April 1643: An Ordinance for raising Forces for the defence of the County of Warwick, the Cities and County of Coventry, the County of Stafford, the City and County of Litchfield, and parts adjacent to the said Counties.

April 1643

[10 April, 1643.]

Defence of Counties of Warwick, etc., against Papists and others.; Forces to be raised.; Robert Lord Brooke to be Commander-in-Chief.; His Powers.;County of Salop.; Same measures to be taken there.; Sir John Corbet to be Commander-in-Chief.; His Powers.;Powers of Committee for Salop.

Whereas the Lords and Commons now in Parliament assembled, being certainly informed, that Papists and other wicked and illaffected persons, have traiterously combined together, and entred into an association, and have raised and daily doe raise great forces both of horse and foote, in severall Counties of this Kingdome, and have plundered, spoyled and destroyed multitudes of his Maiesties good Subiects, and if not timely prevented will utterly subvert and destroy the true Protestant Religion (which is their cheif designe) the Lawes of the land, the Priviledges of Parliament, and the liberty of the Subject: The Lords and Commons have Declared, that they hold it a thing fit and convenient, for the present state of this Kingdome and for the better securing of the County of Warwick, and the City and County of Coventry, and of the County of Stafford, and City and County of Litchfield, and of the parts adiacent to the said Counties, and have accordingly ordered and ordained, that the Lords Lievtenants, and the Committees of Parliament, for the said severall Counties, severally named, and all Colonells, Lievtenant Colonels, Serieant Maiors and other Captains and Officers, and all other well-affected persons, inhabiting within the said severall Counties and Cities and parts adiacent, shall and may associate themselves and actually aide, succour, and assist one another, in the mutuall preservation, and defence of themselves, and peace of the said Cities, and Counties, from all Rapine, plundering, and spoyling, by the said Papists, and ill affected persons; And that the said Lords Lievtenants, Committees of Parliament, Collonels, Lievtenant Colonels, SeriantMaiors, Captains, and all other Officers shall have power, and authority to raise forces of horse and foote, and to lead them into any place which shalbe fitting and convenient, and to give battell and to fight with all such as are or shalbe raised to leavye warre against the Parliament, and all other forces raised without authority and consent of both Houses of Parliament, that make any insurrection and plunder or destroy any his Maiesties good Subiects, and them to invade, resist, suppresse, subdue, and pursue, kill, and slay, and put to execution of death, and by all meanes to destroy as enemies to the Kingdome, and to performe all things, as needful for the preservation of the safetie and peace of the said Cities, and Counties, and parts adiacent observing from time to time such other directions and commands as they shall receive from both Houses of Parliament, or from the Earle of Essex Lord Generall. And that the said persons, and other the inhabitants for so doing shalbe saved and kept harmeless by the power and authority of Parliament. And the said Lords and Commons taking into their consideration the necessity of appointing a Commander in chief over the forces, which are or shalbee raised in the Cities or Counties aforesaid, or any part of them for the service aforesaid, in regard that by particular Commissions already granted to the persons in the said severall Counties, there was no power given to lead forces out of their owne Counties, did order and ordaine; That the Lord Generall the Earle of Essex, was desired to grant Commission to Robert Lord Brooke to command in chief, as generall of all the forces raised or to bee raised in the said Cities, Counties and parts adiacent, and to have power to lead, command, and carry the same to such places within the said Cities, Counties and parts adiacent, as hee should thinke fit for the defence thereof; And also power to give the same Order and Instructions in his said Excellencies absence, for regulating the souldiers, which were or should bee under his command, as his Excellency hath given to his Army, and to use Martiall Law to compell obedience thereunto, as occasion should require, and also power and authority to make and appoint all Officers for leavying conducting, and leading the said forces, as hee shall thinke fit. And whereas the said Lords and Commons have given and declared Instructions for the Lords Lievtenants, Committees of Parliament, and other Officers and Commanders over the said Cities and Counties, and parts adiacent by them to bee observed; And whereas the County of Salop is adiacent to the Counties aforesaid; It is now further ordered, and ordained by the said Lords and Commons in Parliament, that the Lords Lievtenants of the County of Salop, and the Committee of Parliament, for the said County hereafter named, That is to say; William Pierpoint Esquire, Sir John Corbet Baronet, Sir Gilbert Cornewall Knight, Sir Morton Brigges Baronet, Richard Moore, Thomas Mitton, Robert Corbet of Stanwardine in the wood, Andrew Loid, Thomas Nichols, Humphry Mackworth, John Corbet of Aulston, Lancellot Lee, Robert Talbot Esquires; Samuel Moore,. Thomas Hunt, Hercules Kinersley, William Rowley, Thomas Knight, John Proud, and John Loid Gentlemen: And all Colonells, Livetenant Colonells, Serieant Maiors, and other Captaines and officers, and other well-affected persons inhabiting in the said County of Salop and parts adiacent, shall and may for the purposes before mentioned, associate themselves with the said Lords Lievetenants, Committees of Parliament, and other inhabitants of the said severall Counties of Warwick and Stafford, and the Cities and Counties of Coventry and Litchfield, and with the Lords Lievtenants Committees of Parliament, and other inhabitants of the County Palatine of Chester, and with any other adiacent County or Counties; And that the Lords Lievtenants, Committees of Parliament, and the Officers and Commanders of the said County of Salop, shall and may observe, performe and execute the said Instructions, powers, authorities and Ordinances, to all intents and purposes within the said County of Salop, and parts adiacent, as are declared and Ordained by the said Lords and Commons in Parliament, to bee executed by the Lords Lievtenants Committees of Parliament, and other Officers, and Commanders within the said Counties of Warwick, Stafford, and Cheshire, and Cities and Counties of Coventry, and Litchfield, and Chester respectively; And the said Lords and Commons doe desire the said Earle of Essex to grant a Commission to the aforesaid Sir John Corbet to bee Colonell Generall of all the Forces in the County of Salop, for the service aforesaid, with power and authority to make, nominate and appoint all other Commanders and Officers under him, and to raise souldiers in the said Counties, and Cities for the mutuall aid, assistance and defence of the said Counties and Cities, and for the preservation of the peace of them, or any of them; And forasmuch as the said County of Salop is wholly subiected to the oppression of the Commission of Array, papists and other ill-affected persons, who not only impose a protestation upon such of his Maiesties good Subjects, that are well-affected to the King and Parliament, by which they are concluded for yeilding any assistance or contribution for maintenance of such forces as are or shalbee raised by authority of both Houses of Parliament, which hath caused many of them to leave their habitations, and flie out of the said County, But also have plundered their houses spoyled their goods, and seized their reall and personall estates, so that they are utterly disabled to rescue themselves from so great oppression: It is therefore Ordered and ordained by the Lords and Commons in Parliament. That in case any person or persons shall lend any summe or summes of Mony for advancement of the present service of the said County of Salop, an acquittance under the hands of any three of the said Committees (whereof the said Sir John Corbet to bee one) shall bee sufficient to such person or persons to require payment thereof upon the publicke faith, or out of such Monies as shalbe leavied by assessements to bee made in the said County of Salop by vertue of the Instructions before mentioned. And that duplicates of Rolls be made, conteyning the names, and Sirnames and places of abode of every person charged by vertue of this Ordinance, with the perticular summe of such of them so set and assessed; And that like duplicates bee made of such summes of Mony and other things, as shalbee received disbursed imployed, or expended, in this service upon iust account to bee made and allowed by both Houses of Parliament. And it is further Ordered, by the Lords and Commons, That the Committee for the County of Salop, or any foure of them shall have full power and authority, and are hereby authorized to seize receive, and take all armes, Rents, Moneys, Horses, goods, Debts and plate of all Bishops, Deanes, Chapters, Papists, and all and every other person or persons eclesiasticall or temporall, which are or shalbee in actuall Warre against the Parliament or have raised or shall raise any Armes against the same, or have or shall voluntarily, contribute thereunto within the said County; And the said Armes, Rents, Horses, Goods, Armes and plate, to deteyne for the publike service and imployment of the Parliament and Kingdome, rendering an Account therefore to the Parliament, or to such as shalbee by them appointed: And it is further Ordered, That the Tenants of the said persons before mentioned bee enioyned and required to pay their Rents accordingly unto the hands of the said Committee or any foure of them.