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

General Monck to the Speaker - Sir William Clarke, The Clarke Papers. Selections from the Papers of William Clarke, vol. 4 [1901]

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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 (London: Longmans, Green, and Co., 1901). 4 vols.

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

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General Monck to the Speaker

Right Honourable,

lii. f. 58b.I have ordered Collonel Redman to march with the Irish Brigade1 into Cheshire, and theire to expect your further orders; but hee has received orders from the Commissioners to march into Cheshire, Lancashire, and Wales, which was their former Quarters and is very convenient for their passage into Ireland, soe that I thinke, till yow direct them to be retorned thither, they cannott be in a better station.2 I have presumed to make some necessary alteracions in the troopes, where I have placed six honest officers that wilbee faithfull to yow, and I desire yow wilbe pleased to confirme them. Their names are: Capt. Richard Franklin to be Captain of that troope late Capt. Richard Mac Laughlin’s in Coll: Redman’s regiment; Lawrence Cox, Cornett to him; Thomas Beard, Cornett to Major Meredith in Collonel Wallace’s late Regiment; Lancelott Bolton, Lieutenant to Capt. John Salt’s troope; Thomas Bentley, Captain-Lieutenant to Collonel Sankey’s late troope; Paulett Phillips to be Quarter-Master to Capt. Thomas Walcott’s troope. I cannott omitt to acquaint yow that Collonel Redman, whom yow sent to take charge of the Brigade, hath behaved himselfe with much prudence and faithfulnes in your service since hee came to itt, and hee deserves your favour and encouragement. Hee was unjustly putt from his Regiment in Ireland by the instigacion of Collonel Barrowe and Collonel Axtell, and Adjutant Generall Allen (noe good freind of yours) appointed to have itt. I desire yow will be pleased to restore him to his Regiment, and give him some further marke of your favour; for yow have few better horse officers in your service, and hee is sober and well principled, and such men deserve encouragement.1 The Brigade will need a further inspection than I am able to make into itt upon my march, but I knowe yow wilbe pleased to direct the Commissioners to take care of itt. Lieutenant Collonel Brett, whom yow sent downe with Collonel Redman to command the foot under him, is an honest, stout, able officer, and one that is faithfull to yow; I humbly request yow to be mindfull of him for a regiment of foote in Ireland. And there is one Capt. Salt (whose troope is heere, and was lately disposed of to Collonel Desborough’s sonne), who is an honest, able officer, and has bin long in your service; and I desire hee may be restored to his command, the other Gentleman having expressed much dissatisfaction at your restauracion. When I came into Yorkshire I found the regiment of horse lately under Collonell Lambert all dispersed, and with few officers; and judging it requisite for your service to modell it for the safety of the northerne parts, I appointed Collonell Bethell to take charge of it as Collonell,1 and by his advice have nominated the severall officers in the inclosed list to take charge of the men till your pleasure be knowne. One of them, by name Capt. Ralph Waterhouse, I had comissionated as Captain, and I humbly desire yow will confirme what I have done both [as] to the Collonell and the rest of them, for if it were not of greate advantage to your service I should nott move itt. Hee2 is a person of great interest in the Northerne parts, and often in the time of the Protector Oliver was offred Comission but refused it, and the Regiment was much of it his before Lambert had it, and hee is of unquestionable courage and faithfullnes, which hee eminently testified in the late interrupcion by raising the County for yow; and hee tooke the Declaration of the Irish Brigade, which directly tended to an adherence with yow as yow were sitting on the 11th of October. I am informed the Commissioners of London, not knowing what I had done, had ordred this Regiment to Collonel Twisleton, which I am sorry for, in regard I thinke him to be a worthy person. But although I might have thought my selfe sufficiently qualified by your order of the second of January instant to dispose of the forces heere, I had nott done this but for the urgent necessity of your service, soe that I presume yow will heerafter in due time provide for Collonel Twisleton, and not discourage this worthy person. The truth is your selfe and many worthy members, by your letter into Scotland of the 23th of the last moneth, directed mee to dispose of the commands of all that had either deserted or neglected to come to their comands in the time of your interrupcion, except Collonel Saunders, Major Barton, and Capt. Izard; but having disposed of Saunders and Barton’s comands upon Lambert’s pressing upon mee before your lettre came, I humbly moved your favour to Collonel Saunders and Major Barton;1 but I presumed nott to mention Collonel Twisleton, because I knew nott how hee stood in your opinion, in regard yow excepted him nott in your lettre to mee. Yow had also, in a great and gratious respect to mee, bin pleased by your printed vote of the 12th of this moneth [to] againe confirme and approve of what I had done for your service,2 which was since the disposicion I had made of this regiment, and I hope I have nott forfeited that your kindnes to mee by this action. I have nott had the honour to see Mr. Scott and Mr. Robinson yett,3 because the wayes are soe unpassable they cannott reach beyond Leicester in a coach, and I have bin forc’t to stay heere these two dayes for the coming up of the foote; but on Monday I shall marche to Leicester, and from thence acquaint yow with the time of my being in London, which is earnestly desired in obedience to your commands by

G. M.

[1 ]The Irish Brigade consisted of the forces sent over from Ireland in August 1659, to help in the suppression of Booth’s rising. They consisted of 1,000 foot and 500 horse under Colonel Zanchey and Colonel Axtell. Zanchey cast in his lot with Lambert and Fleetwood, but most of the officers of the brigade were zealous for the Parliament (Ludlow, Memoirs, ii. 110, 118, 127, 130, 153, 162, 203). Major Godfrey and the cavalry of the Irish Brigade helped Fairfax to secure York (Cal. State Papers, Dom. 1659-60, 288, 293, 300; Mercurius Politicus, Dec. 29-Jan. 5, p. 1003); MSS. of Mr. Leyborne-Popham, p. 140).

[2 ]See Scot’s letter to Monck (Cal. State Papers, Dom. 1659-60, p. 310).

[1 ]Colonel Redman and Lieut.-Colonel Brett arrived to take command of the Irish Brigade on December 31, but, according to Major Godfrey, were generally regarded with some distrust, as being formerly ‘such great sticklers for a Protector’ (Cal. State Papers, Dom. 1659-60, p. 294). Both had been cashiered for that reason in July 1659 (ibid. p. 12; Ludlow, ii. 203). Redman was already in communication with the agents of Charles II., and was knighted after the Restoration.

[1 ]Colonel Hugh Bethell commanded a regiment of horse in the army of the Northern Association in 1645, and was badly wounded at the battle of Rowton Heath in September 1645. He again commanded a regiment of Yorkshire horse during the year 1648.

[2 ]Colonel Bethell.

[1 ]On Colonel Saunders and Major Barton, see Monck’s letter of December 29 (Old Parliamentary History, xxii. 41; Commons’ Journals, vii. 804; Grey, Answer to Neal’s Puritans, iv., Appendix p. 137).

[2 ]Commons’ Journals, vii. 808.

[3 ]Scot and Robinson met Monck on the road between Leicester and Nottingham on January 23. See Gumble, p. 226; Baker, p. 702; Price, p. 754.