LETTER from the MASTER OF THE ROLLS to SIR THOMAS HANMER, 6th February, 1643.

SIR,

I very hartely thanke you for your letter, and the relation of the condition of your parts, to the improving of which, if it were in my power, I would most willingly contribute. The sole command and managing of them is in the Prince, depending on his moving to you, who, if the counties do their part, I hope, upon the arrival of the new forces, will be master of the field, and in a better condition than you were before this misfortune. His Majesty has made him President of Wales, and if yourself were his Vice-President I should be confident that business were well settled. I have endeavoured it, so far as is in my power, and wish you would think of it, and address yourself to him accordingly. His Majesty very willingly harkened to your postscript of the old gentleman, and desires you to omit nothing that may conduce to that business, and bids me assure you he will make good what you shall undertake concerning the same. Vavasour shall be written to as you mention. My servant presseth to be gone, and I shall trouble you with no more, but that I am your very affectionate servant, J. COLEPEPPER.'

Oxford, 6th Feb", 1643.

Pray remember me very kindly to Robin Ellis. I have

reason to-day, in another age is folly, madness, and destruction."

1 At this time the Parliament, not heeding the King's appointment, had made their Speaker Lenthal Master of the Rolls.

enquired, and can find no such pardons in hand as he mentioned.

For my very worthy friend

SIR THOMAS HANMER, these.

LETTER, endorsed in SIR THOMAS HANMER'S handwriting,

LIEUT. JONES'S LETTER to me to pay the money

SIR,

to this man.

I received your letter, and return you thanks for your first messenger; sorry I am that I cannot satisfy your expection with the sight of the troop under your own command, but, since it is committed by Prince Rupert to the care of Major Power, I am confident that they will not be indulged so much favour as to be sent into their own country untill the war be ended or the troop dissolved. Had I been with my captain' when he was employed upon his last service, I should I believe have known where and how much was the money he had, but upon enquiry I found it was lost with him, being in gold in his pocket. For the money which I disbursed at his last solemnity, the sum of it I sent you before with the quarter master, and will shew his hands subscribed as witnesses, being 431. 4s. 7d. I cannot find how to have it returned by bill of exchange, so that I have sent my servant to you, and will run the hazard of losing it in the

1 This appears to relate to Sir Thomas's brother John, who was killed in action in Gloucestershire.

passage with him. If you please to send it by him you will so much the more oblige me.

Your intelligence concerning the meeting of the Cheshire and Staffordshire forces I have received also from other hands. I am not able to give myself the satisfaction of their purpose in drawing the forces that way; but by the removing of their prisoners to Nantwych, of which I am certainly informed, I do conceive they will rather join with Cromwell or Grey, or march up to my Lord of Essex, than attempt anything in these parts. Their warrants run for the fortifying of Stafford. Sir, I am much obliged to you for your care to gain intelligence, of which I shall desire speedy advertisement.

I rest your very affectionate friend,

Shrewsbury, 25th July, 1643.

ARTHUR CAPEL.

I have received a letter sent from the gentlemen of Flintshire to Captain Gryffyth, which signifies their weariness of the burden of the horse lying upon them. I have returned them an answer included, which I desire you to read, seal, and send to them.

LETTER from SECRETARY NICHOLAS to PRINCE RUPERT naming SIR THOMAS HANMER as a fit person to be Vice-President of Wales.

May it please your Highnes,

By his Majestie's comaund I send your Highnes inclosed a lettre from Collonel Lewson to his Majestie, whereby your Highnes will understand somewhat of the differences betweene the Lord Loughborow, the said Collonel Leweson (governour of Dudley Castle), and Collonel Boyd governour of Lichfield; by occasion whereof his Majestie considers his services doe exceedingly suffer in these partes; and therfore his Majestie hath comaunded me to desire your Highnes to call the said persons unto you, as soon as conveniently it may be, and to use some good meanes to reconcile or over-rule the said differences, that each in his respective comaund, and all of them together, may hereafter contribute their best endeavours (without clashing or jarring) for the advancement of his Majestie's service and the publique good.

His Majestie, considering it very requisite that there should be a Vice-President in Wales, hath thought on Sir Tho. Hanmer as a very fitt man for that charge, being a person very well affected to his Majestie, and of very good esteeme in Wales, and desires your Highnes' opinion of it.

As the King is very well pleased that your Highnes hath taken with you the governour of Barclay Castle, soe he hath comaunded me to desier your Highnes to take order that there be forthwith another put into his place,

that is of very loyall affeccions, and a dilligent strict man, that being a place of great importance.

The Earl of Newport is here, very dangerously sick, soe as it is thought he will hardly escape.

The rebells att London are raysing of men very fast; they have alreddy shipped away for Dorsetshire above 1,000.

Sir William Waller hath a contagious disease amongst his soldiers, soe as he cannot get any men to recruit his forces for fear of infeccion.

We have received lettres this day that the Scots (being about 10,000 foot and 1,500 horse) are come to Morpeth; they would have come into Alnwick, but the garrison there killed 40 of them, and the rest thereupon marched another way; their ordnance and carriages were to come by sea, and to meet them about Morpeth.

I humbly beg your Highnes' pardon for this tedious lettre, and to believe that I am really,

Your Highnes' most humble servaunt,

Endorsed, without other date, 1644.

EDW. NICHOLAS.

A few miles from Hanmer, in Worthenbury parish, stands the ancient moated house of Emral, called Emberhall in Saxton's maps, which was opposite to ours in the civil broils. Upon the occasion of the following letter, Hanmer, as well as Emral, seems to have been in the hands of the Parliamentary forces, and retaken from them by