Selected quad for the lemma: city_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
city_n	esq_n	honourable_a	john_n	11,866	5	8.6015	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A77321	Sir William Breretons letter sent to the Honoble William Lenthal Esq; Speaker of the Honorable House of Commons. Concerning all the passages and treaties of the siege and taking of the city of Chester· And by Mr. Speaker appointed to be printed and published. With a most exact declaration of Chesters enlargement after three yeers bondage, set forth by Nathanael Lancaster, chaplein to the Cheshire forces.	Brereton, William, Sir, 1604-1661.; Lancaster, Nathaniel, 1600 or 1601-1661.	1646 (1646)	Wing B4369; Thomason E325_30; ESTC R200644	32,065	40

Sir William Breretons LETTER SENT To the Honoble William Lenthal Esq Speaker of the Honorable House of Commons Concerning all the Passages and Treaties Of the Siege and taking of the City of CHESTER AND By Mr. SPEAKER appointed to be printed and published With a most Exact DECLARATION of Chesters Enlargement after three yeers Bondage Set forth by Nathanael Lancaster Chaplein to the Cheshire Forces London Printed for Edw. Husband Printer to the Honorable House of Commons and are to be sold at his Shop at the signe of the Golden Dragon in Fleetstreet neer the Inner-Temple March 5. 1645. TO The Honourable William Lenthal Esquire Speaker to the Honourable House of Commons SIR I Will not presume to present the inclosed to the more publike view of the House Yet I have thought fit to Communicate them unto your self that so you may receive a more full and exact accompt of the particulars of our transactions and proceedings here Touching which I doubt not but you have heard various Reports as though there had been a neglect in the use of that endeavour that might have tended to the speedie reducement of this City Which it is most true might have been sooner subdu'd if there had been a sufficient Army imployed against it But there were more Armed men within the City then there were foot in our whole Army to maintain the Leaguer block up Hoult and Hawarden and to make good all our out Quarters This City being the more Tenable because more then the half thereof is encompassed and secured by the River of Dee so as their whole strength might be applyed to maintain that part where we stormed and the whole circumstance of their Walls are not I believe so large as the whole Works about Namptwich or Manchester As also we have not been sufficiently furnished with Ammunition nor Granadoes until now of late having bought neer 800 or 1000 pounds worth of Ammunition besides what was sent from London and made use of whereof you received a former account which was a very large proportion as I have heard there was near forty Barrels spent in two dayes It is true our last Granadoes which we could not possibly pro●●●● any sooner then they came unto us did great execution and were 〈◊〉 ●●rrible and the City might have been thereby defaced and destroyed but not much sooner reduced by reason that the Citizens were so enawed and enslaved as that they durst not displease nor resist the Governour or Officers who were possessed with expectation of relief by Letters intercepted from Sir Jacob Ashley Sir William Neal and divers others giving them assurance that there was 15000 Danes French and Irish in Ireland ready to be transported for their relief Whereunto I gave no credit but have thought good to send the Copies of some of the Letters that so it may appear unto you that they had hopes of relief whereby they were induced to be so obstinate as to hold out so long knowing well their own strength and our weakenesse and that the season of the yeer would not permit us to prosecute those advantages that otherwise might have been better improv'd It not being possible for us to proceed on with our Lyne nor intrench by reason of the extream hard frost so as howsoever it might seem a teadious work yet when it is considered how much our strength was unsuitable to the work and the great want of Money which made it the more difficult to keep together upon such extream hard duty an Army constituted and collected out of several Counties how often it hath been attempted to relieve this City how often they have been repulsed how little relief hath been conveied into the City and how often the enemy hath Sallied out and been alwayes repulsed so as during more then twenty weeks close siege our Quarters have not been beaten up neither have we susteined any considerable losse whereby I hope we may be sufficiently vindicated against those calumnies which the envy of some and impatience of others have cast upon us Pardon I beseech you that I have so long detained you and believe that I am and will alwayes remain Your very faithful Friend and Servant W. B. Chester Feb. 9. 1645. SInce the concluding hereof I hear there are some Irish and some few French landed in Wales the certainty I shall be able to inform you in my next but if there be any they are not much considerable not said to be above a hundred and fifty in the whole Letters intercepted from Sir Iacob Ashley the Countesse of Leinster and others directed to the Lord Byron and others To the Lord Byron MY very good Lord I received a Copy of your Lordships of the second of Jan. this 11 of the same and am sorry to hear your Lordships reduced to so hard an exigent the original was sent with a packet from Ireland to Oxford by the Governour of Worcester I being come to Liechfield where yet I am I writ to your Lordship from Worcester by Mr. Walley about 14 dayes since but I perceive by Sir Iohn Wats to me of the 4 of this instant which I received the 10 that he yet stayes at Chirk-Castle from whence mine hath been sent to your Lordship two wayes so that I hope ours is come to hand I missed of Captain Elies I being come from Worcester and thereby of the particular Relation of the state of Chester I perceive the Peace in Ireland is concluded for my Lord Marques Ormond hath written to my Lord Archbishop of York by Letters of the 12 Decemb. last a Copy whereof his Grace sent me and came to my hands the 10 of this instant That he had 3000 foot in readinesse to be shipped for relief of Chester for which he desired fit Quarters to be provided against their Landing which by computation from his Letter should be about this time I have written to his Grace praying his best power and assistance to be contributed for providing Quarters for them accordingly and so soon as I shall have notice of their Landing I shall advance with what strength I can make which I hope will be about 1500 horse and 6 or 700 foot to joyn with them and am glad your Lordship can adde so considerable a number which I hope may do the work My Lord as by my last so again I pray you to inform me the Enemies strength and what way is best to come and such like circumstances as your Lordship thinks pertinent I assure your Lordship I am very sensible how much the preservation of that place imports His Majesties advantage and I shall imploy the utmost of my endeavours to render it relief wherein I beseech your Lordship be confident of and that I am My Lord Your Lordships most humble Servant Jacob Ashley Liechfield 12. Ian. 1645. For Sir Richard Lloyd SIR My Lord Ashley is not returned from Liechfield I sent the Letters to him whose Answer I expect hourly by the 24 of this

the City and adjacent Castles sent backe the Drumme in a most scornfull and reproachfull manner Then Sir William sent away Collonel Jones with fourteene hundred Horse and Dragoones and adjutant Louthiane with one thousand Foote to seeke and dissipute the enemy reported to be about three thousand at Denbigh October the twenty nine we marc't to Moulde the next day to Ruthen and November the first to Denbigh where the enemy being about one and twenty hundred Pedees making up the number stayd for us not knowing we were so many we intended for Denbigh greene a faire peice of ground for a Battle they intercepted our course at a place called Whitechurch a mile from Denbigh where our Forlorne hope was engaged and fought couragiously till the Body came up after which though we got ground yet could not the Horse passe through that strait lane before which the enemy was marshald in a body therefore a competent part being left to keepe that ground the rest marcht in a compasse nere foure miles to forme the Batalia upon Denbigh greene or if the enemy would not there fight to compasse them on both sides which they perceiving fell upon the party left to keepe that passe ours beate them off and got into open ground which caus'd them to flye to the Castle hill for shelter there they rallied and came downe againe our Foote with the Warwicke and Darby Horse disperst them againe drave them from under the Walls of the Castle and put them to a totall rout whom the Horse pursued 8. miles till the night forct them home it is conjectured that we slew about 100. on the ground tooke above 300. many of which we lost in haste to get seasonably to the campe and because we saw they were not worth the keeping Sir William Vaughan their Commander escapt by a timely flight advertising the Townesmen to provide for themselves who thereupon tooke Sanctuary in the Castle burnt a great part of the Towne and attempted the fireing of the whole we tooke above 800. Horse lost not a man on the field or but one and not 20 wounded The Munday after this blessed atcheivement we returned to the Leaguer at Chester about 30. advancing before the army came up in sight of the City and wandring upon a vexatious marish ground gave occasion to the enemy to thinke we were routed whereupon after a great shout given in the City all the Horse and some Foote sallied out upon our quarters next the Bridge which caused a very sharpe Skirmige of long continuance in conclusion we drave them in with some losse on our side which warnd us not to be secure upon a victory nor to neglect our guards The maine businesse of the Leaguer thenceforth was to finish the Trenches on the Welchside the City that went slowly on for want of mony which occasioned the enemy out of the Towne to take their advantages to fall upon our Guards which put us to almost daily Skirmishing and some losse Upon Friday November 14. after 18. weekes Seige the beleagured Castle of Beston was brought to such extremities for want of provision that their stout hearts came downe to beate a Parly Sir William Brereton appointed Collonel Croxton the Governour of Namptwich to Treate with them who tooke to his assistance Livetenant Collonel Coote they delivered up the Castle the next Lords day upon these conditions To march out every man armed Colors flying Drummes beating Matches light a proportion of powder and ball all their proper goods to be carryed with them which laded two waines a Convoy to guard them to Flint Castle as many as pleased to live quietly at their owne homes and so farre trusted that no hostage was left to secure the returne of the Convoy they were brought so low that they had eaten their catts and had not provision for that night High conditions for a most bloody insolent Country-wasteing enemy and them brought to such a starved condition Their march being on the Sabbath occasioned the breach of that holy rest to many in the Country who attended their first opportunity to enquire after their plundered goods stoard up in that Cage of violence and denne of theives The next Wednesday after Sir William Brereton summoned the City in hope that their wants within and losse of Beston might incline them to a Parly after full deliberation on the summons they returned an high scornefull and contempteous answer playing upon and jeering at the most perswasive a rguments used for the surrender of the City that taking no better effect he sent to them once more by their owne Trumpet that since they despised such favour tendred their blood must rest on their owne heads On Tuesday night November 9. about midnight the enemy in the City had a great designe to fire our bridge of boates and to cut off the Leaguer guards on the Welch-side to the effecting thereof they sent 2. Boats carryed downe with the Tyde laden with Tallow Pitch and other combustible mater with a frame of wood on the top of them on which were fixt double charged Carbines and other shorter peeces to make execution on them that sought to quench the fire the one of these fired hard by the Bridge they intended to burne made no execution on it or on any person but was seased on by our men and the fire quencht the other fired in the mid way betwixt their Bridge and ours consumed it self without hurt to any To put us to the greater distraction they sallyed out Horse and Foote at the same time upon the Guards nere the Bridge and they of Holt Castle alarum'd our quarters at Pulford thinking thereby to worke such distraction that one Guard might not relieve an other if their designe should take but this attempt proved destructive to themselves for after an hot dispute we beate them in wounded many slew 12. by the confession of their owne party which put them to great distractions within the City when that which promised releife proved their losse In all that service we lost not a man nor a drop of blood that we know of December 4. a great packet of Letters was intercepted by our guards sent out of the City by a fit agent signifying to their owne party their low condition with desire of releife The maine businesse was lockt up in Characters and they had the key the report of their condition was referred to the Messenger who chose rather to runne all hazards than confesse and discover his Message Being sent prisoner for Tarvin behind one of our men he tooke the opportunity to dismount himselfe on the new bridge leapt into the water in hope to escape into the City by swyming but sunke in the mid way and was drowned whom though he escaped Martiall justice vengeance would not suffer to live Now came in the happy tydings of the surrender of Latham upon very honourable conditions to Collonel Iohn Booth who thereupon tendred the further assistance of Lancashire for

Chidley Coot Col. Carter Adju. Gen. Lowthian Ionathan Bruen Esq Roger Wilbraham Esq Lieut. Col. Hunt Lieut. Col. Venables Mr. Rich. Bradshaw From the Major of Chester and Mr. Tatton to Sir W Brereton Sir VVE desire that a Pass for our Commissioners formerly named ●heir servants and horses may be sen by this Drum to meet with yours in the Forgate-street to morrow morning by nine of the Clock and to return Remaining Your servants Cha. Walley Major Robert Tatton Vic. Com. cestr. Chester the 28 of Ian. 1645. They delaying time and not sending for a Pass so soon as was expected this was sent in to them Gentlemen I Have received your several Dilatory Answers and do assure you that if the Lord Byron in whom you say the sole power of Treaty resteth do not assent and act therein you may forbear sending Do not deceive your selves in expectation that I will Treat when you please I am sorry my care of the Cities preservation hath produced such unsuitable effects The further misery that is like to befal that City be on your heads and not on Your servant Will Brereton January 29. 1645. Lord Byron to Sir William Brereton SIR I was knowing of and consenting to the Letter this day sent by Mr. Mayor and Mr. Sheriff Tatton touching the intended Treaty and am content if a Passe may be sent for that purpose that the Commissioners formerly named do meet with yours at the time and place in that Letter mentioned and remain Your Servant Iohn Byron Chester Ian. 29. MY Lord I have according to your desire sent you a Passe here inclosed for those Gentlemen you formerly nominate who are to morrow expected at the time and place appointed where mine also shall be ready In the mean time I remain Your Servant William Brereton Chester Suburbs 29 Ian. 1645. A Passe for the Chester Commissioners To all Commanders Officers and other Souldiers under my command in service for King and Parliament THese are to command you to permit and suffer the persons under named with their Attendants not exceeding twenty four in number quietly and peaceably to passe your Scouts and Guards from Chester to this place with their Horses and Arms and to return without any your let or hindrance Hereof fail not at your perils Given under my hand at my Quarters in the Forgate street Ian. 29. 1645. Sir Edm Verney Knight Col. William Ince Alderman Thomas Cholmondley Esq Lieut. Col. Peter Griffith Lieut. Col. Henry Leigh Christopher Blease Alderman Sergeant Major Tho Throp Lieut. Col. Iohn Robinson Iohn Iohnson Merchant John Werden Gent. Dr. Moreton Divines Tho Bridge From the Mayor and Lord Byron to Sir William Brereton SIR Vpon the return of those Commissioners sent to treat with yours and the Accompt they have given of their proceedings wee finde it so absolutely impossible to make a final conclusion in the time limited the matter being of so high a concernment to the Estates Liberties Lives and Consciences of the several conditions of people in this Citie that we are inforced to require a further day which we desire no longer then Monday next at which time we hereby engage our selves they shall return with full power to conclude Hereunto not doubting your assent we rest Your Servants John Byron Cha Walley for my self Citizens Chester 31 Jan. 1645. MY Lord Upon due consideration how you have carryed on this Treaty and upon consultation with those with whom I have advised I finde nothing more then delayes in your desires there being no new matter proposed yesterday but what you have had sufficient time to consider I shall not therefore admit of any further delay nor longer time to treat and conclude upon the Conditions tendred then this day and so remain Your Servant William Brereton Ian. 31. 1645. Articles concluded and agreed upon Feb. 1. 1645. between the Commissioners appointed on the behalf of John Lord Byron Field Marshal General of North Wales and Governour of Chester on the one part and the Commissioners on the behalf of Sir William Brereton Baronet Commander in chief of all the Forces of Cheshire and at the Leaguer before Chester on the other part for the Surrender of the City of Chester with the Castle and Fort thereof 1. THat the Lord Byron and all Noblemen Commanders Officers Gentlemen and Souldiers and all other Persons whatsoever now residing in the City of Chester and the Castle and Fort thereof shall have liberty to march out of the said City Castle and Fort with all their Apparel whatsoever and no other or more Goods Horses or Arms then are hereafter mentioned viz. The Lord Byron with his Horse and Arms and ten men with their Horses and Arms to attend him Also his Lady and Servants two Coaches and four Horses in either of them for the accommodating of them and such other Ladies and Gentlewomen as the said Lord Byron shall think meet with eighty of the said Lords Books and all his Deeds and Evidences Manuscripts and Writings in his possession the said Lord his Lady nor any their Attendants carrying amongst them all above fourty pounds in money and twenty pounds in Plate The rest of the Noblemen with their Ladies and Servants to march with their Horses each of the said Lords attended with four men their Horses and Arms every such Nobleman carrying with him not above thirty pounds in money Every Knight and Colonel to march with two men their Horses and Arms no such Knight or Colonel to carry with him above ten pounds in money Every Lieutenant Colonel Major and Captain of Horse with one man their Horses and Arms no such Lieutenant Colonel Major or Captain carrying with him above five pounds in money Every Captain of Foot Esquire Graduate Preaching Minister Gentlemen of quality the Advocate and Secretary to the Army every of them with his own Horse and Sword the Ministers without Swords none of them carrying with him above fifty shillings and the Ministers to have all their own Manuscripts Notes and Evidences Lieutenants Cornets Ensignes and other inferiour Officers in Commission on Foot with every man his Sword and not above twenty shillings in money All Troopers Foot-Souldiers Gunpowder Makers Canoneers and all other not before mentioned to march without Horse or Arms And that none of the said Persons before mentioned shall in their march after they are out of the City and Liberties thereof be plundered searched or molested 2. That all Women of what degree soever that please to march out of the City shall have all their Apparel with them and such Officers Wives whose Husbands are Prisoners or absent may carry such sums of money with them as are allowed by these Articles to Commanders Officers and Gentlemen of their Husbands qualities and no more 3. That none of the Commanders Officers or Souldiers or any other at or before their marching out of the City Castle or Fort do injure or plunder the Person or Goods of any nor carry any thing

Munday night at Wrexham endeavouring to informe our selves of the Kings motion and to follow him as opportunitie might serve Upon Wednesday Octob. 1. the intelligence was that the King marched towards Hereford thereupon Generall Poyntz that day marcht after him from Wrexham to Elesmere and Collonel Iones towards Chester to make good the Leaguer there To hasten the worke of reducing the City we sent a Convoy for the great Guns at Stafford and Salop by them to force a speedy entrie before the King could reinforce himselfe to returne Powder and Ball was altogether wanting for so great a service but the Gentlemen of the County were so forward for the worke that they engaged themselves for foure hundred pounds by which we were furnished with Ammunition from Warrington but such jugling there was to prevent the ball and retard the Guns and by subtill agents that cannot endure the work should prosper in the hands of these instruments who affect the cause as they fancie the Leader that we lost above a weeke for the effecting of this great Designe Upon Munday Octob. 5. the City was so strictly begirt on both sides the River that none could passe in or out for the guards of which Sir Iohn Byron the Governour complained in his Letters to the archbish. of Yorke and his brother sent to them at Conway but intercepted by us that day the Powder and Ball being come we fixt a batterie on Tuesday night on the Northside towards the River and made a breast-worke for Muskettiers on the Welch side which clear'd a good part of the wall on the inside On Wednesday we battered the Bulwarke next the North gate even with the Wall On Thursday the wall it selfe close by the Goblen Tower which proved so thicke and the Ball so brittle that not much more than the battlements was beaten downe whiles the besieged endeavoured to make up the breach by packs feather-beds c. and to lyne the Wall all along Our Cannon on the Welch side made great execution swords armes leggs whole bodies were seene to flye in the ayte cart loads of bodies drawne off and the Horse in the reare driving up men and women to make up the breach That night a little before Sun-sett we storm'd the City upon the new breach the old breach neere the new gate and by scaling betwixt the East gate and the Fenix tower the storme was very hot for neere two houres together some of ours carried it very stoutly fighting in the breach and on the tops of the ladders had they been sutably seconded the Town in all probability had been ours that night In conclusion we made good our retreate in the darke we lost 27 men on the ground of those no Officers but a Serjeant and a Corporall about 60. wounded amongst them Lievtenant-Collonell Venables and Captaine Massy brother to the renowned Massie of Glocester but neither of them dangerously the report from within the City is that their losse was more than ours amongst others Sir William Manwaring was slaine an unlucky Knight to fall the first time he came into the field and a wall betwixt him and danger Upon Saturday Octob. 18 the bridge of Boats a very vsefull piece uniting the Forces on both sides the River was finished the one end fixt within the Workes the other guarded with a Fort whence the line was intended to intrench the Citie on the Welch side to prevent all reliefe The Munday after we had a designe upon Holt in regard of the Enemie drawne thither reported to be 700. which indangered the reliefe of Beston and the beating up of our quarters Thereupon Collonel Iones fellsuddenly upon Holt with above 1000. horse and foot who fell so unexpected on the Enemie that had the Forlorne hope observed the command to keep within Musket shot of the Body in all probabilitie wee had entred the Castle before they had drawne up the Bridges There we had a sharpe skirmish with about 140 horse and the Castle foot for that was all the strength that Fame had made 700. upon whom we fell with such violence that we beat them into the Castle ditch made great execution on them in the fall slew one Major and many other souldiers wounded very many took Lievtenant Coll. Byron the Lord Byrons Brother five more and some good horses our losse was two men slain three wounded not mortally others sleightly wounded fourteene of our Forlorne hope taken whose neglect of commands rendred them prisoners By this atchievement we quite brake that Body secured the Leaguer at Beston and our own quarters Neere about that time Major Sankey with a party of horse fell upon Hawarden towne which would not contribute to the Leaguer layd an Ambuscado within pistoll shot of the Castle drew the rest about to the other end of the Towne at the alarme given the listed Souldiers in the Towne and some others besides hasted to the Castle the ambuscado slew some tooke 12. prisoners fetcht off 42. head of Cattle 50. sheepe of the Governours 14. Horse and a Beare which roared upon the man that layd hold on him for a calfe none of ours either lost or wounded thenceforth the Town contributed and we restored the Cattle this became a good president to the Welch who above 20. miles off follow their example Upon Friday and some dayes after our Cannon played on the enemies mills spoyled 3. of them and battered the water Tower by which water was conveighed into the whole City At this time we had sure intelligence of the enemies advance towards us whereupon the Commanders speeded Letters to all the adjacent parts to hasten all the releife possible that we might be enabled to make good the Leaguer and give Battle to the enemy in the field that so we might loose no ground Hitherto the military affaires of this County were under the charge of Col. Iones adju. Louthiane who discharged that trust in al their undertakings with as much prudence resolution and gallantry as could be expressed from men whose endevours God still crowned with happy successe and the worke in their hands so farre advanc'● that Chester unlesse relieved with an army must necessarily yeeld up themselves and Beston Castle gasping for every thing necessary but aire and water Upon Saturday October the twenty five Sir William Brereton came to Namptwich appointed by the Parliament to Command in cheife to whom the Commanders from the Leaguer signifyed the enemies designe and the preparation already made to entertaine them Sir William approving of that course seconded their Letters to draw in the Auxiliaries who were very forward of themselves to promote this great designe in which they were all so much concerned By this time the enemy in Wales were reported to be potent to the great encouragement of the beleaguerd City and Castle Sir William Brereton however summon'd the Castle hopeing their low condition might incline them to a Parlie but they being confident of help at hand by signalls from