says laboured to undervalue the disaffected party in Scotland which he calls your Goods is the Name of Andrew Young who stays about Newcastle whom he supposes to be a suspect Person because he was feared that Colonel Struthers would apprehend him And that he supposes the way that that Letter came to his Hand was from some Persons that were at a Meeting at Midsummer about that time where was present several of those People that had Commission from the several Districts but that he himself was not at that Meeting Examination of Mr. Steil and Andrew Oliver anent Mr. Aaron Smith's coming to Scotland his going to Sir J. Cockram's House at Ochiltree Edenburgh 11th of December 1683. MR. Thomas Steil in Iedwart-Forest declares that in February last an English Gentleman coming to Iedwart being recommended to the Declarant by one David Sheriff Stabler in Newcastle only that he might direct him to Ochiltree spoke only to him of â—arolina Business anent which he was to transact with Sir Iohn Cockram and that the Declarant got him one Andrew Oliver in Iedwart-Forest for hire to be his guide to Douglass and that the said Oliver went with him from that to Sir Iohn Cockrams and declares he knew not his name and had no knowledge of him but that he was called when he was at Iodwart Clerk but afterwards heard he was called Smith Andrew Oliver in Barwick Tenant to the Marquess of Douglass being Examined declares a little before Seed-time last the Declarant met with Mr. Thomas Steil at Linalie the Marquess's House of purpose to bring hom his Wife from Douglas to Iedburgh-Forest and the Declarant being upon his way and coming to Provost Ainslie's House in Iedburgh and there being a Stranger there an English man ready to take Horse to go to the West the said Mr. Thomas Steil having told the Deponent there was a Stranger who knew not the way and would be desirous of his company and the Deponent having called for the Stranger in the House he and he took Horse together and rode to Peebles that night and the next day came to Douglas and the Stranger upon the way told his Name was Samuel Clerk which he thinks was the next day after they came from Iedburgh and the next day the Stranger not being able to get a Guide to convey him to Ochiltree at the desire of Mr. Thomas Steil's Wife did go along with him from Douglas to Ochiltree and the Stranger went into the House of Ochiltree to call for the Laird the Deponent not having gone in with him where he staid about one quarter of an Hour and came back to a House in the Town where the Deponent was to Lodge That de Deponent heard from the Stranger that his business with the Laird of Ochiltree was concerning Carolina business and of their design to send Families there in the Spring to Plant and that he commended the Country And. Oliver Io. Edenburgen Edenburgh Sederunt and Iournals of Council 20 Dec. 1683. MR. Thomas Steil Chamberlain to the Marquis of Douglas being Prisoner as alleadged Entertaining and Corresponding with Aaron Smith when he was in Scotland and providing him a Guide to Sir Iohn Cokram's House of Ochiltree who being Examined with the said Guide and all that appears is That the said Aaron Smith under the Name of Clark was Recommended by one David Sheriff Inn-keeper and Stabler of Newcastle to Steil as being his Acquaintance when he came to Iedburgh to help him to one that should guide him the way being a Stranger without any suspition or knowledge of his being a person guilty of any Crime or evil Design The Lords upon consideration of the Bill appoint a Letter to be written to the Secretaries to cause Examine Aaron Smith upon the time of his coming to Iedburgh and what past betwixt him and Steil and any other Interrogator proper seeing it 's said that the said Aaron Smith denied he was ever in Scotland and that another Letter be written to the Mayor of Newcastle to Examine the Inn-keeper and in the mean time allows Steil to be at liberat on Caution to appear when called under the penalty of 2000 Marks and that he shall not go off the Country without Licence to prevent any practizing with the Inn-keeper Alexander Gordon of Earlston his Deposition before a Committee of His Majesties Privy-Council and two of the Iustices Edenburgh the 25th of September 1683. ALexander Gordon being further interrogate upon the Interrogators given in anent the Conspiracy in England declares That the first time he heard of any Design of rising in Arms was at the time when the competition was anent the Sheriffs at Midsummer was a year and then he heard the Duke of Monmouth was to head the Rebels and this he had from Iohn Nisbet and one Mr. Murray a Scotch-man then at London and declares That in Ianuary last the Declarant being in Holland he heard by general report that the late Earl of Argile was to raise some thousands of Highlanders to assist the Rebels in England by making a diversion and was to get a sum of money for that effect and that in March last he having received a Letter in Holland from Iohn Nisbet then in London he came over to London where he met with the said Nisbet and Murray who told the Declarant they designed to rise presently in England and to Rendezvous in six or seven places at one time particularly at Coventry and London and that they computed several thousands in Yorkshire who where to joyn with them That Murray desired the Declarant to go along with him to meet with the late Lords Russel and Gray and the Lord Wharton but of Wharton they said they were not very sure being a fearful man and with Mr. Ferguson and spoke of several old Officers of Cromwels that were to be there but the Declarant not being for the present rising shunned to meet with these persons or any of them and both Nisbet and Murray told the Declarant that Sir Iohn Cochran was with them and heard from these two persons that both the Cessnocks were concerned in that Business As to the Letter written by Io. N. of the 20th of March and directed for the Declarant at Rotterdam declares that Iohn Nisbet wrote the said Letter and that under the Metaphor of Trade throughout the whole Letter is meaned the design of rising in Arms and a Rebellion and that by the word Dispatching the old rotten stuff is meaned either the excluding the Sectaries from joyning with them or destroying the Government both Civil and Ecclesiastical which last the Declarant supposes rather to be the meaning of the words and that by the Factors are meaned their Emissaries for carrying on the Rebellion And for that strange thing that was to fall out that Week or the next the Declarant thinks is meaned the sudden muster of the Rebels In the close of the Letter which says Things are full as high
was one of the Greatest Rogues and deserved it more than any Man for he professing himself formerly of our Party knows our weakness and Divisions and hath exposed us and made the Court venture upon things which they would never have done otherwise And when Goodenough proposed that the Lord Keeper should be Hanged where Colledge was Hanged this Examinant having an Opinion that the Lord Keeper was an Enemy to this Examinant and had used him very hardly in a Cause this Examinant lately had in Chancery this Examinant desired that he might have the Custody of the said Lord Keeper a little while to make him sensible of his unkindness to this Examinant but this Examinant never designed or desired to Kill the said Lord Keeper or any other person nor would have had his Hands in any Mans Blood And this Examinant further saith that Ferguson lately told this Examinant that Mr. Cromwel Son of Richard Cromwel who usually goes by the Name of Mr. Cranbourn was so vain as to endeavour to make a Party for himself or his Father in the City and Goodenough formerly viz. about Christmass last told this Examinant that he believed the said Mr. Cromwel and Mr. Ireton the Son of Lieutenant General Ireton would assist in the intended Assassination of the King and Duke in Person And this Examinant further saith that Mr. Goodenough told this Examinant that he had spoken to one Partridge a Shoemaker and Almanack-Maker in Covent-garden to Act in this Assassination and that the said Partridge offered to joyn in it if it were to be done in Town but was not able to Ride and therefore would not joyn in the Attempt out of London And further said that the said Partridge had erected several Schemes and thereby found the Duke of York would scarce out-live March or April and that the King was under an ill Direction too and the People would be Victorious And Mr. Ryley told this Examinant the same thing as to the Schemes erected by Partridge And this Examinant further saith that Colonel Romzey told this Examinant that when Mr. Trenchard refused to go into the West and raise a Force for the intended Insurrection in November last the said Mr. Trenchard was sent for to the Duke of Monmouth's House about it and there were present the said Duke the Lord Gray and Colonel Romzey And further told this Examinant that the Lord Russel had prepared to go the then next morning to his Post which was somewhere in the West but this Examinant doth not remember the place And this Examinant further saith that after the Discovery Walcot told this Examinant Colonel Romzey Wade Norton Nelthrop Goodenough and Ferguson that notwithstanding the said Discovery he was perswaded God would yet deliver this Nation but he did not approve of the present Instruments who had undertaken it or used words to that purpose And this Examinant further saith that he having a Son lately Born desired Colonel Romzey to be Godfather who said he would not except he might name him Brutus but was afterwards prevailed with to do that Office and give the Name of Iohn to the Child being the said Colonels own Christian name Robert West The further Information of Robert West of the Middle-Temple Barrister at Law THis Examinant upon further recollection saith that Ferguson formerly viz. soon after his return from Holland told this Examinant that Dr. Owen and one Mr. Collins either and Anabaptist or Independent Preacher were the most sensible Ministers about the Town and were both of Opinion that the intended Assassination and Insurrection were both lawful and necessary and that Colonel Owen Dr. Owens Brother was Privy to them and joyned with Colonel Sidney and Major Wildman in the management of the Treaty with the Scots and that one Mr. Mead a Nonconformist Minister was zealous in the business of an Insurrection but was not for beginning it in London and Mr. Nelthrop told this Examinant the same thing of Mead and that he was able to Raise a thousand Men or more And this Examinant further saith that Mr. Nelthrop told this Examinant that in case of an Insurrection which he much desired he would go along with the Lord Russel wheresoever he took his Post and would furnish out himself and a man with able Horses and Arms and a good sum of Money And this Examinant further saith that upon a discourse with Colonel Rumzey concerning a general Insurrection the said Colonel told this Examinant that if he could have a thousand resolute Fellows to follow him and an other thousand Men to secure him at his back he would undertake to drive the King all the Court and the Guards out of Town so as they should not dare to look back till they were fled to Windsor And this Examinant further saith that the Money which this Examinant received from Ferguson amounting to something more than the Arms bought by this Examinant cost this Examinant by the direction of Colonel Romzey paid Five pounds to Mr. Wade to give to one Manning who was to have been one of the Assassinates and also in the last designed Insurrection to pay some Debts which Manning owed and the said Colonel Romzey Mr. Wade and Mr. Norton gave Manning a Guinny or 20 s. apiece more And the said Wade asking this Examinant whether he would personally engage in the last intended Insurrection and this Examinant saying his infirm Constitution was not able to bear the toyl of a Souldiers life Mr. Wade told this Examinant then he must sit out some Men that would and that this Examinant should give his Blunderbuss to Manning who was a strong stout Fellow able to carry it which this Examinant agreed to and to fit out two Foot Souldiers or do any thing else was fit for him to do And this Examinant further saith that at one of the last Meetings for Raising the three thousand Men out of the City and Suburbs Mr. Bourn reported he had communicated the business to Mr. Lobb a Nonconformist Parson who had a Congregation of poor zealous Men and that Mr. Lobb embraced it readily and promised to employ two trusty Men of his Congregation to go amongst the rest and engage as many as they could And this Examinant further saith that Ferguson had four several Lodgings during this Examinants Correspondence with him at three of which this Examinant visited him viz. at Mr. Bourns the Brewer at Mr. Owens a Lawyer living at the further end of King-street in New-Southampton Buildings and at a Cutlers over against Wills Coffee-house in Covent-garden his fourth Lodging was in St. Martins-lane in the Fields at a Dutch Doctors or German Quacks which this Examinant never was at and knows not the name of And this Examinant further saith that Colonel Romzey discoursing with this Examinant further concerning the Duke of Monmouth told this Examinant the Duke was inclinable to answer the peoples expectations and submit to be little more than a Duke of Venice but the
the Churches where the Sermons for Oath to bring up their Children in the true Protestant Faith and in the Discipline and Doctrine of the Kirk of Scotland according as they are obliged by the Solemn League and Covenant and at their Communions debarring always from their Sacrament all such as have not taken the Covenant and do not adhere to it But of all the Fugitive Preachers lately gone over from Scotland into Holland none is more perversely violent against the Government than Mr. Iohn Sinclair who for many years was Minister and kept a Boarding School at Ormiestoun whom about twelve Weeks ago I heard preach in the Scotch Church at Rotterdam and a great part of his Sermon was railing against the Duke and the Privy Council of Scotland saying That he meaning his Royal Highness was a Rebellious Enemy of God and had got such a Hand over those perjur'd Rogues meaning the Lords of the Privy Council as they all intended to overturn the Protestant Religion and to introduce Popery which he further said could very easily be done considering the small Difference that is betwixt them since Episcopacy was re-established and in his Prayer after Sermon I heard him pray earnestly That God might open the King's Eyes to let him see the Evil of his Ways and turn from it otherwise That God might take him out of this World from being a Curse and a Scourge to his Holy People And further prayed That God would turn the Counsels of his Councellors as he did that of Achitophel into nothing The late Earl of Argile lives now in the Province of Frisland where he has a small Estate purchased partly by his Father and partly by himself upon one of their Family or Tenants foretelling many years ago that they should be driven from their Estate in Scotland as I was often told in Holland particularly by Mr. Iohn Hog Minister of the Scotch Church in Rotterdam and Mr. Iohn Pitcairne who keeps a Meeting-house at Vtrecht The Earl of Lowdon with two Servants only and Sir Iames Dalrymple of Stair with his whole Family live at Leyden besides Mr. Douglas a Minister and some few more whose names I do not remember There are many Phanatick House-keepers in Rotterdaâ— who harbour the Rebels and Fugitives that come over from Scotland Viz. Robert Gibs Mr. Livistoune Iohn Gibbs Mr. Russell Iames Delapp Iames Thomson Iohn Greirson Iames Nory Iohn Iack George Weir all Merchants and the Widdow of the lately Deceased Iames Gordon Merchant whose House was the Common Receptacle of the chief of those Rebels and Fugitives The Gentlemen that I left at Rotterdam are Mr. Denham of Westsheills with his Family Captain William Cleland Iohn Belfour with his Family Captain William Ferguson of Caitloch with his Family Captain Andrew Story The Ministers there are Mr. Iohn Hog Mr. Robert Fleeming setled Preachers of the Scotch Church Mr. Iohn Harraway Mr. Thomas Forrester Mr. Alexander Hasty Mr. Patrick Vernat Mr. Iohn Blakater Mr. Gordon Mr. George Barclay and Mr. Iohn Sinclair aforesaid who is now settled a Preacher in the English Church at Delfe At Vtrecht I left Mr. Iames Stewart the Lawyer with his Family and his Elder Brother the Laird of Coldnesse Mr. Cochran Sir Iohn's Second Son the Lady Kersland and her Son and Six Ministers Viz. Mr. Thomas Hogg Mr. Iohn Pitcairne Mr. Iohn Ogilvy Mr. Iohn Veitche Mr. Robert Ker and Mr. Robert Menteath besides some others of less Note whose names I do not remember I left at Vtrecht three English Gentlemen who lived there for some time before and go by the Names of Esquire Packwood Mr. Smith a Merchant of London and Mr. Iones a Welsh-man but I do not believe that these are their true Names for they fled from England upon the Discovery of the late Plot as did likewise several other Englishmen whom I did often see there but could not learn their Names I did also see and speak with Sir Iohn Cochran but he and 7. or 8. Scotchmen more whose names I know not went two days after my Arrival there to Gilderland where a great many of the Rebels and Fugitives live as they think most safe and at ease amongst the Bores for they were afraid of Staying at Vtrecht as some of themselves told me by reason of the Spies that they were informed were sent thither from England to make enquiry after such of his Majesties Subjects as lived there And Mr. Cochran and Captain Cleland told me as their Friend that the report amongst our Countrymen was that I likewise was sent thither as a Spie which although they did not believe yet they advised me to be gone away privately assuring me withal that I was every hour I stayed there in hazard of losing my Life Upon this I returned to Rotterdam where my Credit with that Party continued about a week untill I was suspected by my old Captain and three of the Ministers Viz. Harraway Forrester and Sinclair who about 7 or 8 Weeks ago carried me with them to Church and there proposed as a Test of my Sincerity to the interest of the good Cause as it was commonly called that I should take the Covenant and the Sacrament with a Solemn Protestation that I am still as I have been in former times an Enemy to the King and the present Government All which I refused to do and then they debarred me for ever from their Meetings and Company Nevertheless I did often thereafter insinuate my self into both though without any Success for I could not recover their good opinion but on the contrary was daily threatned with the severest effects of their revenge White-hall 24 Feb. 1683 4. Robert Smith The Information of Zachariah Bourne taken the 5th of December 1683. THat Mr. Bayly sat up one night if not two with Mr. Ferguson and went several times in the Evening with him to the Duke of Monmouth and the cheif managers of the Conspiracy Ferguson told me he was the Cheif man for the Scots next the Lord Argile The Night he sat up with Ferguson I believe it was about the Declaration for the next day he was going to shew it me but some body came up to him and hinder'd him Mr. Bayly's great business to meet the Cheif Conspirators was as Ferguson told me to get the 10000. l. for the buying of Arms for the Insurrection in Scotland Carstares I saw often come to Ferguson but for any Discourse he had with him he never told me of or with any other but Mr. Bayly as I can at present remember Zac. Bourne The Deposition of Mr. William Carstares when he was Examined before the Lords of Secret Committee given in by him and renewed upon Oath upon the 22d of December 1684. in presence of the Lords of His Majesty's Privy-Council Edinburgh-Castle September 8. 1684. MR. William Carstares being Examin'd upon Oath conform to the Condescention given in by him and on the Terms there-in-mention'd Depones That about November or December 1682. Iames