Selected quad for the lemma: england_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
england_n	act_n	parliament_n	power_n	3,251	5	4.9929	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A94903	A true and exact narrative of the proceedings of the Parliaments fleet, against the island of Barbadoes With the maner of the reducing thereof: together with the submitting of the islands of St. Christophers, Antego, and St. Mevis, to the Commonwealth of England. Written by an eye-witnesse, Mr. T.H. from aboard the Amity, in Carlisle Bay, and sent to a friend in London, to be published for satisfaction, and printed verbatim by the same copy.	T. H.	1652 (1652)	Wing T2436B; ESTC R215656	8,069	18

cost and planted by the people and Parliament of England and ought therefore to be subject to such Lawes Orders and Regulations as are and shall be made by the Parliament of England and whereas many Acts of Rebellion had been committed among them setting up themselves opposite to and distinct from the State and Common wealth of England as was mentioned by an Act of Parl. bearing date Sept. 1650. passed to that purpose And that the Parliament of the Common wealth of England the supream Authority of that Nation having taken the defection of that Island from their due obedience into their consideration had armed and set forth a greet Fleet of Ships under his Command to endeavor by the blessing of God the reducing of that Island and being safely arrived there to prevent the ruine and destruction of the Island by such acts of hostility wherewith he was sufficiently able to annoy them he did therefore think fit to send unto his Lordship this summons to deliver up to him the said Island of Barbadoes with all the Strengths Fortifications Ports and places thereof for the use of the Parliament of England The Lord Willoughby having received this summons returned a peremtory answer to this effect That upon the arrivall of Sir George his Messenger he rather expected some overture about our making reparation for those acts of hostility committed by us upon those ships in the Bay and the person of his Martiall then such an unreasonable demand as in his estimation Sir George his summons was and his Lordship returned Answer briefly thus That he acknowledg'd no Authority over English men but the King for whom he sayd he was resolved to defend and keep the Island unto the utmost of his strength and power all which he assured us was his firme resolution withall directing it to on board His Majesties ship the Rainbow Sir George finding now that the way of summons would produce no effect and not being then in capacity to attempt any thing on shore he resolved to hinder them from having any Trading at sea and also to alarum them constantly from place to place about the Island thereby to hinder them from planting and managing their affaires in the Island it being conceived that this way might prove most conducible and effectuall to bring them to their due obedience And to the end no rationall opportunity might be left unassay'd by us whereby we might make this then stubborn Island know their obedience to their Lawfull Superiors it was resolved that a Declaration should be drawn up and signed by the Parliaments Commissioners on board the Fleet and sent it unto the Islanders the which Declaration was to this effect That they the Commissioners thought it not amisse to send unto them the Gentlemen Inhabitants and free people of the Island of Barbadoes the Copy of a Summons sent unto the Lord Willoughby upon our arrivall before this Island from whom they having received no satisfactory Answer and being tender of the good and welfare of the Island and being not willing to omit all amicable and friendly wayes to reduce it to its due obedience before they proceeded to acts of hostility did think fit to send the same or sayd summons unto them viz that the Island being a Plantation and Colony which ought to be subordinate to and depending upon the Common wealth of England and had ever since the planting thereof been and ought to be subject to such Lawes Orders and Regulations as were or should be made by and derived from the Parliament of England and whereas divers acts of Rebellion had beene committed by some persons amongst them setting up themselves in opposition unto and distinct from the State and Common wealth of England the Parliament of England the supream Authority of that Nation having taken into their consideration the defection of the Island from their due obedience and resenting the burthens and opprested estate the people of the Island then lay under by the present prevailing power over them and they being studious to promote the peace and welfare of the Island under their power and protection had not spared the expence of a great sum of Treasure to arme and set forth a great Fleet of ships though at a great distance of place and having appoynted themselves as Commissioners to endeavour by the blessing of God the reducing of the Island and to settle the peace and safety thereof and to establish them in their wonted priviledges and immunities as might conduce to the well being and flourishing state of the Island And that they being by the blessing of God in safety arrived here had as much as in them lay endeavoured to prevent the ruine and destruction of the Island by forbearing such acts of hostility by which we were sufficiently able to annoy them not doubting but seeing their owne liberty and safety both of their persons and estates lay at stake by their complying with such as were or should continue to be theirs and the enemies of the Common-wealth of England then amongst them but if they would so do it would constraine us to use such hostile wayes to reduce the Island as by which their long labour'd for estates and in joyments would be endangered but rather that they would lay hold on this opportunity to regaine their freedome and wonted priviledges and not rashly engage themselves in a quarrell against the Common wealth of England and at length instead of reaping the benefit and fruit of their many years labour and industry in this so hopefull and flourishing an Island make it become the seat of War the sad events and consequences thereof in the Island if God prevented not they would be when too late sufficiently sensible of to the ruine of themselves and their posterities whatever the specious pretences of any among them were as if they minded the good and welfare of the Island and that they could not be ignorant but they were altogether unable to give them protection or liberty of freedome without which the Island could no way subsist but in their due obedience to the Common Wealth of England whose Authority God hath sealed to the astonishment of their Neighbor Nations having wonderfully appeared for them in their Armies by Land and Navies by Sea against their Enemies in England Ireland and Scotland the two former whereof being by the blessing of God on the unwearied endeavours of the Parliament with the expence of much bloud and treasure setled in their long desired rest and Peace from the bondage and servitude they were so long held under by Tyrannicall Kingly power and government and are become a Republick a Free State and that the foundation of War having been by the same Enemy layd and carried on in Scotland God hath there also wonderfully appeared for us and brought that War to a narrow compass if not ere then to a period the power of God being so eminently seen in our Armies as that the Enemy have not been able

to stand before them These things the Commissioners layd before them if they pleased to take them into consideration to prevent the effusion of bloud and a devastation of their estates injoyments which inevitably would follow their contempt of timely offers of peace and mercy and that wherever the interest of the Commonwealth of England lyeth be it at never so great a distance they would not be soon wearied to lay out that power God hath put into their hands to reduce such to their obedience as shall obstinately stand out but that they rather hoped that the Lord who is the searcher of hearts and knew the bottome of their designes to be no other but to settle the Island in peace and happinesse under that Government who is both willing and able to protect them against all opposers and that they hoped the Lord would so incline their hearts that from thenceforth they would be able to judge who were their reall friends and decline giving their assistance to those evil affected persons as should persist in their rebellion to involve them altogether in misery and destruction but rather use their best endeavours to suppress them and in their actings of this kind they assured them that they might rely upon the diligent assistance of the Fleet and for the better effecting of those ends they desired to hold frequent intelligence with them and for their further incouragement they did assure them indemnity to all such as should for the future decline assisting the enemies of the Common wealth of England then among them and endeavour to promote the reducement of the Island to their obedience under their government and protection This Declaration of the Commissioners being published about the Island tooke such impression upon the people of the Island that in all probability the Island had been ours without any further hostility had they not been over-awed and kept under by the Lord Willoughby and his Complices so that they durst not appear for us openly they being as they had great cause to be very sensible of the decay and want of Trade amongst them in regard that no ships durst venture to come and traffique with them by reason of our being here as also their being continually kept upon watch and duty to defend the Island against us whereby the Island was much impoverish'd the planting and n●●●uring of the Island being almost wholly neglected upon which accompt the people would gladly have been freed upon any rate as afterward we found at our Landing But now advertisement came unto Sir George Aiscough how that the Governour of S. Christophers was drowned and that there was a contest between two persons in that Island for the Government thereof Sir George not knowing at present how their affections stood in reference to the Common wealth of England resolved with the Commissioners of Parliament to send a Declaration unto them to this effect That they being informed the Governour of that Island was carried away by a floud and that there was a contest between two persons among them for the Goverment of the Island and they not knowing either of their or the Island affections to the Parliament of England did therefore require them speedily to give an accompt unto them how the affairs of the Island stood in reference to their obedience to the Common wealth of England and not to choose a Governour other then such as they should appoynt with this farther intimation that in case they did otherwise such course should speeddy be taken with them as might make them sensible of their defection We having now been before this Island from the 16 of October 1651 unto the 10 of November following the greatest part of the which time we spent in coasting from place to place about the Island thereby to keep them in alarums in all parts of the Island hoping that way would conduce to the speedy rendition of it also within compasse of the said time Sir George Aiscough sent a second and a third summons unto the Lord Willoughby the which proving ineffectuall it was resolved at a Counsell of War held on board the Rainbow to attempt something ashore at a place called the Spikes Bay the which we were now the better able to doe by the arrivall of another Fleet of Merchants and some Men of War from England and to the end aforesaid a Regiment was formed out of our ships which consisted of 600. men whereof 200. were Scots being some of those taken at the defeat at Worcester and brought hither in the Merchants ships aforesaid The Enemy having notice of our designe four houres before our landing they had nine Companies afoot and three Troopes of Horse to oppose our landing at that place and our Boats being ready to set the men on shoar forthwith stood in for the Spikes bay and having set the men on shoar the Enemy presently gave a very resolute Charge upon them but no sooner had we embraced their onset but we immediately fell in among them and after a short but hot dispute we routed their whole Brigade their Commanders like persidious Cowards ran away and left the Foot ingaged who also retreated to their Fort Royal the which our men presently stormed with the losse of nine men and some few hurt as Col. Morris who commanded our men his Major and some others the said Col. Morris did behave himselfe very gallantly both at this place and also before at the reducing of the Isle of Scilly the which we performed with the assistance of Generall Blake in our Voyage hither we killed about 50. of the Enemy and tooke about 1●0 Prisoners 4 Peeces of Ordnance and razed downe the Fort and burnt many houses the place not being tenable Sir George againe sent a Trumpeter with another Summons to the Lord Willoughby the which produced a Treaty and Hostages being given Articles were concluded on viz. that the Islands of Barbadoes St. Christophers Antego and the Mevis should be surrendred to the obedience of the Common-wealth of England that the Lord Willoughby Col. Wolrond Col. Mudiford and others of their Party should have protection for the enjoyment of their Estates either in England or elsewhere and also be pardoned and indemnified for all past by Actions done or committed by any of them that the Inhabitants of the severall Islands should be protected from the fury of the sword and to enjoy and live peaceably in their Habitations acting nothing prejudiciall to the Government which should be established over them by the Parliament of the Common-wealth of England And that Col. James Drax Col. Lewis Morris Serjeant Major Hilliard Captain Gregory and all others who had been banished the Island and their Estates sequestred for their good affection to the Common-wealth of England should be invested in all their Estates notwithstanding the former Confiscation thereof and that restitution should be made unto them for all damages and losses which they had sustained But now the Inhabitants of the Islands of St. Christophers Antego and St. Mevis hearing of the rendition of Barbadoes to us did all of them immediately send unto us assuring us that they would chearfully submit to the Parliament of the Common-wealth of England and that they would be subject only to such Lawes Orders and Regulations as the Parliament should please to impose upon them Also they desired us to appoynt in the mean time such Governors over them as were of good integrity and affection to the Parliament of the Common-wealth of England Thus were all these remote Islands reduced to the obedience of the Common-wealth of England from which they revolted in the year 1650. and proclaimed Charles Stewart King over them and did accept of such Governors as he appoynted over them viz. Francis Lord Willoughby of Parham Governor of Barbadoes who landed there in April 1650. and with the assistance of Col. Wolrord and Col. Mudiford and some other evill affected persons he outed Major Philip Bell who was then Governour for the Parliament of England and also banished all those who would not joyn with them in their pernicious wayes or take the oath which the said Lord Willoughby and his Associats had prepared to administer to the Inhabitants of the Island the which they compelled every man in the Island to take upon pain of banishing their Persons and confiscating the Estates of all such as should refuse to subscribe thereunto but notwithstanding all this their sharp Rhethorick and violent dealing yet several conscientious persons of the best repute quality in the Island did utterly refuse either to joyn with them or take the Oath aforesayd who were therefore banished the Island and their Estates sequestred wholly both reall and personall the chiefe of them who were thus proceeded against were Lievtenant Colonel James Drax Lievtenant Colonel Lewis Morris Serjeant Major Hiliard Captaine Gregory with many others whose names for brevity sake shall be omitted also the Governor appointed at the same time of Antego was one Poynz formerly known in England by the name of Generall Poynz those also who were appointed Governors of the other Islands being of the same Royall Stamp were no whit behind the former in oppressing and tyrannizing over those people from all which they were happily delivered by the blessing of God upon the indeavours of the Parliaments Fleet Commanded by the worthy and right valiant Sea Commander Sir George Aiscough FINIS