I desire, as forces come up, I may hear from time to time what they are, how their marches are laid, and when I may expect them. My service to the dear Lady.* No. 20 FOUR LETTERS TO THE SPEAKER IN BEHALF OF INDIVIDUAL MILITARY GENTLEMEN AND THEIR CLAIMS1 [Vol. ii. pp. 164, 196, 200, 202.] Letter 1st, in Behalf of Col. Maleverer's Family. [Vol. ii. p. 164.] For the Honourable William Lenthall, Esquire, Speaker of the Parliament of England: These RIGHT HONOURABLE, Edinburgh, 28th December 1650. It having pleased God to take away by death Colonel John Mauliverer, a very useful member of this Army, I thought it requisite to move you on the behalf of his sad widow and seven small children. I need not say much. His faithfulness in your service, and his cheerfulness to be spent in the same, is very well known. And truly, he had a spirit very much beyond his natural strength of body, having undergone many fits of sickness during his hard service in the field, where he was constant and diligent in his charge; and, notwithstanding the weakness of his body, thought himself bound in conscience to continue to the utmost, preferring the public service before his private relations. And (as I have been credibly informed) his losses by the royal and malignant party have been very great; being occasioned by his appearing with the first in his country for the Parliament. I have therefore made bold to represent these things before you, that you may timely consider of those that he hath left behind him, and Original in the possession of R. Ormston, Esq., Newcastle-on-Tyne. [But see above.] Besides the Signature, "My service to the dear Lady" is also autograph. [These four letters, first inserted in the 1857 edition, were there numbered separately, but afterwards brought together under one head.] bestow some mark of favour and respect upon them towards their comfortable subsistence. I rest, Sir, Your most humble servant, OLIVER CROMWELL.* Letter 2nd, in Behalf of John Arundel of Trerice. [Vol. ii. p. 196.] OLIVER is now in Scotland, busy enough with great matters; must not neglect the small either. Military gentlemen, ex-royalist even, applying to the Lord-General in their distress, seem to be a frequent item just now. To whom how can he be deaf, if it is undeserved distress? This Enclosed' is from an Ex-Royalist Gentleman, Mr. John Arundel of Trerice in Cornwall; and relates to what is now an old story, the Surrender of Pendennis Castle to Fairfax's people (August 1646); in which Mr. John, by the arbitrary conduct of a certain Parliamentary Official, suffers huge damage at this time,-a fine of no less than £10,000, quite ruinous to my poor estate,' and clear against bargain at the rendition of Pendennis, being now laid upon him by the arbitrary Parliamentary Official in those parts. As not only human justice, but the honour of the Army is concerned, Mr. John has written to the Lord General, the Trerice Arundels, he alleges furthermore, having once had the honour to stand in some friendship, 'or even kinship, with your noble family.' Oliver, during that hurried first visit to Glasgow, writes in consequence : For the Right Honourable William Lenthall, Esquire, Speaker to the Parliament of the Commonwealth of England: These SIR, Glasgow, 25th April 1651. Receiving this enclosed, and finding the contents of it to expostulate for justice and faith-keeping, and the direction of it *Tanner MSS. (in Cary, ii. 243). [vol. lvi. 241. Signed only by Cromwell. No address. Probably written almost directly after the Colonel's death; for on December 24, the Committee at York believed him to be still alive, giving "Col. John Mauleverer, now with the army in Scotland," in a list of late county commissioners now living. See. Cal. of Committee for Compounding, p. 380.] 1 Ibid. ii. 258. 2[The fine of 10,000l. set upon Col. John Arundel, formerly governor of Pendennis, and Richard his son, was set, not by an "arbitrary official," but by an order of Parliament (March 21 of this year) which order moreover stated that they were not to be admitted to composition, even at this high rate, if found guilty of treason since 1 February 1649 or henceforth. But as they were included in Pendennis Articles, the Court of War at Whitehall appears to have written off in hot haste to Cromwell, knowing well how keenly sensitive he was to the dishonour of any breach of the Army's plighted word. The delinquents declared that the sequestration of their estates for seven years had already more than paid the fine; however, they were ordered to pay 2000l. to make up the amount, and were then discharged. See Calendar of Committee for Compounding, p. 2237.] 3 Second visit. VOL. III.-18 not improper to myself from the party interested, forasmuch as it is the word and the faith of the Army engaged unto a performance; and understanding by which steps it hath proceeded, which this enclosed letter of the gentleman's will make manifest unto you: I make bold humbly to present the business to the Parliament. If he desires that which is not just and honourable for you to grant, I shall willingly bear blame for this trouble, and be glad to be denied : but if it be just and honourable, and tends to make good the faith of your servants, I take the boldness then to pray he may stand or fall according to that. And this desire, I hope, is in faithfulness to you; and will be so judged. I take leave; and rest, Sir, Your most humble servant, OLIVER CROMWELL.* Letter 3rd, in Behalf of Colonel Clayton. [Vol. ii. p. 200.] For the Right Honourable William Lenthall, Esquire, Speaker of the Parliament of the Commonwealth of England: These SIR, Edinburgh, 10th May 1651. I am very desirous to make an humble motion unto you on the behalf of Colonel Randall Clayton ;-who, being taken prisoner1 when I was in Ireland, was with some other officers adjudged to die, as those that had formerly served the Parliament, but were then partakers with the Lord Inchiquin in his revolt: and although the rest suffered, according to the sentence passed upon them, yet, with the advice of the chief officers, I thought meet to give him, the said Colonel Randall Clayton, his life, as one that is furnished with large abilities for the service of his country: and indeed there was the appearance of such remorse, and of a work of grace upon his spirit, that I am apt to believe he will hereafter prove an useful member unto the State, upon the best account. *Tanner MSS. (in Cary, ii. 270). [Tanner liv. No. 48. Signed by Cromwell both inside and out. Endorsed, "Ld. General's letter touching Mr. Arundel's Articles, April 25. Not read. To be offered when the debates on the delinquents' bill."] 1 See Letter CXXX., and Whitlocke, p. 432. [This young Colonel Clayton married Judith, eldest daughter of Sir Philip Percivale, much against her mother's and brother's wishes, as his estate was-as Cromwell here says-small and threatened with sequestration. But she was a spirited young lady, and got her own way. Her brother John appears to have been a favourite with Henry Cromwell.] Having thus given him his release, and observing his Christian candour, I then promised him to negotiate with the Parliament for the taking-off the sequestration that is upon his estate, which indeed is but very small. I do therefore humbly entreat you to pass such a special act of favour towards him, whereby he will be engaged and enabled to prove his interest the more vigorously, in his place, for the advantage of the public. I would not address such an overture to you, did I not suppose that the placing of this favour upon this person will be of very good use, and an act of much charity and tenderness. I rest, Sir, Your most humble servant, OLIVER CROMWELL.* Letter 4th, in Behalf of Colonel Borlace. [Vol. ii. p. 202.] For the Right Honourable William Lenthall, Esquire, Speaker to the Parliament of the Commonwealth of England: These SIR, Edinburgh, 13th June 1651. Having received the enclosed petition and letter from the Officers of a Court of War at Whitehall, representing unto me that the faith of the Army concerning the Articles of Truro,' in the particular case of Colonel Nicholas Borlace, is violated; and the petitioner himself having come hither to Scotland, desiring me to be instrumental that the said Articles may be performed, and that the faith of the Army thereupon given might be made good: I do therefore humbly desire That the Parliament will please to take his case into consideration, and that his business may receive a speedy hearing (he being already almost quite exhausted in the prosecution thereof); that so justice may be done unto him, and that the faith of the Army may be preserved. I crave pardon for this trouble; and rest, 1 Hopton's Surrender, 14th March 1645-6 (antea, i. 220); a hurried Treaty, which gave rise to much doubting and pleading, in other instances than this. *Tanner MSS. (in Cary, ii. 272). [vol. liv. p. 62. Signed and sealed.] + Tanner MSS. (in Cary, ii. 276). [Amongst the Portland MSS. is a letter from Thomas Margetts to Cromwell, written on March 17, by desire of the Council of War, informing him that " Colonel Nicholas Borlace, though within the No. 20 [Vol. ii. p. 199.] GENERAL HARRISON with some force, is on the Border, keeping open our communications. Along with that letter to Mrs. Cromwell goes another, dated the same day. For the Honourable Major-General Harrison: These DEAR HARRISON, Edinburgh, 3d May 1651. I received thine of the 23d of April. Thy letters are always very welcome to me. Articles of Truro, had had goods and cattle above the value of 500l. taken by the Sequestrators' agent; that notwithstanding several letters from the late Lord General Fairfax and from Cromwell himself, he could get no relief; that the power of the Commissioners for relief upon Articles is determined, and the faith of the Army (in the breach of the Articles) is violated, and that the Council therefore desire that he will give him relief either by asking the Parliament to discharge his sequestrations and fine-amounting to 320/.--or otherwise." This appears to be the letter to which Cromwell refers, although the interval of time is long. But his illness may have delayed matters, or perhaps he waited for Borlace to come himself. Borlace's case (which will be found reported at great length in the Calendar of Committee for Compounding, pp. 2001-6) is interesting as a specimen of the struggle which often went on between the different authorities over the bodies of the prostrate royalists. Briefly given, it was thus. In 1649, he petitioned to compound on Truro Articles, and his fine was set accordingly. But the following year, the County Committee for Cornwall reported that being "a papist delinquent in arms," and his wife and children papists, he was incapable of composition." The Committee for Compounding agreed, and ordered his whole estate to be sequestered. At this point the Committee for Relief on Articles of War interfered and insisted on the sequestered goods being restored until inquiry had been made. But meanwhile Iago, one of the County Commissioners, had got possession of part of the estate and was by no means willing to let go his hold. It was at this stage that Cromwell was appealed to, and wrote as requested to Parliament on his behalf, but in spite of the efforts of the Committee for Relief, the letters of Lord General Cromwell, the personal appeal of Lord Fairfax and the decision of the Council of War, in February 1652 Borlace had to complain that Iago had heeded none of these things, that his lands were all under sequestration, and that he and his children were enforced to live on the mere charity of their neighbours." The Committee for Compounding upheld their officer, declaring that Borlace, as a convicted papist, could not be released and that Iago had only done his duty. The Committee on Articles of War defended the petitioner, again declared that he was comprised in the Articles and forbid his estate to be meddled with. The struggle went on until August 1653, when the Committee for Articles wrote so angry a letter to the Committee for Compounding (followed in January, by an order from the Protector himself) that they gave way, "held themselves bound to obey" the Committee for Articles, and ordered restoration of the estate. Borlace then proceeded to try to obtain some of his arrears, but at this the Committee for Compounding flamed up again, told him that they very ill resented his vexatious proceedings, and threatened that if he persisted in his refractoriness, they should make void their order and proceed against him as before.] 66 |