Bourne Archive:
FNQ: Civil War
http://boar.org.uk/ariwxo3FNQ834.htm
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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 45. April 1900.
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
834 – Delinquents around
A Committee of
the Commons was appointed to manage the sequestration of estates,
and to compound with the delinquents. The procedure was by petition, stating
the nature and date of the delinquency, with a “particular” of the estate of
the delinquent, and certificates of his having taken the National Covenant, and
the Negative Oath, or Oath of Abjuration. The estate was valued “as it was
before these troubles began.”
Peter Whalley and Edward Budd were sequestrators
for Northamptonshire.
They returned to the Committee the names of 13 delinquents within the Liberty
of Peterborough. These were: – Captain Styles, Walton; Newdigate
Pointz, Dosthrup;
Dr. Cosin and the Dean and Chapter of Peterborough; Willm Hacke,
Peterborough; Matthew Robinson, Longthorpe; John
Towers, Bishop of Peterborough; Thomas Dove, Upton; James Carrier, Helpston; John Bourne, Ufford; – Styldolph, Wittering; Robert Dixon, Peterborough; Millicent
Pratt, Dosthrup. The last named is noted P. and D.,
to indicate that he [sic] was a papist. The estates of papists were
sold; the income of a delinquent’s estates was sequestrated, and an allowance
of one-fifth made for the support of his wife and children.
The records of
the Committee throw some light on the history of the royalists above-named.
Robert Dickenson of
The Dickenson
family were papists or reputed so to be, for when their fines were paid and
estates discharged, they appear as petitioners to contract for their purchase.
This family had long resided in
The particular of
his estate is as follows:
25 Feb., 1646. A
true perticular of all the estate reall
and personall of Robert Dickenson of
He is seised in ffee to him and his
heires of and in two messuages
& tenements with thappurtenences lyeing and being in Peterborough aforesaid of the yearly
value before these troubles of –– 7li 0 0. [The
superscript li is an abbreviation of the
Latin libra,
pound or librae,
pounds, which is also the source of the £ sign in modern use.]
He is seised of a
copyhold estate of inheritance of and in eleaven
customary of copyhold mesuages or tenements
The compounder hath noe personall estate.
He is indebted unto severall
persons by Bond 40li.
There is due unto him in arrears of rent 10li.
This is a true particular of all my estate reall and personal for wch I onely desire to compound to free the same from sequestration And I doe submit unto and undertake to
satisfy such fine as shall be imposed on me by the Committee for composition
with Delinquents at Goldsmith
Hall in order to the freedom and discharge of my person and estate.
Robert Dickenson.
In 1646, his fine was fixed at £60, one
sixth the value of his estate. He is described as of
Thomas Styles
The Styles family occupied a good
position in the
“I Margaret Styles of Werrington within the diocese of
The Captain’s fine at one-sixth of his
estate, according to Newark Articles, was fixed at £242 10s.,
more than his “particular” seems to warrant: –
A particular of the estate of
Thomas Styles of Paston in coy Northampton for
which he desires to compound.
He is seised of an estate taile
of certaine lands and tenements in Paston aforesaid worth yearly 30 0 0.
And is seized for two lives of certain other lands
there held by two several leases thone of the Bishop
of Peterborough and thother of the Dean and Chapter
there worth over and above the rents the yearly sum of 20 0 0.
And holds certain lands of his own life as tenant
by the curtesie in Spaulding in coy Lincolne of the yearly value of 35 0 0.
And is seised of an
estate in the fee of certain lands in the parish of Weston in coy
And as to the petitioners estate in Lincolneshire the Committee refuse to suspend the
sequestration upon suggestion that he is a papist albeit yr petnr
was never indicted convicted or suspected thereof as may appear by these
affidavits and certificate.
These are to certifie all
whom these may concerne that Thomas Styles of Walton
gent. Was before these unfortunate distracted tymes a
gentleman of qualitye livinge
amongst us and a true professor of the Protestant Religion and a just exerciser
thereof both in publique and private wch he exprest in his dutiful
service everie Lords day and in the religious
education of his familie and in wch
true religion we doe verilie believe the sayd Thomas doth firmly in his conscience mayneteyne.
In witness whereof being
requested we could doe no lesse but certifie under our handes this
instant tenthe day of September 1646.
Robert Laxton minister ibidem [in that place] Robart Henson
Willm Sumner John
Woodfine
John Wildbore John
ffoster [ff is an archaic way of writing the capital
F.]
Gregory Styles Jur Edward
Prier
Willm Pryer the
mark x of ffrancis Sutton
John Stevens
There is a peculiar jurisdiction for the Liberties
of Peterborough commonly called Borough Socon. And
the Justices of Peace within the said
Dated
the xxiiijth day of July, Anno Dni 1649
Pr
Godfridum Wildbore clicum
Pacis libertatis
The Pratts of Overton and Whittlesey
Millicent Pratt, a papist, anticipated
the sequestration of his estate by sale. He held Whaplode
Manor and lands at Whittlesey, at Cherry Orton
and at Dogsthorpe. His estate came
before the comittee in the petition of Anthony Pratt
the younger, of Whittlesey, who was seized in the fee of
lands and rents to the yearly value before the wars of £13 17s.,
and was posessed of a horse and wearing apparel to
the value of £11. He had bought the land from Millicent Pratt, but his title
was called into question by Robert Edwards, of Stibbington, who in his
petition, 1665,
Begs the discharge from sequestration of copyhold lands called ”Caules Croft,” in Whittlesey
surrendered 12 years ago, when petitioner was imprisoned at Huntingdon for
debt, to Milicent Pratt of Orton, for payment of
petitioner’s debts, but Pratt having got posession
neglected to pay the debts and suffered him to be in prison 3 years till his
release was procured by others.
The Committee made an order for the
parties to try the title at law; and the papist deeming it prudent to keep out
of the way, Edward’s claim was allowed and the sequestration discharged.
There are several references and reports
about this estate; an example shows how searching an enquiry was made to check
the evasion of delinquents.
To the Honble. Commrs. For Compounding &c sitting at
Haberdashers Hall,
Gentlemen
We findinge incumbrances uppon the whole
estate of Millicent Pratt lyeing in Orton Waterville als [alias or aka] Cherry Orton sequestered
for his recusancy and delinquency did in obedience to
or [our] instructions suspend ye rents in ye tennants
hands according as we menconed in or returnes sent up to yor honrs. Since wch we findeing nothing done by them in order to yor allowing of the said incumbrances
did about 3 months after summon the tennants and
occupiers of ye sd estate to pay in their
rents according to or instructions for that purpose. Upon which sumons Mr. Anthony Pratt one of ye sd
tenants and occupiers appeared to us and pretended [claimed] that there had bene
an endeavor to cleere the sd estate and alleged ye reason why it could not
be effected was because or sd return could
not be found with you and then engaged that in case ye said incumbrances
were not allowed of by yor honors and an order obtained for that purpose and delivered
to us within one month then next following, he the sd
Anthony Pratt would pay both ye Michs rent 1650 and Lady day rent 1651 for ye whole
estate notwithstanding wch engagement ye sd Anthony hath failed to procure such order or
pay such rent. We did therefore uppon ye 12 of this
present february repaire to
ye sd Anthony Prats
house in Orton afsd and seized all such cattle as we found ther uppon ye ground for ye
arrears of 3 halfeyears expired at Michs last, amd are about to let
ye tilth and pease land
forthwith least ye season of ye yeare should be lost
according to ye 32 clause of or first instruccons
doe also returne you ye name of ye said Anthony Pratt
for one who hath neglected and refused to pay ye money due to ye Common Wealth
but by this way of compulsion. And for as much as since the seizure and renewall of ye said goods Mr. Millicent Pratt of Rutland brother of
the sd Anthony with some or
[other] persons doe lay claime to part of the said
cattle pretending [claiming] that they were put there to joisting [dialect word
for gistment, the taking in of cattle for pasture in
exchange for a fee (OED see joist v 2.
See also gisement 1)], We humbly
crave yor direction whether if upon good testimony theis proving the cattle so claimed to be theirs we may
deliver them ye same again or whether wee ought to sell them (the whole
distress so taken not amounting to ye arrears). Thus, we entreat you wd be pleased to resolve us with what speed
you may ye cattle, in the interim lyeing undisposed of. Gentn,
we here confess a mistake in or returning this estate of Mr.
Millicent Pratt, formerly mencioning it to lye in
Orton Longville and also in ye particular and ye vallew
thereof; all wch we hope to amend in or
next returne wch we intend
and shall endeavor to accomplish accord to the tenor
of yor lre
and craving yor pardon we subscribe orselves. Your most obedient servants
John Leete. Richd Pigot.
Huntingdon
Febry ye 18 1651.
It is not recorded
that any fine was imposed on Mr. Pratt. He had some interest in the Committee,
for their county valuer, Mr. Daniel Reading, had
become, with Anthony Pratt the elder, a joint owner of Whaplode
Manor by purchase from Millicent Pratt. This position of Mr. Reading accounts
for the following letter: --
To his much honord ffrend Mr. Reading at his house
Jourdanes Hall these present ------
Sir,
I haveing beene much bound to you for many former favousrs
I cannot well satisfie you as yet according to my
mind being disturbed by the sequestrators nd tenants of my land I have compounded for lying in Wittlesea and though I have fully payed
(as you know and by your help) the whole composition for the sayd lands and in due time and for that end had
an order out of the court for the freeing of the same wch
I have not only shewed but delivered to them wch they not only disobey but hold me from the profits of hte same. My humble entreaty to you si
that will you advise my father what is best to do in it as also to doe me what
favour you can that i may injoy
my right and if I live. I shall not onely requite you
but rest as I am bound your
obliged servant
Anthoney Pratt.
I have busines that I
cannot come to myself as yet but betwixt this and the next terme
I will waite on you. I have
sent you my order and their warrant upon my former order; from Cherry Orton
Hall, this 27 of April 1651.
John Bourn.
Delinquents were
not safe when their estates were discharged by the Committee for Compounding.
They might be assessed by the Committee for the Advance of Money. This
Committee was established by Parliament in 1642 for the purpose of furnishing
the sinews of war. They were to obtain loans of money for the public service.
Repayment was guaranteed by the public faith of the Kingdom with 8 per cent. Interest. The assessments were made on 1/20 of real and 1/5
of personal estate, were enforced by distress, and sold ”by
the candle.” Party distinction was ignored at first, but after 1645, only
delinquents were assessed. The orders of this Committee are preserved. In May,
1651 they made this order: ---
In the case of John Bourne of Ufford gent.
Concerning an assessment upon him for his 20th part upon perusal of
the perticuler of his estate and calculating the sum
the 20th part doth amount unto the some of fifty five pounds. It is
ordered that he do within fourteen days pay to Mr. Dawson our
treasurer the sum of twenty one pounds, he shall then have a comission into the country to examine him to his debts
according to course and he do make proof of what he hath paid for his 5th and
20th part in the country which shall be defaulted.
Notes on others
of the delinquents will be given in a subsequent Part. [This appeared as article 860, in Part 47:
October 1900. RJP]
L. Gaches.
[There are
chronologies of events nationally
and nearer
Lincolnshire, which might be useful in providing a context for the above
information.]
This thread continues in FNQ860 FNQ