in those times All which I have according to my promise avoiding Prolixity put into some kind of Method under several Titles describing the several Tempers of such Persons as are guilty of defrauding the Crown I have been true to my own Resolutions and dealt impartially with all Men as the Creditors desired I did also according to their Request before Apply my self to his Majesty at White-Hall where I found many Petitioners some craving Reward others begging Relief for Sufferings and Services done both to his Majesty and His Royal Father of ever Glorious Memory neither of them minding how the King should now support himself in his Imperial Estate answerably to the Majesty of so great a Prince and the Honour of so great a Nation I then cast about me to find out some expedient whereby I might be rather Serviceable to the King than Burthensome or Grievous to the People and yet satisfie my self In order thereunto I presented these Petitions following according to their several Dates Whereupon there have been some Proceedings but nothing finally determined All which rest under the Consideration of his Majesty and his most Honourable Councel in Parliament I have contracted all things into as narrow a compass as I could of so much matter not doubting but that it may find Room amongst other Weighty Affairs I leave it therefore at the Parliament-Dore for them to do what in Honour and Equity the Merits of the Cause require April 23. 1661. Veritas non quaerit Angulos George Carew To the King 's Most Excellent MAJESTY The Humble Petition of Walter Devereux and George Carew Esquires SHEWETH THAT there are divers Collections in your Majesties Kingdom of England and Dominion of Wales that were formerly Granted to several Men of mean Quallity and Condition by Patents out of the Exchequer during pleasure to receive the Chantry Rents Pensions Portions and Forreign Rents amounting formerly to Six Thousand Pounds yearly or thereabouts belonging to the Crown of England And that the said Collectours were allowed the certain Fees or Sallaries which were annexed to those Collections in the Times of the Abbots and Friers That through the Neglect Poverty or other Dafault of the said Collectours and Accomptants the Crown of England hath lost Two hundred thousand Pounds in that Part of the Revenue since the beginning of Queen Elizabeth's Reign which stands charged in Super upon those Bayliffs or Collectours in the several Auditours and Receivers Accompts to the great prejudice and Dishonour of your Majesties Revenue which may hereafter be more faithfully discharged with advantage and conveniencie to your Majestie and your Subjects Your Petitioners therefore humbly pray That your Majesty would be graciously pleased to Grant your Petitioners a Patent under the Great Seal for their Lives to Collect the said Chantry Rents Pensions Portions and Forreign Rents allowing them the said Fees of the several Collections and your Petitioners shall give good Assurance of their Fidelity and Trust in your Majestie 's said Service And your Petitioners shall pray c. Walter Devereux Geo. Carew His Majesty was graciously pleased afterwards to refer the Contents of the Petition to the Lord High Treasurer of England who made another Reference as followeth viz. September 17. 1660. I Desire the Lord Chief Baron and the rest of the Barons of his Majesties Exchequer and Master Surveyour General of his Lands calling to them the Clerk of the Pipe his Majesties Auditours and Receivers of his Revenue in the several Counties or whom else they please to examine the Reason why this Part of his Majesty Revenue mentioned in this Petition is so ill Answered and so great Arrears upon it And to Consider the best way to prevent it in the future And in Case the Proposition of the Petitioners for reducing all into one Hand or Collection may contribute thereunto to Certifie me there Opinion And to that end I pray them to hear what the Petitioners shall in that kinde Propose and what Security the Petitioners will give to acertain those Rents And upon the whole Matter to certifie their Opinions what is best to be done in Order to this Part of his Majesties Revenue and his Majesties Service therein THO. SOVTHAMPTON To the King 's Most Excellent MAJESTY The Humble Petition of George Carew Thomas Gould and John Culpeper Esquires on behalf of themselves and the rest of the Creditours of Sir William Courten and Sir Paul Pinder Knights Deceased SHEWETH THAT King CARLES the First of ever Blessed Memory for the ordinary support of himself in his Royal Estate at home and for the necessary supply of his Embassadours abroad borrowed several great Sums of Money of Sir William Courten and Sir Paul Pinder and others amounting to 150000. Pounds and upwards which was taken up by the said Sir William and Sir Paul and others of several Men upon Bonds That many of those Persons are since deceased and have left their Widows and Orphants in a sad and perishing Condition for want of Bread That for security and re-payment of the said Money with Interest his late Majesty did for himself His Heirs and Successours before the year 1640. by Letters Patents under the Great Seal of England and other Assignments upon the Lands and Revenues within the Snrvey of the Exchequer give Warrant and Commandment to the Lord High Treasurer Chancellour Vnder-Treasurer Chamberlains and Barons of the Exchequer for the time being to pay the said Debt That there is yet notwithstanding resting due unpayed of the said Debt the Sum of 140000. Pounds or thereabouts as by the Books of Issues remaining with Sir Robert Pye Auditour of the Receipts and the Accompts stated remaining with the Auditours of the Imprest may plainly appear That the Money now belongs to your Petitioners by Virtue of Letters of Administration to them granted in right of themselves and other Creditours and the poor Orphans and Widows aforesaid That the Revenue of First-Fruits and Tenths is not duly answered by the Clergie into your Majesties Exchequer according to Law and the Rights of Proportion which belongs to the Crown of England there being great Improvements made of New-buildings draining of Fens taking in of Sea-grounds breaking up of Parks and Chases Increase of Rents and many other wayes of advantage and profits to the Clergy which ought to be accordingly considered to your Majesty and paid in proportion into your Exchequer as a means to give satisfaction to your Petitioners most just Demands The Premises considered and for as much as your Petitioners may be partly satisfied out of the improvement of First-Fruits and Tenths and your Majesties Revenue made treble as much as hath been formerly paid into your Treasury The Nation generally satisfied therewith Religion and Learning both advanced by considerable Augmentations that may be further given to poor livings besides Your Petitioners therefore do humbly pray that your Majesty would Grant them a Patent of the First-Fruits and Tenths for the Term of one and thirty
States abroad that were raised by the aids and supplies of the English Crown took the boldness and liberty not onely to revile King James and the King of Denmark terming them Bankrupt Princes but also insulted over their subjects in the Indian Plantations c. And in derision of the English Nation they would usually say the Dutch Merchants had gold Chains to reach from Amsterdam to Whitehall which would purchase any advantage in Commerce or expiate any Crime and misdemeanour in their dealings which gave them great encouragement in their subtil and cruel practises to the prejudice of the King and Kingdom We the Creditours of Sir Paul Pinder and Sir William Courten and so consequently the Creditors of the King are bold out of necessity to ask the Lords spiritual the Lords Temporal and Commons assembled in Parliament releif for the money so long detained from us and if those things which are proposed be not by Your grave Wisdom thought fit to be improved towards all the Advantages mentioned in the several Petitions Arguments Proposals and considerations We leave it to your Honours to finde out some other expedient that may answer the Expectation of God and the World Richard Banks Thomas Coleman William Smith Thomas Gould On the behalf of our selves and the rest of the Creditours The Creditors APPEALE To the KINGS most excellent MAIESTY and the LORDS of His most Honourable PRIVY-COUNCIL CONCERNING The Island of BARBADOS and the Ship Bona Esperanza taken by the Dutch Anno 1643. TO relate all the services and good offices done to the Crown and People of England by Sir William Courten and Sir Paul Pinder were to write Volums in their praises And to shew what Honour they did the English Nation abroad what advantages they brought to the King and Subjects at Home what encouragements they gave to Seamen and Merchants for encrease of Shipping and Trade were a just reprehension to some and a recrimination to others that by indirect practises have brought great Miseries both upon the Families and Creditors of those two worthy Patriots of their Country In the Year 1626. Sir William Courten sent Captain Henry Powel Commander of the good Ship called the William and John of London with six and fourty Men of several Handycraft Trades to plant and possess the Island of Barbados which was not before inhabited by any person whatsoever either native or others The said Captain Powel having landed his Men and taken possession of the Island for Sir William Courten continued with them upon the Island the space of a fortnight in which time they cut down some Woods and built some small Houses for their present conveniencies He then left them provisions and sailed to the Main upon the Coast of Guyana and furnished himself with roots plants fowles Tobacco-seeds sugar-canes potatoes and other materials and brought along with him thirty two Indians which he placed upon the said Island who taught the English to plant the said roots seeds c. the first that ever was planted there Sir William Courten sent another Ship called the Peter with a Pinnace called the Tomasine commanded by John Powel wherein were threescore and ten Men and Women with several materials also for planting the said Island for Sir William Courten aforesaid who were all landed there before Captain Henry Powel returned for England and had built a Fort called the plantation Fort That in the Year 1627 Sir William Courten set up the King of Englands Colours placed a Governour made Constitutions and Ordinances there according to the Laws of England having procured a Patent from King Charles the first under the great Seal in the name of Philip Earl of Pembroke in trust to countenance the said Government and Plantation And before the Year 1628 they had built three Forts 100 Houses began five plantations viz. the Corn Plantation the Indian bridg the fort the Indian East and Powels plantation all which was done at the proper Cost of Sir William Courten that about the Month of April 1628 the Earl of Carlisle having a patent of the Charebe Islands sent a letter directed to Captain John Powel and Captain William Deane in Barbadoes and to others there entreating them to give entertainment and respect unto Captain Charles Wolverstone whom he had sent thither with several men from London hearing it was a hopeful Plantation and to joyn with them in it The Earl of Carlisle engaging himself upon his Honour in the said Letter that the said Wolverstone and his men should not give them any occaâ—ion of offence or trouble in their said plantation not suspecting any prejudice from English-men coming from a person of Honour they entertained Wolverstone and fourty men or thereabouts with him who seduced the people under pretence of greater privileges in the said Island and seized the forts and took Captain John Powel Prisoner and others that would not adhere to them Then Wolverstone declared that he was there as Governour of the said Island for the Earl of Carlisle That in the Year 1629 Sir William Courten sent Captain Henry Powel again in the good Ship called the Peter and John with a 100 men well provided with Arms who took the forts released John Powel and the rest of the Prisoners and brought the said Wolverstone away Prisoner to London by virtue of a Warrant under the hand and seal of the said Earl of Pembroke The said John Powel and his Company afterwards continued in the quiet possession of the said Island six Months or thereabouts and then one Henery Hawley arrived at the said Island in a Ship called the Carlisle and invited the said John Powel with others to an entertainment on Ship-board who seized them and carried them away Prisoners to St. Christophers and sent a company of leud persons from thence and daily supplies from other Merchants of London who usurped the whole Island and Government from Sir William Courten and his Company contrary to the Law of God and Nations That several persons who refused to joyn with the Earl of Carlisle or those that pretended to have the Power under him were stigmatized whipt imprisoned and shot to death And then several men of mean quality understanding the condition of the Island took advantage of the times and went over with a company of loose and idle persons who possessed themselves of the said Island and plantations and out of the vast expence and charges of Sir William Courten and his endeavours they have gotten great estates but have yielded no satisfaction either to Sir William Courten or his assigns notwithstanding the said Sir William Courten had two several Judgments against the Earl of Carlisle and Wolverstone upon trials in the Court of Admiralty concerning the propriety of the said Island The Power of the said Earl of Carlisle being greater at the Council table then Sir William Courten or his interest the complaint was suspended and the Dammages which were then thirty thousand pounds and upwards wholly detained by
since in England to this very day and that those payments or Tributes Beda calls Vectigal which signifies a Badg of Subordination of the Clergy to the Supreame Civill Magistrate and where they have cast off this Tribute the Civill Magistrate hath been subordinate to the Authority of the Church it was paid by the Priests in the time of the Old Law to the Sovereign Power 2. THAT the First-Fruits and Tenths are of a Popish Institution ANSWER It may be satisfactory enough That this Tribute of First-Fruits and Tenths hath been paid to all Kings and Queens of England since the Reformation in Henry the 8 ths time without any repeal of any of the said Statutes but in the time of Popery viz. in the second and third year of Philip and Mary the Act for paying of First-Fruits and Tenths was Repealed but confirmed again in the very first year of Queen Elizabeths Reformation of Religion from Popery by the Statute of 1. Eliz. chap. 4. with a Recital and Ratification of all former Statutes that confirmed the same to the Crown and have continued in force ever since so that if the Tythes vs Jure Divino payable to the Clergâ— for their Administration of the Word and Sacraments to the People The First-Fruits and Tenths Jure Politico are payable to the King their Sovereign Lord for his Administration of Justice and maintaining the Rights Priviledges and Liberties both of Church and State 3. THAT the Clergy of all Orders and Degrees have lately suffered and therefore ought not to be raised in their First-Fruits and Tenths ANSWER That the King hath suffered more and his Revenue much diminished by the late War which hath been fomented and encouraged by many thousands of the Clergy now confirmed in their Livings and the Commons of England would more willingly pay their Tythes if they were sensible the First-Fruits and full Tenths were to be paid to the King as they lately expressed in their desires upon the like occasion of improving that part of the Kings Revenue THE Incumbents have and do dayly take advantages for their Tythes of new Tillage and other â—mprovements of Land which ought to be proportionably answered to the King the Bishops and 〈◊〉 other persons in Spiritual Dignities and Promotions do raise their Tenants and let the states to the improved values Three Proposals to the King 1. THAT the said Petitioners will discharge 50000. pounds part of the debt due from the Crown mentioned in their Petition and give good security for the payment of sixty thousand pounds yearly Rent unto his Majesty his Heirs or Successors Kings of England during the said Term or one and thirty years without any defalcation or other charges or reprisal whatsoever 2. THAT the Petitioners will not take any First-Fruits of such Benefice or Living which is Appropriated to the Cure of Souls that upon the Examination and enquiry shall not be indifferently found and returned at the full yearly value of fifty pounds upon the Survey 3. THAT the Bishop shall not be troubled with the charge or care of Collection of the First-Fruits or Tenths within his Diocess But be wholly busied in the other Spiritual affairs of the Church and cure of souls Three Proposals offered to the Clergy 1. THAT upon the Nomination Appointment Election or Presentation of any Spiritual person into the said Dignities Benefices or Promotions and before they enter into the actual possession thereof they shall be bound in a Recognizance in the nature of a Statute Staple with two sufficient Sureties to pay the First-Fruits according to the full value as shall be returned upon a survey payable within four years after such Nomination Election Presentation or Entrance at eight severall payments by equal portions every six moneths and that one years Tenths of every such Dignity Benefice or Promotion shall be deducted out of the said First-Fruits In case the Incumbent by before all payments the Security to be discharged according to the time 2. THAT whereas by the Liberty and Disorder of the late depraved times the Clergy were not held in such Reverence and esteem by the Common people as the Dignity of their Calling requires And they have been forced to commence severall Actions for their Tythes and by reason of confeâ—â—tious and distempered spirits the Preaching of the Word of God hath been unprofitable to the people that have taken a prejudice against the Ministery Therefore a short Bill shall be prepared by Councell and offered to the Parliament That an Act may be passed for the speedy recovering of Tythes which have been paid formerly and the Title not in question And that the two next Justices of the Peace adjacent to the place may have power upon Complaint of any Minister or other person to whom the Tythes do or shall belong to issue forth their Warrants to distrain goods and chattells of any person or persons refusing to pay their Tythes to whom they shall become due and payable as aforesaid That Love and Unity may be preserved between the Ministers and their Congregations 3. THAT forthwith Commissions shall be issued out in his Majesties name throughout England and Wales to examine and finde out the true values of all Dignities Benefices Parsonages and other Spirituall promotions aforesaid and to return the Surveys thereof with the names of the Patrons and present incumbents and in the mean time to suspend all proceedings in the First-Fruits Office And that his Majesty would be pleased to appoint a Secretary for Presentations of all such Livings as shall be in his Majesties dispose wholly to attend his Majesties service therein to the end that his Majesty may be fully informed of the true value of those Livings And whereas for the ease of his Majesty Severall Livings and promotions were heretofore in the Lord Chancellour or Lord Keepers dispose to be so continued notwithstanding any new Return of a greater value Further Arguments and Considerations will be offered in convenient time conducing much to the advantage of the King the Benefit of the Clergy and the General good of the whole Nation as occasion requires All which they humbly submit George Carew Thomas Gould John Culpeper Octob. 22. 1660. An Order upon the hearing of the Petition referred to the Barons of the Exchequer Veneris vii die Decembris 1660. Anglia Wallia UPon Reading the Petition of Walter Deverenx and George Carew Esquires presented to the Kings Majesty for a Grant to be made to them for their Lives upon the reasons in the said Petition mentioned of the sole Collection of that part of his Majesties Revenue consisting in Chantry Rents Pensions Portions and other small rents issuing out of his Majesties Mannours and Bayliwicks in England and Wales and of a Reference thereupon made unto us from the Right Honourable Thomas Earl of Southhampton Lord High Treasurer of England Dated the seventeenth day of September 1660. Whereby we are desired by his Lordship to examine