Civil War

Lords Journals 15 July 1644

Gentlemen

The Houses have received several Informations, as well from the Committee of both Kingdoms, as from Sir Samuell Luke, Governor of Newport Pagnell, of the great Wants of that Garrison, both of Men and Money, occasioned by your not sending thither the Proportions to which you are bound by the Ordinance of Parliament: They are very sensible of the great Consequence of that Garrison, both for the Association of my Lord of Manchester, and for the City of London; and of the great Danger that may happen in case you do not speedily send in your Proportions of armed Men and Money, for the Works there, and for the Payment of the Soldiers according to the said Ordinance: They have therefore commanded us to require you immediately to put the Ordinance in Execution, by sending thither your Proportions of armed Men and Money unto the Governor there; and that you take Care also to send in thither an able sufficient Man to be of the Committee there, to see your Money distributed amongst your Soldiers, from Time to Time, as you shall send it. The Houses take Notice of your former Failings therein. They now expect your speedy Performance; which when you have done, those of your associated Forces which are now there may be useful in some other Service. This is all that we have in Command to require of you; which hoping you will perform, we rest.

This Letter sent to these Counties, Buchinham Bedford North’ton Huntingdon Cambridge Norfolke Suffolk Essex Hertford.

Three months elapsed from the date of this letter before the House of Commons found it necessary to reiterate their demand upon the reluctant Counties, and therefore it may be presumed that some supplies of men and money reached Newport. At any rate Sir Samuel found himself strong enough at the end of July to send out Ennis, one of his Captains, and his troop to Bicester, where they succeeded in surprising a small party of Royalists, all of whom, after a short skirmish in which their Lieutenant was shot by Ennis, yielded themselves prisoners and were brought back to Newport. And in September Luke adopted the plan of compelling the Constables of the Parishes and Hundreds near Newport to send in each a certain number of workmen to labour upon the fortifications; the Constables of Winnersley Hundred were to send in “one hundred able labouring men with mattocks spades and shovells to come and work upon this garrison upon Monday next and to continue until the fortifications be completed at the charge of the several towns from whence they come”; the Constables of Evershall were to send in “all the labourers in their town, one out of each family, and all the teames and carts in their town to Newport on the following Saturday by seven, A.M.” and the Constables of Clifton “twelve carpenters and twelve masons by the Monday following to remain there till discharged”.