SR Reignald Foster of Criplegate Bar. Sr John Musters of Hornsey Knight Peregine Bertie of St Martins in the Fields Esqrs Richard Morely of St Martins in the Fields Esqrs James Supple of the same John Angier Carpenter of Westminster Richard Fisher of Westminster John Kirke of Westminster Christopher Granger of Westminster John Nicholl of Finchley William Cleeve of Criplegate Richard White of Criplegate Sr Charles Gerard of Harrow on the Hill Sr Richard Fisher of Clerkenwell Sr Robert Dacres of Clerkenwell Sr John Kirke of St Martins in the Fields John Wells of Marybone Samuel Linne senior of Clerkenwell Michael Todd of Clerkenwell William Linne of Clerkenwell Laurence Wood of Holborne Taylor John Powel of the Strand Hugh Hamersly of the same John Cannon of St Giles in the Fields Sr John Brattle of Enfield an Officer in the Mint Sr John Downton of Isleworth Sr William Hill of Tedington Ralph Hawtry of Rislip Esq Francis Knowles of Covent-Garden Esq Thomas Hinton of St Giles in the Fields John Merridel of St Giles in the Fields John Bailey of St Giles in the Fields Abel Andrews of Edmonton Reuben Bourne of Edmonton Emery Arguise of Westminster Carpenter Richard Cooper of St Martins in the Fields Thomas Row of Hornesey Esq a Captaine in the Army John Bathurst of Edmonton Esq Richard Pagitt of Westminster Esq Nehemiah Arnold of Westminster Esq William Freeman of Hatton-Garden Esq William Avery of Enfield Francis Stevens of Westminster Esq Thomas Phelps of St Martins in the fields John Smalbone of St Martins in the fields Tho. Whitfield of St Martins in the fields John Haynes of St Martins in the fields Charles Monke of St Martins in the fields John Sharpe of Wapping Lieutent Colonel Josia Clarke of Chiswick William Wayte of St Chements Danes keeper of the Privy Garden John Bignal Senior of St Martins in the Fields George Glisby Carpenter of St Martins in the Fields Nicholas Baxter of St Martins in the Fields Tho. Roberts of St Martins in the Fields John Hazard Vintner of St Clements Danes Jeremi Playner Vintner of St Clements Danes William Reeves of St Clements Danes William German of St Clements Danes Tho. Claxton of Harrow Esq Charles Pryor of Highgate Tho. Curtis of St Clements Danes Bradshaw of the Strand Esq Tho. Kensey of St Giles's in the Fields Esq Richard Taylor of Chiswick Esq William Groves of St Clements Danes John Bert of the Savoy Samuel Lynne junior of Holborne Richard Bromfield of Holborne Edward Hampsted of St Giles Benjamin Boltby of St Giles Christopher Chambers of St Giles Arthur Blyth of Paddington John Leeson of the Strand Tho. Elton of Stepney Nicholas Grice of Hesson Simon Smith of Westminster Esq Bartholomew Parr of East Smithfield Francis Child of Acton Gentleman John Davis of St Martins John White the King's Founder of St Martins Stephen Philips Richard Foster of Westminster Tho. Graves of the Strand John Singleton of the Strand Tho. Tatton Gentleman of the Strand Robert Longland Gentleman of St Giles James Blagrave Gentleman of St Giles William Abel of St Giles To draw to what I have impatiently desired a conclusion It is a sad Truth that the Conspirators had long resolved to go to hanging work Sr Roger L' Estrange could more certainly predict the time than Mr Gadbury could that of the Birth of his Prince of Wales for at that very Juncture when it was resolved That Sr Dudley North must be Sr John Moores Sheriff We had the direful Consequences foretold in the Observator of May 20. 1682 Number 140. in these words If it should please God to send us SEASONABLE SHERIFFS The same celebrated Auther told the World whom the esteemed his seasonable Sheriffs for in his Observator of May 17th 1684. he sayes Prithee will thou set their Cornish and Bethel their Pilkington and Shnte against Our North and Rich Our Daniel and Dashwood and say which of these Sheriffes are the likelyer Men to juggle Protestants out of their Lives But the Poor VVhigg durst not for his Eares at that day answer this ensnareing Question for if he had and done it honestly it might have cost him his Head and faire Play for our money there are set a soot so many Titles in competition for the Gallowes that it would be a hard matter to settle their Claimes and say who should go first And We know that the Gentleman was a Minister of State in that Reign But to allow every thing its due weight and to set the Tragedy of that dismal day In its proper Light I sha here revive the Remembrance of the dying Testimonys of very serious Persons who then lost their Lives for that horrid Conspiracy against the late Kings Charles and James the Second which frighted the Cheshire Grand Jury and with them a great part of the Kingdom out of their VVits 'T is well known that the VVitnesses against them swore for their own Lives with halters about their Necks and it s as true that most of the Witnesses had talk't at a mad rate in the hearing of some of those whom they destroyed But see what those dying Protestants in a most solemn manner declared with their last Breath Mr Colledge took it upon his death That he was never engaged in any manner of Plot or Conspiracy against the King the Laws or the Government or knew of any except that of the Papists That if it had been true that he was to have seized the King he knew not of so much as one single Person that was or would have stood by him in that attempt Captain VValcot denyed any design of killing the King or of engaging the Guards whilst others killed him And said that the Witnesses invited him to Meetings where some things were discoursed of in order to the asserting our Liberties and Properties which we lookt upon to be violated and invaded That They importuned and perpetually solicited him and then deliver'd him up to be hang'd That They combined together to swear him out of his Life to save their own and that they might do it effectually They contrived an Vntruth That he forgave them tho' guilty of his Blood But withal earnestly begg'd That they might be observed that Remarks might be set upon them whether their end be peace and he concluded with what made Sr Roger L'Estrange a great deal of Sport but yet Heaven has made it good That when God HATH A WORK TO DO HE WILL NOT WANT Instruments Mr Holloway declared that Mr West proposed the Assassination but none seconded him That he could not perceive that Mr Ferguson knew any thing of it and Holloway said It was our design to shed no Blood He being interrogated by Mr Ferguson's Friend Mr Sheriff Daniel whether he knew Ferguson He answer'd that he did know him but knew him to be against any design of killing the King Sr Tho. Armstrong at his death spoke thus Mr Attorney said I was accused for being one of Those who were
trayterously assemble consult and agree with the Lord Brandon and other Traytors to raise Money and procure Armed Men to make a Rebellion and to seize the City and Castle of Chester with the Magazines and that upon the 27th of May he took a Journey from London to Mere to accomplish his Treasonable intentions and that upon the 4th of June he incited divers to joyn with him in his Treason To this Indictment his Lordship pleaded Not Guilty Jeffryes then addressed himself to the Lords to this effect Note my Lord Delamere was at that time in the House of Commons and a great Promoter of the Bill of Exclusion That their Lordships could not but remember the insolent Attempts made upon the unalterable Succession to the Crown under the spetious pretence of Religion by the fierce froward and Fanatical Zeal of some of the Commons which had been often found the occasion of Rebellion That that not prevailing the Chief Contrivers of that horrid Villany consulted how to gain the advantage by open force and in order thereto had several Treasonable Meetings made bold and riotous * The Duke of Monmouth's progress into Cheshire the West Progresses in several parts of the Kingdom to debauch the minds of the well-meaning tho' unwary part of the King's Subjects That God frustrated their evil purposes by bringing to Light that cursed Conspiracy against the Life of the late King and his present Majesty That one would have thought these hellish and damnable Plots could not have survived the just Condemnation and Execution of some of the †Innuendo Lord Russel Col. Sidney c. Chief Contrivers of them especially considering that no sooner the present King was seated in his Throne but he endeavoured to convince the world that he had quite forgot those impudent and abominable Indignities that had been put upon him only for being the best of Subjects and best of Brothers and also gave the most benign Assurances imaginable that he would approve himself the best of Kings And to evince the reality of his gracious Resolutions he called a Parliament and there repeated and solemnly confirmed his former Royal Declarations of having a particular care of maintaining our Established Laws and Religion And yet at that Juncture that wicked and unnatural Rebellion broke out and thereupon the Arch-Traytor Monmouth was by a Bill brought in the lower House and passed by the general consent in both Houses and I could wish my Lords for the sake of that Noble Lord at the Bar that I could say it had passed with the consent of every particular * The Lords are here told that my Lord Delamere opposed the Bill to attaint the D. of Monmouth Member of each House justly attainted of High Treason After this harangue he concluded thus My Lords what share my Lord at the Bar had in those other matters I must acquaint you To what end then was this malitious Tale told is not within the compass of this Indictment for which you are to try him for that is a Treason alledged to have been committed in the present King's Reign Then Sr Tho. Jenner the Recorder of London opened the Indictment The Attorney General then aggravated the Charge saying We crave leave to give a short Account of a former * The Plot in 1683. design Cheshire the Province of this Noble Lord was one of the Stages where that Rebellion was principally to be acted and preparatory to it great Riotous Assemblies and Tumultuous Gatherings of the People were set on foot by the Conspirators We shall prove that a little before the Rebels came over this last Summer the Duke of Monmouth dispatched one Jones into England to let his Friends know that tho' he had intended to go into Scotland and begin there he was resolved for England with this he was to acquaint some Lords particularly the Prisoner And also to acquaint them that they should have notice four or five days before of the place of his Landing and that then the Lords should repaire immediately into Cheshire there to wait for the News We shall give you an account that the late Duke of Monmouth lookt upon Cheshire as one of his main supports and upon my Lord Delamere as a principal Assistant there Jones was to communicate his Message to Captain Mathews who was to transmit it to this Lord and those concerned with him Jones arrived upon the 27th of May but Mathews nor Major Wildman to whom he was to apply in the absence of Mathews was not to be found Thereupon he sends for one Disney since executed for Treason and one Brand whom your Lordships will hear of and communicates his Message to them and they undertake to deliver it to the Persons concerned That very night My Lord this same Brand Disney met this Noble Lord and give him an account of the Message and as soon as ever he received it upon the 27th of May at ten at Night my Lord dispatches out of Town with only one Servant and two other Friends that he had pick'd up With all these Badges of Plot and Design does my Lord Delamere set out the same night Jones came to Town he chose to go all the By-Roads and went with great speed to repair into Cheshire by the name of Brown by which he was known among all his own Party by that name several of the late Duke of Monmouth's Trayterous Declarations were sent for to be sent to him or by him into Cheshire When he comes into Cheshire he actually sets about the work to put that County in a forwardness This means the impudent but ridiculous story of Saxon which could never obtain upon any but the Credulous Prosecutors of this Noble Lord who were disposed to believe any thing to assist in the Rebellion endeavours to stir up the People to joyn with him and acquaints one that he employed in that Affair that he was engaged to raise so many Thousand Men and so much Money to be ready by such a day My Lords We shall plainly shew you all this in plain proof Then Mr Attorney called their old Drudge at swearing my Lord H. of E. and demanded of him his oft repeated History of a design of an Insurrection that was to have been in the late King's time and what share Cheshire was to have in it The Lord H. told his thrid-bare history of the Plot in 1682 and 1683 but not a word of Cheshire and said that he knew nothing concerning my Lord Delamere The Lord Grey was then called and said That about the time of the contested Election of Sheriffs The Duke of Monmouth and Earl of Shaftesbury resolved that they would make what interest they could to procure a Rising in three several parts of the Kingdom at once one in Cheshire whether the Duke of Monmouth was to betake himself and there to be advised by my Lord Macclesfield my Lord Brandon my Lord Delamere that then was
would have him stay till Tuesday morning That then the Duke being gone out of Town the Lord Grey told Jones from the Duke That he intended to be in England within nine days and bid him remember to tell Brand that when he heard the Duke was Landed he should acquaint Sr Robert Peyton with it but not till he was Landded That Jones missing passage to England from Roterdam he returned to Amsterdam and went to the Duke and told him the reason why he was not gone and the Duke said he was glad he was not gone for he had a further Message and would have him stay two or three days That upon the 21st of May the Duke ordered him to come to him in the Evening and when he came the Duke took a Paper that lay upon the Table and sensed it and told him that when he came to London he must see for Captain Mathews and desire him to acquaint my Lord Macclesfield my Lord Brandon and my Lord Delamere that he was resolved to set out the next Saturday morning That the Duke then said that Mathews was to send one Post to that place that was named in the Note to receive Intelligence of his Landing and that News he designed should be brought to his Friends here 24 hours before the Court had notice of it and those Lords were to be in readiness and as soon as they knew he was Landed they were to repair to their Posts to assist him That Jones askt the Duke what he was to do with the Paper who said I do by you as Princes do by their Admirals they have their Commissions sealed up and not to open them till at Sea so I deliver your Instructions sealed up which you are not to open till you are at Sea and when you have opened and read what is contained in them I would have you tear the Paper and throw it into the Sea least you be surprized and fearched at your Landing And that the Duke ordered him that if he missed of Captain Mathews he should deliver the Message to Major Wildman That the Instructions in the Paper were to this effect viz. Taunton is the place to which all are to resort The Persons to be acquainted with the time of Landing are the Lord Macclesfield the Lord Brandon and the Lord Delamere The place to send the Coach to is to Mr Savage's the Red Lyon The Post is to return to Captain Mathews or as he shall appoint Jones added that he came home the 27th of May the Wednesday forthnight before the Duke Landed and Disney came immediately to him and told him that Captain Mathews and Major Wildman were both out of Town whereupon he delivered the Message to Disney and left it to him to convey it to the Lords concerned That Disney met him the same night in Smithfield with Mr Crag Mr Lisle and Mr Brand and Disney took Jones and Brand aside and askt Jones what was the place to which the Post was to go That Jones met the Duke at Lyme and told him what he had done with the Message who said he was satisfied he had done what he could but seemed troubled that Mathews was out of Town It being demanded of my Lord Delamere whether he would ask Jones any Questions his Lordship answered No I never saw his face before Mr Story the Duke of Monmouth's Commissary General testified that Mr Brand who lived about Bishopsgate and was killed at Keinsham Bridge told him upon the 28th of May last that Mr Jones was returned from Holland and brought a Message from the Duke and that he the said Brand was to go to Taunton to expect from Mr Dare or Mr Williams the account of the Duke's Landing That Brand told him that Jones his Message was delivered to Disney who went and had some discourse with my Lord Delamere and that that night his Lordship went out of Town and two Friends of Mr Brand's went with him and conveyed him by a By-way through Enfield-Chase towards Hatfield That Story went out of Town the 28th of may and overtook Brand that night That he heard the Duke of Monmouth say at Shepton-mallet that his great dependance was upon my Lord Delamere his Friends in Cheshire but he was afraid they had failed him and he said he could have been supplied otherwise but that he had a dependance upon them My Lord Delamere then demanded of Story whether he knew one Thomas Saxon. Mr Story answered yes my Lord I was a Prisoner with him in Dorchester Prison The Attorney General then called Vaux and said My Lord this is an unwilling Witness and we are forced to pump all out of him by Questions And then demanded of him what day it was my Lord Delamere sent for him Vaux answered It was the 26th of May his Lordship sent for me to the Rummer Tavern in Queen-street and the next day I went out of Town with him about nine or ten in the Evening My Lord went by the name of Brown We got to Hoddesden about twelve at night Mr Attorney demanded whether they went next whether my Lord Delamere was going and whether that was the direct Road to Cheshire Mr Vaux answered We then went to Hitchin and I returned home the next day My Lord was going to see his Son who was sick in the Country and we made that the way it being the freest Road from Dust Mr Edlin then testified the same in substance with Mr Vaux that upon the 27th of May he went with my Lord Delamere to Hoddesden c. Mr Attorney then said my Lord to confirm and explain this Evidence I shall prove that this Gentleman went by the name of Brown in the Cant of those that were engaged in this Business that the name was known as his name by all the Party and called so constantly in their Letters and Messages Tracey Paunchforth being called witnessed That he was at Disney's house the 14th of June with Joshua Lock one Hooper and one Horsley and Lock stayed for some of the Duke of Monmouth's Declarations which were finished about nine of the Clock and three were delivered to him and there was a discourse of having them sent into Cheshire to one Mr Brown whom he understood to be my Lord Delamere and Mr Disney used to mention him by the name of Brown That Paunchforth was at the Castle Tavern with Mr Vermuyden his Brother Babington and Mr Manning but there was no mention as he remembers of my Lord or Mr Brown but only something in relation to the Duke's Landing Mr Vermuyden who also went by the name of Brown said he did not know where he was to Land Babington the Betrayer of that worthy Gentlemen Mr Disney then swore That when he first knew of any of the Transactions he was with Mr Vermuyden his Brother Paunehforth and Mr Chadwich where there was discourse of Mr Brown and that his Uncle Vermuyden afterwards told him it was my Lord Delamere and ordered
the Pannel and either he or his Clerk told him that Burton and Graham hadit and when he came again in the Evening to them for it one of them told him They had orders from above not to let him have it Sr James Forbes deposed that the Dake of Monmouth desired him to shew Mr Hambden a Paper written with the King 's own Hand which was for the Duke's owning of the Evidence of Romsey and others That he told the Duke that that Paper would make him infamous and would be a means of destroying many Men's Lives whereupon the Duke sent him with the Paper to the Earl of Anglesey who upon the reading of it presently wrote a a Paper of Reasons against it That before Sr James went to the Earl of A. the Duke told him if it were so as he had told him he would have the Paper again tho' he dyed for it whereupon Sr James ask't him how he would get it That the Duke said the King would shew it him and then he would tear it out of his Hand and then further said the Duke of York was his implacable Enemy That as soon as Mr Hambden had read the Paper he said he was a Dead Man and ask't leave of Sr James to shew it to his Father which he consented to That he returned to the Duke and gave him the Earl of Anglesey's Reasons against the Paper together with his own thoughts of it whereupon the Duke replyed that he saw they had a mind to ruine him and he was only brought into Court to do a Jobb and that he would not Sleep before he had retrived the Paper That the Duke told him how kindly the King had expressed himself to him and Sr James desired the Duke to save Colonel Sidney if possible but he feared he could not but said he had told the King how good a Man the Lord Russell was and how unjustly he had been put to death That at the desire of Mr Hambden the Duke went to visit him before he had his Pardon tho' he thought it to be very dangerous and was with him two or three Hours in private and Sr James believes it was about saving the Colonel's Life That the Duke's Servants told Sr James at the Cock-Pit that they were ordered not to suffer any of his old Friends or Whiggs and such and such in particular to see or pay a Visit to the Duke That the Duke told St James that the Lord Hallifax perswaded him to sign the Paper but whether it were for his good or not he knew not That when Sr James told the Duke how it was reported in the Town that he was come in to be a Witness he answered he never would That the next day after Sr James had given the Duke the Earl of Anglesey's Reasons and Mr Hambden's and his own Opinion Colonel Godfrey came to him and told him that the Duke had recovered the Paper and got it into his own possession and Sr James went to tell Mr Hambden Mr Charlton and Major Wildman of it Colonel Godfrey deposed That the first night the Duke of Monmouth came to Court he went to him with Sr James Forbes and the Duke told them how kind the King was to him in giving him his Pardon and that he believed he owed a great deal of it to the Lord Hallifax and several times he heard him say that the Lord Hallifax had been kind and servicable to him That the Duke said the King told him that he must submit to be askt Questions in publick concerning the Plot and must submit to him and not contradict him That within two or three dayes after the Duke surrendered himself he shewed him a Paper which was a Declaration or seeming Confirmation of the Plot with which the Lord Russell and Colonel Sidney were charged and he thinkes the Paper was signed with the Dukes name to it That the Paper which the Duke got from the King was not the same with the other and he believes he did not see that Paper That the Duke told him after the Paper had been sent to the Council that he had signed such a Paper he understood in general from him that this Paper was a Confirmation of the Plot the Lord Russell and Colonel Sidney suffered upon That he thinks the Duke told him the Lord Hallifax perswaded him to sign that Paper The Reasons he used were that he might keep at Court and be near the King or else he must go from thence Anthony Rowe Esq deposed That the Duke of Monmouth sent him to the King with two or three Letters whom he found very angry with him for the Company he kept Observe here what value that King put upon the Blood of Lord Russell and Col. Sidney c. and particularly the Lord Howard who he said was so ill a Man that he would not hang the worst dog he had on his Evidence That he heard the Duke had a Paper given him from the King to consider of he seemed unwilling to sign it but at last consented so he might not be askt to sign any other He being in the Bed-Chamber when the King told him he should not whether he signed it or not Mr Row knows not That this Paper was given to the King and shewed to the Council but they not likeing it it was either Burnt or Torn and another Paper drawn That about that time some thing of this being put into the Gazette Mr Row acquainted the Duke with it Who was displeased at it and bid them tell every Body they met that it was false That Mr Row doing so in the Coffee-house that night the King was acquainted with it and sent for him early the next morning and chid him and told him he did the Duke more hurt than he was aware of and commanded him to speak no more of it That the Duke told him he was resolved not to sign the second Paper That one day afterwards he and Godfrey and Barker were in the outward Room and the Lord Hallifax was with the Duke and Dutchess in her Room and the Duke came out to them once or twice and at last laid he had done it and that night he seemed angry with himself that he had signed the Paper for that it might hurt others and that if it had concerned none but himself he had not cared but said he would not rest till he had the Paper again and the next morning he told him he had got it That the Duke told them that the King had often press'd him to sign it and told him he should never see his face more if he did not do it but if he would he should ask him nothing but he would grant it But when he did sign it he knows not nor that there was any in the Room but the Dutchess and the Lord Hallifax That the Duke told him after he came out that the Lord Hallifax had over perswaded him and made him do it