Bourne Archive:
FNQ: C17 Civil War
http://boar.org.uk/ariwxo3FNQ761.htm
Latest edit 9 Feb 2010.
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version ©2006 R.J.PENHEY
The Bourne Archive
FNQ
Fenland Notes and Queries. Edited by Rev. W.D. Sweeting, Rector of Maxey.
Part 41. April 1899.
This quarterly periodical took the form of a forum in
which people sent in questions about the history, ecology and so on of the
Seventeenth Century
Civil War.
761.
Siege of Crowland. – A contemporary
account of the fighting around Crowland in 1643 will be read with interest by
many who have seen only short accounts of what then took place. The following
is taken from a work from which a few extracts were given in our last part. [FNQ
758]
The short title is:- “Jehovah-Jireh. God in the Mount. Or,
“About
the beginning also of this instant May
[1643] [These events appear to have
taken place in April with the town falling on 29th. Holmes pp 165-6. RJP3], most certain
and credible information came from Croyland,
alias Crowland in Lincolnshire, that one Captain Welbie (a most pernicious and desperate
Malignant against the King and Parliament, and a most mischievous mover of
rebellion and sedition in those parts) had so far inveigled the Queenes Tenants there
in and about the said Town of Crowland,
that he got them to adhere unto him, and to declare themselves with him and
some other Commanders in open hostilitie against the Parliament, and to
fortifie the said Town with brest-works and trenches very strongly: which being effected, Welbie and his companie (pestilent Malignants) came in the night to
Spalding the next neighbouring Town,
which at that time was utterly unfurnished of men and armes, and neer about
break of day beset the house of one Mr. Ram,
a very godly and faithful Minister of that Town, where they also took Mr. John Harington, a religious gent. of the same town, together with on Mr. Horn, and Mr. Slater, a
gentleman of above sixty yeers of age. Now the reason of their rage to Mr. Ram the Minister was (as they at least
pretended [claimed]) for a letter
that he had written in January before
to the Inhabitants of Crowland, not
to stand out against the Parliament; and now also in the time of these
Gentlemens imprisonment; their malicious adversaries quarrelled much with them
for praying together in their chamber, which they forbad them any more to do,
and threatened to take the Bible from them, saying to them, that twas not for
traitors to have or read the Bible; and by no means would permit them pen, ink,
or paper.
“Now they having
thus continued about three weeks, most unworthily used in prison, the honest
inhabitants of Spalding assembled
themselves into a prettie competent strength, and so advanced to Crowland to relieve and redeeme (if it
might be) these worthie gentlemen out of their harsh imprisonment. Whereupon
about 8 of the clock that first night all these prisoners were carried down to
the bulwark upon the North side of the Town, and were there kept almost all
that night among the rude Souldiers, but their friends forces not falling on,
that night, they were all carried back about midnight or later, into an
Alehouse till the next day, and then carried to prison again; but immediately
after Spalding forces approaching
neer the Town, they were all brought forth again and carried to that part of
the Town where the first onset was given, being all of them fast pinioned and
forced to stand in an open place, where canons might and did play on them. But
before the assault, a Drummer was sent to summon the Town, at whom they shot
divers times before his entrance, and then took and detained him prisoner,
contrary to the law of armes, till the Town was taken. Shortly after this, all
these gentlemen were set upon the top of the Brest-works, where they stood at
least three houres, their dear and faithful friends tat came to relieve them
shooting fiercely at them a great part of all that time before they knew who
they were: yea Captain Harrington
took one of his souldiers Muskets, charging it with pistol-powder, and himself
made three shots at his own father, not knowing who he was, and all the rest of
Spalding souldiers on that side (supposing
that they had been Croylanders, and
that they stood there to out-beard and brave them) shot at them very angrily,
till at last they perceiving who they were, quickly left firing on them, and
began to play more to the right hand; Whither, instantly, Master Ram, and Serjeant Horn, were by the Croylanders most wickedly removed, which also their
friends again discerning, they held their hands and forbare to shoot, so that
little could be done on that side of the Town, that day; for, their works were
very strong, and well lined with Muskettiers, and these also were backt with a
weapon called Hassock-knives [A hassock was a large and firm tussock of grass,
rush or the like. [OED] It is nowadays a firm cushion for kneeling on
in church but it originally, it was stuffed with a hassock of straw, hay or
rush.],
long Sythes, and such like Fennish weapons. But as the furie of the fight
abated in these parts; so it increased on the North side, whither, presently, Mr. Ram, and Mr. Horn were
posted, and there also set upon the bulwarks, for the Spalding forces to play on them with their shot, who indeed plyed
it very fiercely both with great and small shot for a great while together,
they verily supposing that Mr. Ram
had been the vapouring Priest of Parson of the Town (one Mr. Styles, a most irreligious roarer and
railer against all goodnesse, and a most audacious and speciall personall actor
in this rebellion) and many of their dear friends (as they acknowledged
afterward, when the Town was taken) shot many times and very vehemently and
eagerly as their godly Minister and Mr. Horn
who stood by him; but the Lord of hosts, that numbers the hairs of his
childrens heads, and preserved the three
Children of Israel in the midst of the fierie furnace, so guided all the
bullets still that all the multitudes of shot which continually, and most
fiercely, and frequently flew about their eares, and many of them within half
Musket shot of them, yet not one bullet small or great had power to touch any
of them. And was not ten that old adagie or Christian proverb, here, most
clearly verified. They are well kept whom
the Lord doth keep? O who then is so unwise that would not most willingly
commit his soul into the hands of such a merciful Creator and Redeemer, who is
so able and willing to save that which is committed to him? But
to go on. After these gentlemen had thus continued three houres of more
on this North side of the works, Spalding forces began to retreat there
also, and the gentlemen were taken down and guarded to their prison, together
with Mr. Harrington and the two other
prisoners which had continued all that while in the West works; but the Forces
on the North side beginning again to fire on the Croylanders, they were carried
back again and set on the works as aforesaid: whereupon Spalding forces most
honestly retreated again on both sides. Now this the wicked Crowlanders took as
a victory, and one Jackson a Balaams priest, in the town, a right son of Belial,
brought the Croylanders to Church, and read certain Collects (out of his Idol
the Service Book) by way of thanksgiving for their good successe, as they
impiously called it; and spending the rest of the day and night following, in
drinking, revelling and railing on the Parliament.
“Not long after Spalding forces assaulted the Town
againe in three severall parts thereof at once; Collonel Sir Miles Hobert, Collonel Sir Anthonie Irbie, and valiant and active
Collonel Cromwell being now come to
their assistance, who all being now neer the Town, good Mr. Ram was again called for, and brought
out of his lodging, and carried with all speed to the North bulwark, and there being very straitly pinnion’d, was most
inhumanely laid within the work on the wet ground, where he lay for the space
of five houres, often entreating to be set up on the bulwark, by reason of the
extreme numbnesse of his limbs, and exraordinarie wearinesse with lying so in
that posture and condition, but they would not suffer it. In Brief, within two
or three dayes after, not sooner, the besiegers so plyed the work, that the Spalding forces, with the aid of those
brave Commanders took the Town, but some of the chief actors in those
pre-mentioned villanies, got away, divers were taken in the town and clapt up
in prison at Colchester, Ipswich & other prisons. This much
I have thus particularly related of the falling of this Town, principally to
let the Reader see both the horrible villany & more than Turkish crueltie of our ordinarie atheisticall
and ignorant Protestants at large,
whose greatest Divinitie is their Dunsical Service-book,
and in their most loose and lazie hedge-priests frothie (preaching shall I call
it, nay rather prating, or babling, and) rayling against Gods choisest children,
and the precious power of godlinesse; As also, and above all, to set forth the
glorious praise of our still wonder-working
God ins o admirable and almost incredible deliverances of his people from
such clearly evident and eminent danger and distresse, which men who have quite
put off even meer humanity, do divellishly and desperately endeavour to bring
his Saints and servants into.”
It would be
interesting to compare this account with any that could be found written from
the Royalist point of view. From a paper read by the late Canon Moore at a
Meeting of the Lincoln Diocesan Architectural Society in 1861, we find that the
Parliamentary forces were commanded by Colonel Edward King, of Ashby, on the
Lincoln Heath, the High Sheriff for the county; the very man who afterwards
proposed in parliament the restoration of Charles II.
Ed.