House of Lords Journal Volume 9: 13 May 1647

DIE Jovis, 13 die Maii.

PRAYERS, by Mr. Lightfoote.

Domini præsentes fuerunt:

Comes Manchester, Speaker.

Letter from the Commissioners with the King, with Examinations, and a Letter in Cypher from Mr. Ashburnham.

A Letter from the Earl of Denbigh was read, with the Examination of John Browne and Mrs. Mary Cave, and a Cypher sent to the King from Mr. Ashburnham.

(Here enter them.)

Ordered, That these Lords following are appointed to take Care and endeavour to uncypher this Cypher:

Committee to decypher it.

Any Two, to meet when they please.

Counterfeit Act of Parliament in Possession of Mr. Twisden.

Upon Information to this House, "That a counterfeit Act of Parliament is in the Custody of one Mr. Twisden, a Member of the House of Commons:"

It is Ordered, That a Message be sent to the House of Commons; to desire that Mr. Twisden may deliver (fn. 1) it to such Person as this House shall appoint; but not to be delivered to the Client that brought it to him.

Darby & al. for forging it, to be kept in Custody.

Ordered, That the Sheriffs of the City of London shall keep in safe Custody the Bodies of Leonard Darby and John Harris, for forging an Act of Parliament, there to remain until the Pleasure of this House be further signified.

Message from the H. C. with Propositions, and Instructions to the Commissioners who are to present them;

A Message was brought from the House of Commons, by Mr. Lisle; who brought up these Particulars:

1. Propositions for Peace, to be presented to the King.

2. Instructions to be given to the Commissioners that are to present the Propositions.

about Colonel Rainsborough going to Jersey; and the Ordinance for 5000 l. to Sir T. Fairfax.

3. To put their Lordships in Mind of the Vote concerning sending Colonel Raynsborough to the Isle of Jersey, with his Regiment.

4. To put their Lordships in Mind of the Ordinance for Five Thousand Pounds to be given to Sir. Tho. Fairefax.

The Answer was:

Answer.

That this House will take these Particulars into Consideration, and will send an Answer by Messengers of their own.

Sir H. Mildmay and Sir T. Cheek's Claim to the Barony of Fitz-Walter.

Ordered, That the Cause between Sir Henry Mildmay and Sir Thomas Cheeke, concerning the Title to the Barony of Lord Fitz Walter, shall be further heard, by Counsel on both Sides, the 3d of June; and the King's Counsel to have Notice to attend then.

Committee to examine what Collierie belonging to Delinquents are unsequestered in the North.

Ordered, That these Lords following are appointed to examine such Witnesses as they shall think fit, to discover what Collieries in the North are not sequestered; and also to consider of some Way for preventing such a Loss unto the State for the future; and to report the same to this House:

Order to discharge Dr. Warner's Sequestration.

An Order was brought in, to give Power to the Committee at Habberdashers Hall, to discharge the Sequestration of Doctor Warner; which was read, and Agreed to, and Ordered to be sent to the House of Commons for their Concurrence.

Sir J. Thynn's Petition.

The Question being put, "Whether the Petition of Sir James Thynn shall be retained or not?"

It was Resolved in the Affirmative.

Ordered, That the Lady Thynne may have a Copy of this Petition of Sir James Thynne; and to return her Answer to this House on Wednesday next.

Message from the H. C. with an Ordinance, and to remind the Lords of another.

A Message was brought from the House of Commons, by Denzell Holles Esquire; who brought up an Ordinance for Security to those Persons as shall advance the Loan of the Two Hundred Thousand Pounds.

2. To put their Lordships in Mind of the Ordinance for the assessing upon the Kingdom Threescore Thousand Pounds a Month.

The Answer returned was:

Answer.

That this House will take this Message into Consideration, and will return an Answer by Messengers of their own.

Colonel Manwaring and Hide.

Ordered, That the Cause between Colonel Manwaringe and Hide, appointed to be heard this Day, shall be heard To-morrow Morning; and then the said Colonel Manwaring shall be brought in Person.

Ordinance to secure the 200,000 l. borrowed of the City.

The Ordinance for securing of all those that shall advance Two Hundred Thousand Pounds, for the Service of this Kingdom and of the Kingdom of Ireland, was read Thrice, and Agreed to; and Ordered to be printed and published forthwith. (Here enter it.)

Letter from the Commissioners with the King, with Mr. Ashburnham's Letter to the King in Cypher.

"My Lord,

"We send you here inclosed a Petition, which served only as a Cover to a Cypher on the Back Side thereof, and was to have been delivered to His Majesty by Mrs. Mary Cave. It was brought to her by one John Browne, Servant to Mr. Ashburnham, then at The Hague, he being newly removed (as Browne affirmed) out of France into those Parts. All the other Particulars your Lordships will find in the inclosed Copies of their Examinations. Captain Abbott, the Bearer hereof, did first discover the Business to us, being made acquainted with it at the Place where he quartered; and since, in the Management of it, hath carried himself very discreetly.

"We have secured their Persons with the Mayor of Northampton till your Pleasure be farther known, which we desire your Lordships to signify to,

Holdenby, 12 May, 1647.

"My Lord,
Your Lordship's
Humble Servants,
B. Denbigh.
Edw. Mountagu."

Brown's Examination about it;

"The Examination of John Browne, taken before the Commissioners at Holdenby, this 11th of May, 1647.

"Saith, That, about Two Months since, he received the Petition, with the Cyphers on the Back Side, from Mr. Ashburnham, at The Hague; and did see Mr. Ashburnham write the Petition, but not the Cyphers.

"That, about Three Weeks since, he delivered the Petition and Cyphers to Mrs. Mary Cave, who undertook to deliver it to the King; and that he was induced thereunto, being acquainted with her when the King was at her Father's House, with Mr. Ashburnham, as His Majesty came from Oxford to the Scotts Army.

"That he had an Order from His Majesty, by Sir James Leisley, to attend upon Mr. Ashburnham at The Hague.

"That he never lost any Goods at Sea, as is set forth in the Petition; but that the Petition was meerly written to be a Colour, that he might the better deliver the Letter to the King which Mrs. Ashburnham gave him.

"Vera Copia.

"Daniel Earle,
Secretary to the Commissioners."

and Mrs. Cave's.

The Examination of Mrs. Mary Cave, Daughter of Mr. William Cave, of Stanford, in Lincolnesh'r, taken before the Commissioners at Holdenby, this 11th of May, 1647.

"Saith, That one Browne delivered her the Letter, a Fortnight or Three Weeks since, from Mr. Ashburnham, and brought it to her as a Petition, and desired her to deliver it to His Majesty for Mr. Ashburnham, who is at The Hague; but, upon View thereof, saith, that she saw it was more than a Petition, but did not know what it was; yet undertook to deliver it to the King.

"Vera Copia.

"Daniell Erle,
Secretary to the Commissioners."

Gladman to be instituted to Wing.

Ordered, &c. That Doctor Aylett, or his lawful Deputy, are hereby authorized to give Institution and Induction unto Elkanah Gladman Batchelor in Divinity, to the Vicarage of Winge, in Com. Bucks, void by the Death of the late Incumbent, salvo Jure cujuscunque; he taking the National League and Covenant, and producing his Presentation under the Hand and Seal of the Right Honourable Phillip Earl of Pembrooke and Mountgom'y, Patron hac vice in the Right of the Earl of Carnarvan.