CHAPTER XI. FROM THE ACCESSION OF JAMES I. TO THAT OF QUEEN ANNE. Lewes and the neighbourhood taxed for coal.-Letter of the Privy Council calling upon the inhabitants of Sussex for a Benevolence.-Firle House searched for arms.-Civil Wars.-Memorial of the Privy Council addressed to the Constables and Inhabitants of Lewes.-Curious letter respecting a fire in Lewes.-Escape of Charles II.-Cromwell's government.—Sussex Jury.—Act of Uniformity.—Persecutions under Charles II.-Extracts from the Town Records. By various letters preserved in the British Museum, it appears that this county was formerly taxed annually at a considerable quantity of coals, (charcoal), which were sent to the king's palaces for the use of his Majesty. By a letter dated Greenwich, 13th May, 1605, addressed to Henry Shelley, Esq., and other justices of the peace, it is stated that the County of Sussex had been charged by the king's purveyor the last year, with four hundred loads of coals, which at the Lord Treasurer's (Dorset) request had been reduced to two hundred and forty loads. Four hundred loads were demanded for the following year, and a reason is given for this demand, that "the C° of Surrey lying next you, being much less than your C is charged with five hundred loads ;" at the earnest entreaty, however, of the Lord Treasurer, Lord Knowles and Lord Wootton accepted three hundred loads, in lieu of the four hundred that had been demanded. In a letter dated 22d October, in the same year, and addressed to Henry Shelley and others, by the Lord Treasurer, he complains of their not having forwarded their stipulated portion, according to promise, and adds:"The officers of Green Cloth have this day set down order for sending down of divers marshall's men, for attaching such as are to bring in the said provysion, according to the rate of four hundred loads of coal, whereoff having had intelligence, I have made my second sute unto them, in regard of the grete trouble and charges that is like to fall uppon soe manie of oure honest neighbors, that they will please to forbear eight days; within which time, if you do not take such order as that his majestie's service may be accomplished, with the true, full and spedie delivery of the said two hundred and forty, that then I will not only utterlie from thenceforth give over all further sute for any abatement, but will most willingly join with the saide officers of Green-cloth, not only for the servinge of the saide four hunded loads, but also for the punishment of all suche as shall commytt contempt in not accomplishing the same.” In 1609, the quantity compounded for was two hundred and forty loads, and in 1611, 12, 14 and 16, the composition seems to have been fixed at two hundred and fifty loads annually'. The following document shews that in 1627, the Borough of Lewes was assessed fifty-eight shillings towards the provision for coal for his Majesty's household: "To the Constables of the Borough of Lewes. "These are in his Majestie's name to command you on the receipt hereoff, to levy the summe of fifty-eight shillings, which in equal proportion is allotted for your borough, for and towards the provision of Coale for his Majestie's householde, for this year, and to pay the same to Samuel Midmor, at his house in Lewes, upon the 5th of August next, and hereof faile you not. "Dated the 22d July, 1627. JAMES RIVERS. ANTH. STAPELEY.” The profusion of James, soon outran the generosity of the legislature; and when he was unable, by promises or threats, to obtain from the parliament the supplies which his inconsiderate liberality required, he had recourse to means neither honourable nor kingly, to recruit his exhausted treasury. Titles of rank were bartered to such as offered the best price; sums of money were procured under the name of benevolences or free gifts, and much larger sums came into his hands by way of loan. In the year 1614, when the king's pressing necessities failed to draw from his parliament supplies commensurate with his wants, the following memorial was got up by his privy council, and addressed "To our very loveing friendes, the Sheriffe and Justices of the Peece, in the Countie of Sussex. the dis "After our verrie hartie commendations. You cannot be ignorant upon solving of the late begun Parliament, there hath not yielded to his Majestie suche supplie of his wante as in conguitye of state he might have expected from his loveinge subjetts: whereupon as wel the Lords spirituall with manie of the Clergie, as the Lords and others of his Majesties Privie Councill, with many other lords and gentlemen of worth and qualitie, taking the same into serious consideration, oute of theyr dutifull loue and grete affection to his Majestie, in contemplation of the manie blessings which wee enjoy by his moste gracious governement, have of theyr owne free motion, everie one for himself, with grete alacrety, presented and given to his Majestie, plate or money, or both which example wee are informed the reverende judges for theyr parte, as also the gentlemen and others of abillitie in theyr adjacent shires, and sum citties and burroughs have lovingly and reddily resolved to followe. And, therefore, wee verrie well understanding the forwardnesse of your affection upon all occasions, and in all things tending to his Majestie's service, have thought good to 'Burrell MSS. Brit. Mus. make the same knowne to you, wishing you to imparte the same to other gentlemen, and all suche in that Countie, that you shall deserne to be persons of goode abillitye, or otherwyse fitt to furder the service; wherebye the returne and successe thereof (which will reste muche in your industrye and discrete handling) may carrie with it a worthie demonstration, as wel of your own zeale and forwardness, as of the generall love and goode affection of that Countye towardes his Majestye. What soone shall be given, be it in mony or plate, they whom yn your discretion you shall depute to have the colection and custodie thereoff, are to cause it to be sent to his Majestie's iewel house in Whitehall; with a register in writinge of the vallew of theyr particular guyfte, and the names of the severall gyvers, that they being presented to his Majestie's view, he may be pleased to take notice of theyr goode affections, which he will ever retaine yn his gratefull remembrance, and is resolved that it shall only be emploied in the paiment of his debts, as namely for Irelande, the navie, and the cautionaire townes in the Lowe Countries and leavinge the carriage of these presents to your discretion and wisdome, we bidd you hartilie farwele. From Whitehall this 1st day of June, 1614. "R. Somerset, W. Knowles, E. Wootton, ̈ "Your verrie lovinge friendes, Ju. Cæsar, A. Cant., E. Worcester, Notwithstanding this moving appeal to the fears, hopes, and good affections of his loving subjects in Sussex, it does not appear, that the jewel house, in Whitehall, was greatly enriched by the benevolence of this district of the kingdom. The lavish expenditure of the good natured king, was too well known, to afford any hopes to his subjects, that their voluntary contributions would be permanently beneficial, or that the meanness to which his extravagance had compelled him to have recourse, would rouse him to a sense of his real dignity, and induce those habits of economy, which would prevent a recurrence to such unworthy means, to support his state besides, the Parliament refused their supplies, only because he refused to redress the grievances which they had pointed out. To have supported him in his determined obstinacy, would, have been to injure their own interests, by rendering him independant of his Parliament, and enabling him to close his ears to the complaints of the people. Some few, however, of the wealthier, or more loyal of his Sussex subjects, contributed a portion of their plate, or money, but not to the extent, which the king expected or desired. In consequence of the general disinclination to give, another letter was dispatched by his Majesty's purveyors, the object of which was, to spur on those who had not before given, and to induce those who had already contributed, to enlarge their benevolence. "After our hartie commendations. The abillitye of the Countye is so well knowne, as you may be assured, in this contribution, the backwardnesse of yourselves and of the reste of the inhabitants by your example, will bee interpreted as the measure of youre affection, rather than the effect of wante or disabillitye; for which we are the more sorrie, not in respect to the addition it would have giuen to his majesties supplic, but for that it shall be observed, that amonge soe manie gentlemen of quallitye and meanes, whereof the most parte are eyther well knowne to his majestye, or to this bord, and manie other inhabitants of lyvelieinhoode, there are found only three, who in a reasonable proportion, have expressed their love and dutie to his majestye. Wether this be all his majestye may expect from yourselves and the reste of the countye, after so many motions and lettres from this bord we knowe not, but whatsoever youre resolution bee, wee require you to lett us nowe knowe directly and absolutely, without furder delaye, for more forceable persuasion than wee have alreadie used unto you cannot be given, and lesse would have served, if youre inclination had beene as his majestie expected: soe wee bidd you farwell. From Whitehall this 21 July, 1615'.” What effect this second letter had upon the men of " abillitye and lyvelienhood," we have no means of ascertaining. Doubtless it brought more free gifts to the altar, or the implied threats of the keepers of his majesty's conscience, must have been harmless indeed. Four years after this, viz., in 1619, as appears from a letter from the privy council bearing that date, an order was sent to the magistrates of this district, commanding them to search for stores and armour in Firle House. The letter is in these terms :- "After our hartie commendacions. Whereas information is made unto us of grete store of armoury and munition forceablie conveyed and disposed into a house belonging to Mr. Gage of that countie, called Firl House, we doe not easilie give credit to anie suche information; yet, forasmuch as the same hath relacion to matters of further consequence, we have thought mete for oure better satisfaction, to praie and require you to repaire privately to that house, without anie noyse, and to make due search there for anie suche armoury as is informed; and yf there hapen anie suche quantitie to be founde there, that you putt the same into safe kepinge, and send Mr. Gage and others of the house whom you shall think meete upp hither unto us, under safe custodie; yf otherwise, to certifye us of your proceeding, and soe we bidd you verie hartiely farwell. From Whitehall, this 25 March, 1619. "Your verie lovinge friends, "G. Cant., E. Worcester, G. Carew, T. Edmondes, Robt. Nanton, Jul. Cæsar, Edw. Coke." The rage of civil war which began in the succeeding reign, and ended only with the destruction of the miguided monarch, seems not to have affected this district so much as many parts of the kingdom; at least, the din of arms was not heard in this neighbourhood, although it would appear from the town records that some provision was here made by the royal party, in the anticipation that the cruel contest might be extended to the Sussex shores. Happily, however, for the inhabitants, the tide of war flowed in a different direction. We shall pass over the events of this hapless reign, pausing only whilst we lay before the reader a memorial addressed by the privy council to the constables and burgesses of Lewes. The document is a call upon the burgesses for a benevolence, or voluntary grant of money, and is a fair specimen of the courtly mode of begging adopted by the first monarchs of the Stuart line. "To our lovinge friends the Constables and Burgesses of the town of Lewes, in the countie of Sussex. * "After our hartie commendacion. What indeauors his Majestie hath * * able wages to recover the Treatie and by all faire and monie of his children in Germanie, now for the most part witholded from them by force, is not unknowne to all his lovinge subjects his Majestie was pleased to communicate unto them in Parliament his whole proceedings in that business. Of which Treatie his * uige at last frustrate, he was enforsed * Haerl. Lib. Cod., 703, 118. to take ther * amelie, to recover that by the sword, which by other means he sawe no likelihood to compasse. And his Majestie was at in a cause so nearly concerning him and his children's interest, his people in Parliament wold have yielded him a liberall and spedie supplie. But the same unexpectedly not succeedinge, his Majestie is constrained in a cause of soe great concerne to trye the dutifull and forward affections of his lovinge subjects in another waye, as his predecessors upon like occasions have done, in former times, by propounding a voluntarie contribucion. And, therefore, as we doubt not but yourselves will herein reddily follow the good and liberal example of such as have been before us, which we assure you, his Majestie will take in very gracious part, soe his pleasure is, and we do hereby authorize and require you, with all convenient expedition, to call before you the Knights, Gentlemen, Subsidie men, and all others of knowne abillitye within that corporacion, and to moue them to joyne chearfully in this contribucion, in some good measure answerable to that yourselves shall doe, and divers others well affected have alreadie done. Wherein his Majestie is assured, that besides the interest of his children, and his owne crowne, the religion professed by his Majestie, and happilie flourishinge under him in this kingdom, having a great part in the successe of this businesse, will be a speciall motive to perswade and invite hereunto. For the better advancment of which service we advise you not to call too manie at one time, but to take theire sufrages and offers severally, callinge in the persons unto you one by one. For the collectors we doubt not but you will conceave howe requisite it wil be to make choice of meete and sufficient persons whoe are to call for the monies that shal bee given, soe as the same may be all payde in by the 30th of May next. And soe recommending this service to your best care and endeauours, and praying you to returne unto us by the 10th of May next a Schedule of the names of such as shall contribute, and the somes offered by them, that his majestie may take notice of the good inclinacion of his subjects to a cause of such importance, as likewise of such others, (yf anie bee), that out of obstinancie or disaffection shall refuse to contribute herein', we farewell. "From Whitehall the 31st of March, 162 "Your lovinge friends, "G. Cant. Hamilton, Pembroke, L. Cranfeilde, E. Winton, G. Carew, The date of this memorial is imperfect; it would seem, however, to have been despatched to Lewes, in the year 1626, immediately after the king's indignant dissolution of the parliament which had voted him only a fourth subsidy, but withheld the actual grant of aid, in consequence of his refusing to discharge all popish recusants from offices of trust and authority, and to banish from his council the Duke of Buckingham, who had become obnoxious to the nation. The following letter, narrating the origin and progress of a destructive fire that raged in Lewes on the 16th of April, 1648, may not be uninteresting to the reader. It is extracted from a scarce pamphlet in the possession of Mr. Mantell, entitled, "A Declaration of the Scottish Army, concerning their present designe, against the Lords and Commons assembled at Westminster, the Army under the Command of his excellency the Lord Generall; and their resolution to preserve and defend the King's Majestie, and to gain his liberty from the Isle of Wight,' &c. London, 1648. "SIR,-I shall acquaint you with a sad accident which happened at Lewis, the county town in Sussex, on Sunday, Aprill 16, occasioned by meanes of some who had not been carefull to see that their children and apprentices, repaired to the churches, to heare God's word taught, as it 'I have put those passages in italics which shew the affectionate considerations which the privy council thought most likely to influence the minds of the burgesses to a voluntary contribution. |