men.

"Against which Inconveniencies Provision could not be made by drawing into The Sluice; for

"1. The Sluice was near filled with the Revolters Ships and some Vessels of the Holland'rs; the Admiral of Holland having also, before the Fleet's coming away, caused all the Dutch Men of War then in that Harbour (other than his own) to be drawn in, for avoiding the Danger of the Frost.

"2. And the Mariners of the Parliament Fleet, by conversing with the Revolters, might have been drawn into Distempers; whereof there was Experience in some of The Falcon's Company, whereof Seven being on Shore, Three only returned, and the other Four engaged with the Revolters.

"3. The Denial of any of our Boats or Men to go to The Sluice by Prince Rupert and his Party, and the affronting and restraining of such as on any Occasion went on Shore.

"So that, upon the whole Matter, the Fleet could not with Safety have stayed longer than it did in Goree Harbor.

"Resolved,

"That the Lord Admiral be desired to represent, as aforesaid, the Fleet's present Station; (videlicet,)

"Resolved,

"That the Lord Admiral be desired to represent, as aforesaid, that the Ships now abroad are soul, having been many Months off Ground: That they want divers Stores of all Sorts, which (as to the Ships in The Downes) hath been certified to the Lord Admiral by the respective Officers: That the Victuals of most of the Ships is very short (those in The Downes having not Three Weeks aboard); and of that little aboard, much is defective and stinking; which hath begotten Distempers in some of the Mariners, and given Cause to suspect that they will be unwilling to take more in: That there will be a Necessity of paying the Seamen some Money (before their Engagement in further Action), they being in great Want of Cloaths, which is the more considerable in this Winter Season, and the Upper Works of several of the Ships being very leaky.

"Resolved, upon the Ground foregoing,

"That the Lord Admiral be desired to move the Houses, and the Committee at Derby House, That Four Months Pay at least may be sent down, for Two Thousand Men; that the said Ships of the Winter Guard may be hastened out; that Command may be given to the Commissioners and Victuallers of the Navy, to take Care the Victuals to be sent down be sweet and well-conditioned; and that a Proportion of Stores of all Sorts may be speeded to The Downes, to be distributed to the several Ships as there shall be Occasion: Which Proportion the Lord Admiral is desired to make an Estimate of, on Consideration of the several Ships Defects; and to communicate the same to the Officers whom it shall respectively concern.

"Resolved,

"That the Lord Admiral be desired to order the Commissioners of the Navy to send into The Downes, with the First Opportunity, the Six Weeks Victuals for the Fourteen Hundred Men lately intended to be shipped; and to hasten out the said Ships of the Winter Guard.

"Resolved,

"That Notice be speedily sent to the Ships Westwards, of the Intelligence concerning the Revolters, that they may be warned to stand upon their Guard, and keeping as much as may be in a Body; for which Service, the Lord Admiral is desired to employ The Faulcon Frigott.

"Resolved,

"That the Lord Admiral be desired to call to him, from the West, the Vessels following; videlicet, The Phenix, Nonsuch, Tygre, Dragon, Providence, Weymouth Pincke; and to signify this Resolution to the Houses and the Committee at Derby House, to the End it may be known that the Guard of Trade in those Parts will by Means hereof be weakened.

"Resolved,

That it be recommended by his Lordship to the Houses, that a Gratuity for the Seamens past Services in this Expedition may be considered of; with Intimations that the same is humbly expected by them, and that their Disappointment may be of a very prejudicial Consequence.

"It is declared, by all present at this Council of War, That they will for their Parts do their utmost, for perfecting the Revolters Reduction; and that they will not be wanting to use their best Endeavours with their several Companies, who, as it is much doubted, will not be encouraged thereunto, without present Pay, well-conditioned Victuals, and some Assurance of a Gratuity; and till then little or nothing can be expected from the Ships here, for Prevention of the Revolters Designs.

"The Resolutions of this Council of War were approved by all present, nemine contradicente.

"Warwicke.
Rob't Moulton.
Fra. Penrose.
Ri. Haddock.
Tho. Harrison.
Tho. Scott."

Letter from the Governor of Guernsey, complaining of People appealing from the Court there, to avoid paying their just Debts;-and desiring some Ships for their Guard, to protect them against the Designs of the Jersey People.

"To the Right Honourable the Earl of Manchester, Speaker of the House of Lords. These present.

"Right Honourable,

We have with Faithfulness and Alacrity borne the many Burdens that these distracted Times have laid upon us; and have often choaked the Seeds of Sedition which the Enemy have sowed among the Inhabitants of this Isle. The Malice of our Enemies of Jarsey is more virulent than ever; and they act with stronger Power than heretofore, having Strangers among them. They have endeavoured to execute their Design to surprize this Island. God hath hitherto delivered us from their Malice; and we conceive that the Enemy doth now endeavour to seduce the People of this Island by specious Pretences of Public Liberty; and do promise them, by their Agents, that they shall be free of their Debts, and of what they owe to the Crown. This hath appeared of late, some of the Inhabitants having been in Arms to that Effect; and others, more cunning, but led with the same Spirit, have appealed from a Sentence of this Court to your Honour, hoping that your Lordship will free them from what they owe to their Neighbours, and to the Revenue belonging to the King, now in the Hands of the Governor for his Entertainment, and of his Officers, and for Public Uses. These Conceits, put into the Heads of this poor People by Malignants and others, who aim at their own Ends, hath caused many Distractions among us; and, to avoid the Loss of this Island, we most humbly beseech that your Lordships will be pleased to send a Command for every Man to pay what he oweth to the King's Revenue and to Private Men. And because we cannot subsist of ourselves, we humbly beseech, that with all possible Expedition we may have some Vessels sent hither for our Guard; it will secure the Island, and oblige us ever to remain,

"Your Honour's

"Most humble Servants,

"Rob't Russell.
"Peter de Beauvoir.
Jaques Guille.
Tho. Carye.
John Fautrart.
Peter Carey.

"Captain Jourdan, who hath done good Service in this Island, is ready to depart; his Victuals being spent."

Guernsey, the 28 of Nov. 1648.

Green to be instituted to Market Orton;

Ordered, That Doctor Heath give Institution and Induction unto Edward Greene Batchelor in Divinity, to the Rectory of Markett Orton, alias Markett Norton, Com. Rutland, void by Death; salvo Jure cujuscunque: Alexander Noell Esquire, Patron.

Howet to East Waight;

Ordered, That Doctor Aylett give Institution to Tho. Howett Clerk, Master Arts, to the Rectory East Waight, in Com. Nott. void by Resignation and voluntary Cession; salvo Jure, &c.: Arthur Stanhope Esquire, Patron.

Mason to Bouby;

Ordered, That Doctor Aylett give Institution to Stephen Mason Clerk, Master of Arts, to the Vicarage of Bouby, in Com. Lincolne, void by Death; salvo Jure cujuscunque: Granted by Great Seal.

T. Dyriell to Nulton;

Ordered, That Dr. Aylett give Institution to Tho. Dayriell, Clerk, Master of Arts, to the Rectory of Nulton, in Com. Berks; salvo Jure, &c.: Granted by Great Seal.

Wal. Dayriell to Sarsden;

Ordered, That Dr. Aylett give Institution to Walter Dayriell, Master Arts, to the Rectory of Sarsden, in Com. Oxon; salvo Jure, &c.: Granted by the Great Seal.

and Wright to Anworth.

Ordered, &c. That Doctor Bennett give Institution and Induction unto Wm. Wright, Batchelor of Arts, to the Vicarage of Anworth, in the County of Devon, void by Death; salvo Jure, &c.: Granted Great Seal.