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from New England and to come to live in Ireland. Wherefore I earnestly desire of you that they may have your countenance and all furtherance and assistance therein, and that when they come there they may be admitted to take leases of lands in Ireland, such as may be convenient for them to plant upon at easy and reasonable rates, and that upon all occasions they may have all lawful favour and encouragement from you. I rest,

Your loving father,

OLIVER P.*

100

(BEFORE LETTER CXCVIII)

LETTERS and Instructions in relation to the Royalist insurrection.

(1) To Col. William Crowne

1654-5, March 5, Whitehall.-Sending him commissions for a regiment which he is to command for the protection of the honest party and securing of Shrewsbury garrison, "it being justly apprehended that the Cavalier party intends speedy execution of a very evil design" in those parts, because of the weakness of the garrison and the multitude of malignants thereabouts. Sending him also a commission for a troop, as he has done to the Governor of Shrewsbury, and ordering him to repair thither and advise with his friends about this and other instructions given to the Governor.+

This was given in by Col. Crowne with a petition to the Protector on July 26-stating that having only received it on March 7, the very day before Shrewsbury Castle was to have been surprised, he had been obliged to send in forthwith 50 horse and foot of his own friends, whose charges he had himself paid, and praying for re-imbursement. The Governor of Shrewsbury was Col. Humphrey Mackworth.

(2) For the Right Trusty and Right Well-beloved Counsellor, General Desbrowe, Major-General of the West

1654[-5] March 11.-"Whereas there is an insurrection in the west by the Cavaliers, who have armed themselves, and seized upon the

*Letters from the Lord Protector etc., 1654-8, p. 48. Public Record Office, Dublin.

+ Copy. S. P. Dom. Interregnum, xcix., no. 91, i,

judges of assize at Salisbury, and proceed on to commit other violences and outrages upon the people: he is desired to repair with his regiment to the west, and take into his charge the troops of Col. Berry, Col. Twisleton and all other forces, and to use his best endeavour to suppress the rising and put the country in a posture of defence. of assistance.*

(3) To Col. Philip Jones, one of our Council

With writ

1654[-5] March 11, Whitehall.-Intelligence having been received "that the Cavalier party, who have long prepared for a general insurrection through England, were ready to put it in execution upon Thursday night last [March 8], and some of them did in order thereunto meet together near Shrewsbury, for the surprisal of that garrison, and others of them in North Wales": he is instructed to repair forthwith to Shrewsbury, there to inform himself of the design, confer with the Governor and Col. Crowne, and examine those apprehended upon the business and any others whom he thinks fit. He is further to acquaint the gentlemen of the country with "the danger that the Cavalier party would put the nation into," and to put the country in the best posture of defence he can; holding correspondence with Col. Berry and Col. Hacker concerning "the insurrection intended and in part executed in Nottinghamshire (who have been instructed to hold the like with him) and also with Col. Lilburne and Col. Bright, high sheriff of Yorkshire.†

SIR,

(4) [To Col. Berry?]

Whitehall, March 12, 1654[-5].

I writ unto you the last night by an express, and enclosed in my letter an information received of a rendezvous which the Cavaliers had at Rugford1 in Nottinghamshire upon Thursday night last. We have since heard that there were endeavours of rising in other places at the same time, as you will see by the enclosed. We do not doubt but you have prosecuted with effect the directions you have already received: however we have thought it necessary to send the party himself who gave the information, and was amongst them at Rugford, who knows the parties mentioned in the information, and + Ibid., 220,

*Thurloe, iii. 221.

1 Rufford Abbey.

likewise their dwellings. It will be of great use unto us that this business be followed home, and examined to the bottom; for which purpose I desire you to go upon the place and examine the people of the Inn and other persons, who may probably give you information therein; and as you find or suspect any to be of their party, forthwith to seize them, their arms and horses. There is no question to be made but Sir Roger Cowper is in it, and so [is] Sir George Saville. I hope you have secured their persons and horses. If you shall understand that any of these people are gone into other countries, give notice thereof to the forces who are next unto them; and I would have you correspond with Col. Jones, whom I have sent to Shrewsbury to examine things there, and also with Col. Lilburne and the High Sheriff of Yorkshire; and let them know how you find things. I desire you to use all diligence and care in the prosecution of these things. It will not be difficult to find out most of the persons who were at the aforesaid rendezvous. I rest

101

Your loving friend,
[OLIVER P.]*

To the Attorney General 5

1654-5, March 19.-Desiring him to prepare a commission for the Admiralty Commissioners and Generals at Sea, for the impressing of mariners and workmen, the taking up of ships, the staying of vessels in the Thames and the punishment of such as refuse impress, and giving strict commands against taking corrupt reward, using sinister practises or impressing the officers of ships. With writ of assistance.+

1" with Col. Hacker" erased.

2 Of Thurgarton, co. Notts.

3 Of Rufford Abbey, Sir Roger was taken (Thurloe, iii. 229), but Sir George Saville was away from home at the time (ibid. iv. 598), which shows how the rising had been precipitated.

4i.e., other districts or counties.

5 Edmund Prideaux.

Thurloe, iii. 222. Draft, in Thurloe's handwriting. Waylen appears to say that this letter was to Whalley, but from the instructions to Jones, above, it would appear to have been to either Berry or Hacker, probably to Berry. Moreover in Thurloe, iv. 598, is a letter of intelligence which looks very much as if it were the answer to this; and which was pretty certainly written by Berry. Its contents show that it was neither from Whalley or Hacker.

+S. P. Dom. Interregnum I., lxxv., 732-3. Copy in letter-book.

102

To Col. Humphrey Mackworth, Governor of Shrewsbury

1655, April 10.-Ordering him to disband his company and receive another from Worcester, that the place may be in better security, as many of the townspeople cannot be so well relied on for exact duty as strangers.*

Enclosed in a petition of Col. Mackworth to the Protector, July 24, 1655, praying for a week's pay for his own company beyond what the Army Committee has allowed him.

SIR,

103

For the Right Honourable the Lord Deputy of Ireland

Whitehall, the 26 April 1655.

The enclosed petition of Patrick Lord Coursey having been represented to me some days since, I could not content myself with a bare reference of it to you, but thought myself obliged to recommend it to your particular care and consideration, being persuaded that upon enquiry into his demeanour and carriage during the rebellion and troubles in Ireland, you will find it to have been very much as it is represented by his petition, and therefore it would be very unequal that he should be put into the same condition with the worse of Irish, who hath differenced himself from them by his peaceable living, and frequent kindness to the English, which certainly was not the intention of the law which enjoins the transplantation, nor I believe is it your meaning so to execute it. Therefore I desire you to advise with the Council herein, and to give such speedy direction concerning him, that he do not suffer for want thereof. It being in my opinion a most unmerciful and ungodly thing to put him to such an extremity; wherefore I again must press you on his behalf, and rest, Your loving father,

OLIVER P.t

A

* Copy. S. P. Dom. Interregnum, xcix. no. 82, i. +Letters from the Lord Protector etc., 1654-8, P. 55. Public Record Office, Dublin.

VOL. III.-30

104

For the Right Honourable the Lord Deputy of Ireland

DEAR CHARLES,

Whitehall, roth of May, 1655.

This poor man's case (if it be as it is represented in his petition), is very sad and deserves to be pitied. I believe he is in great extremity of want and poverty, and therefore I earnestly desire you to take his condition into your consideration, and let something be effectually done for him, whereby he and his family may have a subsistence; indeed I have been affected with the sense of his distressed condition, and therefore pray do not forget to take some course for his relief. I rest,

In the margin, "James Barry."

Your loving father,

OLIVER P.*

105

For the Right Honourable the Lord Deputy and Council in Ireland

MY LORD AND GENTLEMEN,

Whitehall, 23 May, 1655.

We being given to understand by Sir John Temple that he intends presently to return into Ireland, and settling himself there constantly to attend the execution of his place of Master and Keeper of the Rolls there, have thought fit in a particular manner by these our letters to recommend him unto you. He is a person who

out of his experience of the affairs of that country is very well able to do service there, and may be useful to the public, not only in that employment which he hath so long continued in, but in anything else which you shall hold fit to commit unto his charge. We shall therefore desire you to take special notice of him and of the good service which he hath formerly done in that country, and giving him all manner of encouragement for the time to come, to take it into your care that he may enjoy all the rights, privileges and advantages belonging to his said place. And whereas we are informed that not

* Letters from the Lord Protector etc., 1654-8., p. 57. Public Record Office, Dublin.

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