House of Lords Journal Volume 7: 27 May 1645

DIE Martis, 27 die Maii.

PRAYERS, by Mr. Seaman.

Ds. Grey de Warke, Speaker.

Letter from the Committee at York.

A Letter was read, from the Lord Fairefax, and others of the Committee; shewing the State of Affairs in Yorkeshire. (Here enter it.)

Answer from the H. C.

Sir Edward Leech and Mr. Page return with this Answer to the Message sent to the House of Commons on Saturday last:

That they will send an Answer by Messengers of their own.

General Crawford against Man and Moore.

The Earl of Manchester reported the Examinations of the Witnesses of Major General Crawford, concerning the Abuse which one Man the Constable offered him.

The said Examinations upon Oath were read.

(Here enter them.)

Hereupon it is Ordered, That the Constable Man, and Moore, shall be attached as Delinquents, and committed to the Prison of The Fleete, for the present, and brought before this House on Thursday Morning next, to answer the said Complaint.

Lord Savile's Petition, for Leave to compound for his Delinquency.

Upon reading the Petition of the Lord Savile; shewing, "That he being a domestic Servant to His Majesty, and obliged by Oath to Attendance upon his Place, hath, upon that Error, failed in his Attendance as a Peer in this House; but is confident he hath not otherwise done any Disservice, or promoted the War against the Parliament; that he is returned, full of Sorrow for his Offence, and full of Desire to redeem his Fault, and full of Hope to deserve their Honourable Favours; and thereupon doth most humbly supplicate, that their Lordships will be pleased to pardon his Error, and to admit him to make his Composition at Goldsmith' Hall, in such Condition as he may himself be able to subsist; and he shall never cease to endeavour all Means to merit their Lordships Favour, to acknowledge their Clemency, &c."

It is Ordered, That this House leaves his Lordship to his Liberty, to do herein as he shall think fit.

Jennyns and Dawes.

Ordered, That the Certificate made by Sir Edward Leech, and in Mr. Jennyn's Case and Sir Thomas Dawes, shall be read on Saturday Morning next.

Fast to be observed.

Ordered, That the Lords do meet To-morrow Morning in this House, and go to the Fast Sermon in the Abbey Church.

Letter from the Scots Commissioners.

A Letter directed to the Speaker, was read, from the Scottish Commissioners, concerning the Marching of the Scottish Army into Westm'land. (Here enter it.)

Message to the H. C. with it.

A Message was sent to the House of Commons, by Sir Edw. Leech and Mr. Page:

To communicate the Letter of the Scottish Commissioners to them.

Letter from the Committee at York, concerning the Situation of Affairs in that Country.

"For the Right Honourable the Speaker in the House of Lords for the Time being. These, present.

"My Lord,

"Since our last of the Fifteenth of this Month, we have received sundry Intelligence of the King's Approach Northwards, with a great Force; whereupon we have used our utmost Endeavours, and proposed all rational Inducements, to press the Advance of the Scotts Army Southwards, according to the Command of both Houses; and upon Thursday and Friday last, at a Meeting with the Earl of Leven and the other General Commanders of the Scotts Army, we earnestly laboured their March, by the Way of Derby, to Chesheir, where they and the other Forces designed might have interposed 'twixt the King's Army and the Northern Counties; but, in all our Arguments and Reasons given for their more Southerly Advance, we were encountered with Apprehensions that the King and His Army might evade them if they marched immediately to Derby, and so be able either to enter Scotland, or raise their Siege of Carlisle, or both, before they could possibly recover Ground to interpose 'twixt that Danger and their native Country; so that all the Fruits that Conference produced, was only the appointing a Rendezvous for the Nottingham, Derby, and Lincolneshire Forces, at Nottingham, on Wednesday last; and the Chesheir, Stafford, and Lancasheir, on Thursday, in some Place to be thought fittest by Sir William Brereton; and for Part of the Scotts Forces lying at Leedes, and One Thousand of the Yorkesheir Horse, at Bramham Moore, on Monday last; which was yielded unto; and our Horse drawn from their more Southerly Quarters, in Hope that it would engage the Advance of the Scotts Army from thence towards the South, according to the Order of both Houses, and the Committee of both Kingdoms, and our earnest Solicitation in that Behalf; yet, much contrary to our Expectations and Desires, the Scotts Forces from Bramham Moore that Night drew Northwards, towards the rest of their Body at Rippon; and upon Wednesday last raised their whole Army from Rippon, and are marched Northwards, and intend all their Forces to pass over Stayne Moore, into Westmerland, and so into Lancasheir, as we perceive by a Letter this Day from my Lord of Leven: Now, my Lord, we desire you may understand that, by this Retreat of theirs, this Country is left in worse Condition by many Degrees than when they came up hither; for, by the excessive Burthens imposed by them, the People are generally exasperated, and the Yorksheir Forces, for Want of Pay and Provisions (anticipated by the Scotts Army), much broken, weakened, and discouraged, and the home-bred Enemy here much increased in Number and Strength; and now, by their withdrawing their Forces from hence, the whole Country, and all Passages into it, exposed to any Attempt of the Enemy; so that, if the King should bend His Force this Way, here is no competent Force to oppose Him, nor can possibly be raised, until some Refreshment of the Country, and Means raised, to arm and encourage our Men that have been upon perpetual Duty and Service all the Year without any Intermission; and therefore we humbly desire that the Condition of these Parts, and the great Concernments thereupon depending, may be taken into speedy and serious Consideration, and that the Armies and Forces now on Foot in other more Southerly Places may be so ordered and disposed, to attend the King's Motions, as that He may not be able to enter this County, in which He will not only shut up our Forces in Garrisons, but also so increase His Power, as will be formidable to the whole Kingdom; which we desire your Lordship will be pleased to make known to the House. And we remain,

"(My Lord,)

"Your Lordship's most humble Servants,

York, 23 May, 1645.

"Fer. Fairefax. Fran. Peirrepont.

"Wm. Constable. J. Darley."

Letter from the Scots Commissioners, about their Army marching by Westmorland into Lancashire.

"For the Right Honnorable the Lord Grey of Warke, Speaker of the House of Peers.

"My Lord,

"Understandinge that greate Notice is taken of the marching of the Scottish Army by Westm'land into Lancasheir; wee thought fitt to desire you would bee pleased to represent to the Honnorable Houses (to whome wee desire in all Things to give Sattisfaction), that wee have not bin yet acquainted with the Reasons and Grounds upon which they have taken this Resolution, further then the Intelligence they have had from Sir William Brereton, of the King's goeing into Lancasheir, and sendinge a flying Army into Scotland: But wee are dispatchinge On speedily to the Army; and are very confident that they will retourne such an Answere, as may make it appeare that they have taken the best and most probable Course for opposeing the Enemy: In the meane Tyme, wee desire the Honnorable Houses, in their Wisdome, at such a Distance, to judge of this their doeing according to their former Proceedings, till they heare from themselves; at which Tyme wee doubt not but it will bee made evident, that they had the Service of the Publique, and the common Good of both Kingdomes, before their Eyes. Wee are

"Your Lordship's humble Servants,

Worcester House, 27 of May, 1645.

"Loudon.

"A. Johnston.

"Heu. Kennedy.

"Ro. Barclay."

Examinations concerning General Crawford's Complaint against Man a Constable, and Moore, for abusing him, and refusing to release his Servant.

"Monday, 26th of May, 1645.

William Apleton, sworn, saith,

"That, on Wednesday the 21th of this Instant, he being present, when Major General Crawford desired that his Servant, who was prest by the Constable Man, might be released, heard the said Constable Man refuse to deliver him; saying, "He should not have his Servant." The Major General desiring still in a fair Way that his Servant might be delivered; the said Constable Man called for Help against the Scotts Rogues; and he further uttered, "That he hoped to see those Scotts beggarly Rogues return to their beggarly Nation from whence they came; and he wished that God might confound them, their whole Army, and their Nation, like a Company of beggarly Rogues."

"Wm. Appelton.

"He further saith, That he heard Moore say, "That he hoped to have his Hand in the hanging of them, and the best of their Army;" and he saw him punch Captain Meridith.

"William Appelton."

"Monday, 26th of May, 1645.

"Stephen Smith, sworn, faith,

"That on Wednesday the 21th of this Instant, that he, being prest by the said Constable Man, heard the said Constable Man, after that Major General Crawford demanded to have him released, and that the said Constable had denied to release him, the said Constable and James Moore uttered these Words, "That he hoped to see him and all the rest of his Nation to go out like beggarly Rogues as they came in." And when his Master, Major General Crawford, returned back, the Constable and the said Moore whooted at him.

"Stephen Smith."

"Monday, 26th of May, 1645.

"Lieutenant Colonel Hamilton, sworn, faith,

"That he, on Wednesday the 21th of this Instant, being present when Major General Crawford went to Man the Constable, to demand his Servant whom he had pressed, the said Man answered Major General Crawford, "That he should not have his Man released:" Soon after, Major General Crawford departing from the said Man, he uttered these Words; (videlicet) "God confound you beggarly Scotts Rogues and all your Nation ! and God confound your Armies; for they came Beggars in hither, and we hope to see them go Beggars out again!" He reiterated these Words, or Words to the same Purpose, divers Times. After this, he laid hold on Captain Merridith, and disarmed him; and he and one Moore, with others, kicked and punched the said Captain Merridith divers Times, and also committed him to Custody, and put him amongst the other prest Men.

"William Hamilton.

"He further saith, That he heard one Moore, who was then assistant to this Constable Man, utter these Words, "God confound you, ye Scotts Dogs, and all your Kingdom; for it was a beggarly Kingdom ever since it was one! and God confound your Armies; for they came beggarly hither, and we hope to see them go begging home again! And this he reiterated, with the like and other Words to the same Purpose, with a great deal of Eagerness and Bitterness; and he saw him likewise punch Captain Merridith.

"William Hamilton."

"Monday, 26th of May, 1645.

John Crawford, sworn, saith,

"That, on Wednesday the 21th Instant, he heard One who assisted the Constable, whose Name, as he is informed, is James Moore, utter these Words, "You may thank God that ever you knew these Wars of England; for you were begging of your Bread when you came, and you will beg when you are gone:" And then he, and the Constable Man, uttered these Words, "That they were all Beggars; and God confound the Scotts Nation, Army and all!" And these Words were spoken in a bitter Manner; the Constable Man with a drawn Sword in his Hand, and the other a Cudgel in his Hand.

"Jo. Crawford."

Adjourn.

House adjourned till 9^a cras.