CERTAIN LETTERS Sent from Sir JOHN HOTHAM, Young HOTHAM, the Major of HULL, and others. Intercepted, and brought to Court to His MAJESTY, April 16. OXFORD, Printed by Henry Hall. M.DC.XLIII. READER, THese Intercepted Letters which we here impart to thee are exactly printed without the le ist alteration of word or spelling from the Originals which the Printer hath in his custody under the Authors own hands and seals. The first letter superscribed to Mr Pym, From Sir john Hotham. The second to Sir Matthew Boynton, and Mr Nye, From Sir john Hotham. The third to Sir Thomas Barrington, From Sir john Hotham. The fourth to Sr Philip Stapleton, From Young Hotham. The fifth to one Mr Darly, From Young Hotham. The sixth to Mr Pelham Burgess of Hull from the Major and others of that incorporation. 1st FOR MY MUCH HONOURED friend JOHN PYM Esquire. Sir, I Received yours of the 4 of April with the Orders enclosed; for which I desire you will present my humble service to the House, I hear from many of my friends as well as from yourself, the jealousies was so upon me by reason of that fact of Sir Hugh Cholmeley's, it is the Evening Crowns the day, and I hope to make it in the end well appear they were without cause; I confess, I much marvel how such things should find the least belief, being that I have ever since I was trusted by you in this employment served you to the best of my Judgement, not according to the strict letter of my Commission, but have acted all things both here and in other places that I thought might conduce to the advancement of your service. I have now sent some good force both of horse and foot into Lincolnshire, and my son with them to the aid of our friends there; I assure you if Prince Rupert with his forces come down into these parts, unless you send forces down to attend upon him, all these parts will be in very bad estate, if there were any considerable forces to fight with my Lord of Newcastle, before his new raised men be with exercise made soldiers, truly I believe the victory would not be very difficult, but if you suffer Prince Rupert and him to join together, though soldiers that are now of no value will within a while be as good as the other. That business of Scarbrough Castle of which I writ to you in my last letter is fallen out unfortunately, for Captain bushel after he had surprised the Castle and was in full possession of it dispatched a messenger to me for instant aid, which I presently sent him with two Catches, he in the mean time most treacherously delivered the Castle, and had the impudence to come to me to Hull, I have clapped him up close prisoner, and intent to call him to a Council of war●e, there to be punished according to his Demerits, if such Villains be not made examples no man will be deterred from doing ill. I have received your order for the customs and have received of Mr Somerfield betwixt four and five hundred pound, being all he had in his hand, my order is for the time to come, & this was of money in his hand before the receipt of my order, therefore I pray you Sir by the next post send him a discharge for that money, which I have promised him to procure the customs by reason of the decay of trade hear I fear will not be above 100l in the week at most, which you know how far short it will come of our pay, I shall therefore entreat that you will not fail to speed us down money, for in good faith else your affairs will suffer irrecoverably without my power to help it. I have during almost all the time of your business maintained 4 troops of horse, 4 troops of dragoones, a Regiment of foot without any charge to you more than the public faith, I conceive than you may be better satisfied to pay this garrison which cannot shift without it, Sir this is all I have for the present but his best respect who ever is. Your most humble servant JOHN HOTHAM. Hull the 7th of April. 1643. Postscript. Sir, you must needs send us down two Demi-Cannon, and we shall make a shift for the rest: There is one approach to the town and we want great pieces to hinder that, so as you must needs send us down two Demi-Cannon, we sent you divers good ones from hence, if you send them down I pray do it by the next Ship and send bullets with them. 2d. For my much honoured friends Sir Matthew Boynton Knight and Baronet, and Master Nay Preacher of God's Word, these. Sir, I Received yours of the 4 of April. and in a letter from Sir William Stricland, the order for receiving the Customs. they were usually before these ill times 7 and 800l a week, I fear they will not be for the present 100l a week. so that you see in what case we are at, I desire you will do the utmost with our friends, that the 6000l whereof I have had one may be sent speedily down, truly I am driven to my wits end for moneys. The news you heard of my Lord Fairefax loss was too true, he had 700 of his Club men Carried prisoners into York where they now are. My Lord Fairefax is now at Leedes, and my Lord Newcastle is drawn with most of his forces into the West: Major Jefford is Battering Pomfret Castle, while the other increaseth in strength and reputation; we take it here for granted Prince Rupert is coming Northward, if some strong forces march not in the Back of him, our forces in Yorkshire will subsist but a while. My son at the Extreme earnest solicitation of our Lincolnshire friends, is to morrow setting forwards to their assistance, with some troops of horse and two strong companies of foot, he is to command in chief all their forces, I hope with God's blessing he will give a good account of his actions. In the Business of Scarbrouge Castle we are betrayed. bushel hath surrendered the Castle; and my Catches I sent to his aid, like fools contrary to my express order entered the Haven, and are surprised. yet had bushel the impudence to come to Hull, where I have him fast, and intent to Judge him according to his deserts by a Council of war; such villains cannot suffer sufficiently. For those letters of Mart, I think it not amiss to leave them for the present: If it were not for those foolish Jealousies▪ (which I endeavour to avoid) I dare say at this time I could have done the Parliament more service than all the actions I ever did them was worth; but I dare not adventure upon it I saw myself so much mistaken, as God willing it shall well appear in the End: Sr I am so much your debtor for your so painful a journey as I know not how to requite. But upon all occasions you shall ever find me▪ Your most faithful friend JOHN HOTHAM. Hull 7th 1643. Postscript. We hear there is an Order of Parliament for the sequestration of the spiritual livings of the malignant priests; if it be so their is three good live, within 10 miles of Hull, the least worth 200l per annum, I could dispose to three good friends: I pray see what may be done in it. If their be any good to be done for the sequestrations of these live Master Nie, my Cousin Salt-marshe, and my son Charles might well supply those three places, and they are within the protection of Hull; the live are Bainton, Elton, Lockington. 3d For my much honoured friend Sir THOMAS BARRINGTON Knight, these. Sir, I Received yours of the 29 of March, and must give you many thanks for the expressions of your love and favour to me; but those jealousies that I hear are raised upon me, I hope in God it shall well appear that as I have ever abhorred from the deceiving of the least private friend that trusted me, I shall much more be fare from betraying a trust put upon me by so great a body as the House of Parliament. It is the evening Crowns the day. I hear that this unfortunate business of Sir Hugh Cholmelies did in the opinion of many reflect upon me, but truly without all cause, as shall well appear in the end. Captain Bushel as I writ in your former letters had ceased on Scarbrough Castle and dispatched away a post to me to send him aid, which I suddenly sent him in two Catches, but he as I conceive hath treacherously surrendered up the Castle, and my Catches coming thither, contrary to my order entered the place, and wear both surprised; Captain Bushel as soon as he had yielded up the Castle had the impudence to come hither to Hull, I suppose with the intent to work some further mischief, but I have clapped him close, and intent to call him to a Council of war, for betraying the Castle which he had once in his power, and my Catches; and if such villains be not punished no man will be true. My Lord Fairefax hath 700 of his clubb-men slain and taken prisoners, his quitting his quarters at Selby being as we conceive against all reason, and I fear will prove prejudicial to his affairs, My Lord of Newcastles forces are many of them gone towards the west, God send us a good issue, Sir I have no more at this but his best respects who ever is Your faithful friend to serve you, JOHN HOTHAM. Hull the 7th of April 1643. 4th. For my much honoured brother Sir Philip Stapylton Knight these present. Noble Sir, I Doupt not but you that are upon the*** have a great deal better intelligence than we can expect here, yet something sees the by-stander that the gamester doth not. I have some cause to believe that a very great part of the King's Army will with speed march from Oxford to York, and that Oxford will be left only with the King's Person and some 3000 to guard it, and countenance his party; and the 2 Armies be joined, if you follow not, you may easily guess in what condition these Northern counties will be in, that now can hardly defend themselves. Sir, I shall not take upon me to offer any thing to you in a business of so great weight as this, but to desire from you some directions for the management of our business here, for my Lord Fairefax lies in the West, we in the East, and some few at Lincoln, so divided as neither able to do the public good nor ourselves. My Lord Fairfax hath I doupt presuming too much upon the foolish clubb-men lost a matter of 700 of them, yet is in condition good enough yet to keep from being broken if it be well managed, as Mr Stockdale will do it you will think; the worst is leaving Selby, Cawood and those quarters he hath put himself out of any possibility of being supplied with ammunition; Sir, if the Counsels at Court alter not, this was the last resolution. My Lord Newcastle hath raked up a great many men but wants arms for some; Sir Hugh Cholmely hath given us the slip, and Captain bushel took the Castle for us one day, and let them have it the next. THE SCOTS ARE SCOTS, ALL's LOST HERE WITH TRUSTING TO THEM. Sir John Seton hath betrayed them in Lancashire. Your goods are all safe at Hull, and the quick goods in holderness; Colonel Boynton never touched any of them; I thought it was time to remove them when Sir Marmaduke had sent for his from them. I have sent 2 good Foot companies to help them in Lincolne-shire, and will follow myself presently. Sir, I shall ever remain your most affectionate Brother to serve you. Beverly April 7th 1643. JOHN HOTHAM Postscript. Sir, if our army follow the Prince you will have 5 or 6000 good men to join with you, if you delay time they may well come to be broken. 5th. For my much honoured friend HENRY DARLY Esquire these present. Sir, I Should be gladder to see our BRETHREN then to hear of them, they have talked of coming long, but all is words, and the enemy mightily strengthens in the mean time. I would the Treaty were at an end, for I think neither North, nay nor South intent it, and I have some reasons to believe so; and so I wish with all my hart we might hancker no more after it but fall to good earnest. bushel hath as basely given up the Castle, as he seemed bravely to regain it, and hath to boot betrayed our two Cattches with 10 piece of ordinance and 80 men that was sent from Hull to relieve itt: we have him close prisonnier and intent the Counsel of war to proceed against him according to his high and Capital offence. My Lord Fairfax his sudden quitting of his strong quarters upon the rivers hath taken all hopes from him of being supplied either with forces or ammunition from hence. we hear Prince Rupert is coming down with 6000 horse to the Queen, and then you will think this Country will be in a good condition, unless our army follow fast which I am afraid they will not. That unlucky overswelling commission hath undone all our business, Master Stockdale and his complices have with it given that discontent that all men of courage have left them but their own clan. I assure you, you will find my Lord Newcastles Army very numerous, and many good Commanders, and if they have time they will make the soldiers good too. Sir, if our army follow not, your party here will danger to be broken, Sir I will trouble you no longer but remain Beverly April 7th 1643. Your most affectionate friend to serve you. JOHN HOTHAM. Postscript. I have sent two very good foot companies into Lincolnshire and intent to follow as soon as I can. Sir, I hear the Lords would have you disavow the Captains for shooting at * Where the Queen landed. Birlington, pray tell all my friends my opinion, that if you do, you will discourage all men of honour or worth to serve you. 6th. For the worshipful PEREGRINE PELHAM Esquire, one of the Burgesses of Parliament for the Town of Kingston upon Hull, at his lodging in Wolstable market in Westm● these. Sir, We are glad to understand by your Letters that you have procured a warrant from the Committee for the ordnance to be sent hither, being assured you will now hasten them away with all speed (as we much desire:) But withal we thought fit to signify unto you, that (as the case stands) some care had need to be taken by the ships that bring them, and other our Neighbours at London, for convoy; or otherwise that they come well appointed; for since our last writing unto you, Scarbrough castle which was then taken by Captain bushel (and as was thought) for the Parliament, is delivered up to the Earl of Newcastles Forces; and (as is reported) by Captain Bushels treachery: who notwithstanding that his fact returned hither, thinking (as it seems) to brave it out; but is now Sir John Hothams' prisoner in the Gaol upon suspicion of his voluntary betraying the Castle; which if it prove true, he deserves no less: for by reason of Sir John Hothams' credulity of Bushels fidelity; he forthwith upon Bushels takeing of the Castle, sent him up (as he desired) some men, ordinance, powther, and ammunition in two of his Catches and a Pyncke; who fearing no harm, the two Catches went boldly into Scarbrough, and were there surprised by the Malignant forces, and the men taken prisoners; which the pyncke perceiving returned hither safe: And now (as we hear) these two Catches are well manned and provided; and are roving up and down the coast waiting their opportunity of prize. Therefore we pray you use your discretion in giving notice hereof to our Neighbours. This is all we have at present, save the remembrance of our loving respects to yourself and Mris Pelham, and so taking leave we rest Kingston upon Hull the 7th of April. 1643. Your very l●ving friends Tho. Rickes Maior, Lancellot Roper, Jno Barnard, Robbert Morton, N. Denman, William Popple, Joseph Blandes, Henry Barnard. FINIS.