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Subject Area: Political Theory
Subject Area: History
Topic: The English Revolution

[ News-letter from York. ] b - Sir William Clarke, The Clarke Papers. Selections from the Papers of William Clarke, vol. 2 [1894]

Edition used:

The Clarke Papers. Selections from the Papers of William Clarke, Secretary to the Council of the Army, 1647-1649, and to General Monck and the Commanders of the Army in Scotland, 1651-1660, ed. C.H. Firth (Camden Society, 1894). 4 vols.

Part of: The Clarke Papers. Selections from the Papers of William Clarke, 4 vols.

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[News-letter from York.]b

Yorke, 12 May, 1648.

To relate unto you the true present condition of these parts is very difficult. In generall wee are all ever in a strugling, striving, fearing, hoping, marching, fighting posture. The late surprise of Barwick and Carlisle hath put . . . . the Cavaleers . . . . many high, proud and confid[ent] . . . . with them, . . . . and that they have plotted and hoped for, have they now oportunity to putt in execution, taking advantage of the paucity of our forces to resist, if they can but possibly gett into a body; their number every where is soe great and the well affected so few, that the former are very highly incouraged even to confidence, and the latter are much discouraged even to differences, because they heare of no visible assistance approaching (which is soe much desired and would never bee more seasonable then now) to give a stop to their dayly confluence and engaging the country on their side, which they loose no time in, while the poore well affected are forced to leave their homes and flie for their lives. They are so high, that they cry out in every place “hay for King Charles againe,” (and satyriacally) “what will become of the saintes now.” Indulgence, I feare, hath whetted this knife to cutt our owne throtes; a hundred or six score of the well affected are fled out of Cumberland for feare of the enemy. All our forces are marched northward to endeavour all they can to prevent the enemies multipling, and dissipate their tender bodies before they grow too corpulent. By the inclosed, which is a coppy of the gentlemen’s warrant under named, at Tor . . . . in this new rebellion, Major Cholmley’s lettre, and the list of men’s names enrolled, you will see the forwardness and cuningnes of the enemye. By that warrant they procured a great meeting of the Country to see what those new agents would propound to them. Sir Robert and Sir Thomas Strickland made large speeches to the poore ensnared country to [venture] lives and f[ortu]nes in this their present designe. [Enclosed] is a coppy of the list of those that gave in their names for it, which was taken by [one] Harrison, Clarke of the Peace for Westmerland. Their meting was on Saturday last, and at their dissolve they appointed the Tuesday following to perfect their resolves; but that Saturday night after their meeting Major Cholmely with his troope fell into some of their quarters, and apprehended some of them, which hath given a little hush to the people, and ’tis thought now upon the approach of our forces they will disperse. Among the rest Harrison the Clarke of the Peace was taken at Kendall, crying about the stretes “now high for King Charles,” and had the list in his pocket. Hee and one Captain Ferrand were sent up to Yorke, and are comitted to Clifford’s Tower, and some more are taken. Harrison conffesed ingenuously to mee that he did take the names upon a hill in the feild at the randezvous, upon the desire of Sir Henry Bellingham, and that it was a true coppy. Here in Yorke there hath bene a great feare of the enemies rising to surprise this towne,a and indeed not without ground, because they are so high and many, and doe indeed in plaine termes threaten and speake it, and terrifie the well affected as much as they can; and on Wednesday night last about midnight runned in a party of horsemen, and disperst themselves, as is conceived, to severall malignants houses to lie there till an opportunity of setting themselves in a fitt equipage of putting themselves into action, insomuch as the well affected were sorefrighted and began to shift for themselves, and looke about them. This gave a great alarm to the Lord Maior and Aldermen, who presently under strict charge to looke well to the barrs and [H]ouse of C[apt] Spencer, who hath a Con . . . . . Clifford’s Tower to suppress meeting[s] and insurrections in the Citty; and p[resent]ly they sumoned a counsell, and tooke into consideration the raising of some volunteers for the defence and safety of themselves. While the Citty was in this confusion, comes in, providentially, and unlooked for, a troop of our horse that quartered in Darbysheire; the Cavaleers seeing them cryed “Glenham was come, Glenham was come,” and Quarter Master Diggles, who brought them in, hearing the Citty in that posture, drew uppe the troup in the heart of the Citty, and spake to them to make ready in case of present opposition, which they did, but nothing done; onely this much discouraged the enemy, and incouraged freinds and gave life to the present motion of the Lord Mayor and Aldermen in raising men, who now though lately they would . . . . in the Citty, beg heartily that they would stay in the Citty, till they have raised and putt the Citty in a posture of defence and safety. I heare they have agreed to raise 2 Companies of Volunteers under Aldermen Dickenson and Alderman Gray, and some horse to ride about a nights to keepe downe the enemy. It was verily believed that the last night, had not that trouppe come in, the Cavaleers would all have beene up in armes, and possest themselves of the power of the Citty for the Enemy.

[b ]This letter is injured by damp, and in parts illegible. It is pretty certainly from Thomas Margetts, like that of April 8.

[a ]Cf. Rushworth, vii., 1113.