A BRIEF RELATION OF Sr. Walter Ralegh's TROUBLES: WITH The taking away of the Lands and Castle OF SHERBORNE in DORSET From Him and his heirs, being his indubitable Inheritance.  
LONDON, Printed for W. T. MDCLXIX.   

To the Right honourable, The COMMONS of ENGLAND, assembled in Parliament. The Humble Petition of Carew RALEGH Esquire, only Son of Sir WALTER RALEGH, late deceased.  
Humbly showeth:  
THat whereas your Petitioner conceiveth, That his late Father Sir WALTER RALEGH, was most unjustly and illegally Condemned and Executed; and his Lands and Castle of Sherborne wrongfully taken from him and his, as may more at large appear by this brief narrative hereunto annexed; The particulars whereof your Petitioner is upon due proofs ready to make good: Your Petitioner therefore humbly submitting to the great Justice and Integrity of this House (which is no way more manifested then by relieving the Oppressed) humbly craveth that he may receive such satisfaction, for these his great oppressions, and losses, as to the wisdom and clemency of this honourable House shall seem fit.  
And your Petitioner shall humbly Pray, &c.   

A brief RELATION OF SIR WALTER RALEGH's Troubles, with the taking away of the Lands and Castle of Sherborne in Dorset, &c.  
WHen King James came into England, he found Sir Walter Ralegh (by the favour of his late Mistress Queen ELIZABETH) Lord Warden of the Stannaries, Lord Lieutenant of Devonshire and Cornwall, Captain of the Guard and governor of the Isle of Gersey; with a large Possession of lands both in England and Ireland. The King for some weeks used him with great kindness, and was pleased to acknowledge divers Presents, which he had received from him being in Scotland, for which he gave him thanks. But finding him (as he said himself) a martial man, addicted to foreign affairs, and great actions, he feared lest he should engage him in a war (a thing most hated and contrary to the King's nature) wherefore he began to look upon him with a jealous eye, especially after he had presented him with a book, wherein with great animosity he opposed the Peace with Spain then in treaty, persuading the King rather vigorously to prosecute the war with that Prince then in hand, promising (and that with great probility) within few years to reduce the West-Indies to his obedience. But Sir Walter Ralegh's enemies soon discovering the King's humour, resolved at once to rid the King of this doubt and trouble, & to enrich themselves with the lands and offices of Sr. Walter Ralegh. wherefore they plotted to accuse him, and the Lord Cobham (a simple passionate man but of very Noble birth and great possessions) of high treason. The particulars of their accusation I am utterly ignorant of (and I think all men borth then and now living) only I find in general terms, they were accused for plotting with the Spaniard to bring in a foreign Army, and proclaim the infanta of Spain Queen of England; but without any proofs, and the thing itself as ridiculous as impossible. How ever Sir Walter Ralegh was condemned without any witness brought in against him, and the Lord Cobham, who was pretended to have accused him barely in a letter, in another letter to Sr. Walt. Ralegh upon his salvation cleared him of all treason or treasonable actions either against King or state to his knowledge, which original letter is now in the hands of Mr. Carew Ralegh son of Sr. Walter to be produced at any time. Upon this Condemnation, all his lands and offices were seized and himself committed close prisoner to the Tower, but they found his Castle of Sherborne, and the lands thereunto belonging to be long before entailed on his children, so that he could not forfeit it but during his own life. And the King finding in himself the iniquity of Sir Welter's condemnation, gave him all what he had forfeited again, but still kept him close Prisoner, seven years after his imprisonment, he enjoyed Sherborn at which time it fell out, that one Mr. Robert Car, a young Scotch Gent: grew in great favour with the King and having no fortune, they contrived to lay the foundation of his future greatness upon the ruins of Sir Walter Ralegh. whereupon they called the conveyance of Sherborn in question in the exchequer chamber, and for want of one single word (which word was found not withstanding in the Paper-book and was only the oversight of a Clerk) they pronounced the Conveyance invalide, and Sherborn forfeited to the crown, a judgement easily to be foreseen without witchcraft, since his chiefest judge was his greatest enemy, and the case argued between a poor friendless Prisoner and a King of England.  
Thus was Sherborne given to Sir 
She was the only Daughter of Sir Nicholas Throckmorton, who was arraigned in Q. Mary's time and qun; see Fox his Acts and Monuments.  Robert Car (after Earl of Summersault;) the Lady Ralegh with her Children, humbly and earnestly Petitioning the King for compassion on her and hers, could obtain no other answer from him, but that he must have the land, he must have it for Car. She being a woman of a very high spirit, and Noble birth and breeding, fell down upon her knees with her hands heaved up to heaven, and in the bitterness of spirit beseeched God Almighty to look upon the justice of her cause, and punish those who had so wrongfully exposed her and her poor children to ruin and beggary. What hath happened since to that royal Family is too sad and disastrous for me to repeat, and yet too visible not to be discerned. But to proceed: Prince HENRY hearing the King had given Sherborn to Sir Robert Car, came with some anger to his Father, desiring he would be pleased to bestow Sherborn upon him, alleging that it was a Place of great strength and beauty, which he much liked, but indeed with an intention to give it hack to Sir Walter Ralegh, whom he much esteemed.  
The King who was unwilling to refuse any of that Prince's desires, (for indeed they were most commonly delivered in such language as sounded rather like a demand then an entreaty) granted his request; and to satisfy his favourite gave him five and twenty Thousand pounds in ready money, so far was the King or Crown from gaining by this Purchase. But that Excellent Prince within a few months was taken away, how and by what means is suspected by all, and I fear was then too well known by many. After his death the King gave Sherborn again to Sr. Robert Car, who not many years after by the name of Earl of Somerset was arraigned and condemned for poisoning Sir Thomas Overbury, and lost all his lands. Then Sr. John Digbie now Earl of Bristol begged Sherborn of the King and had it. Sir Walter Ralegh being of a sumptuous constitution, and perfect health, had now worn out sixteen years' Imprisonment, and had seen the disastrous end of all his greatest enemies; so that new persons, and new interests now springing up in Court he found means to obtain his liberty, but upon condition to go a voyage to Guiana in discovery of a Gold mine; that unhappy voyage is well known (almost) to all men, and how he was betrayed from the very beginning, his letters and designs being discovered to Gondomar the Spanish Ambassador, whereby he found such strong opposition upon the place, that though he took and fired the town of St. Thomà, yet he lost his eldest Son in that service, and being desperately sick himself was made frustrate of all his hopes.  
Immediately upon his return home he was made Prisoner, and by the violent pursuit of Gondomar and some others (who could not think their estates safe, while his head was upon his shoulders) the King resolved to take advantage of his former condemnation sixteen years past (being not able to take away his life for any new action) and, though he had given him a commission under the Broad seal to execute martial law upon his own Soldiers, which was conceived by the best Lawyers a full pardon for any offence committed before that time, without any further trouble of the law, cut off his head.  
Here justice was indeed blind, blindly executing one and the same person upon one and the same Condemnation for things contradictory; for Sir Walter Ralegh was condemned for being a friend to the Spaniard, and lost his life for being their utter enemy. Thus Kings, when they will do what they please, please not him they should, God, and having made their power subservient to their will, deprive themselves of that just power whereby others are subservient to them. To proceed; Mr. Carew Ralegh only Son of Sir Walter being at this time a youth of about 13. bred at Oxford, after 5-yeers came to Court, & by the favour of the right Hon. Will: Earl of Pembroke his noble kinsman, hoped to obtain some redress in his misfortunes; but the King not liking his countenance said, he appeared to him like the ghost of his Father, whereupon the Earl advised him to travail, which he did until the death of King James, which, happened about a year after. Then coming over, and a Parliament sitting, he according to the custom of this Land, addressed himself to them by Petition to be restored in blood, thereby to enable him to inherit such Lands as might come unto him either as heir to his Father or any other way, but his Petition having been twice read in the Lord's house, King Charles sent Sir James Fullerton, (then of the bedchamber) unto Mr. Ralegh to command him to come unto him, and being brought into the King's chamber by the said Sir James, the King, (after using him with great civility) notwithstanding told him plainly, that, when he was Prince, he had promised the Earl of Bristol to secure his title to Sherborn against the heirs of Sir Walter Ralegh; whereupon the Earl had given him then Prince ten thousand pounds, that now he was bound to make good his promise being King; that therefore unless he would quit all his right and title to Sherborn, he neither could nor would pass his bill of restauration. Mr. Ralegh urged the justice of his cause, that he desired only the liberty of a Subject, and to be left to the Law, which was never denied any freeman. Notwithstanding all which allegations, the King was resolute in his denial, and so left him, After which Sir James Fullerton used many arguments to persuade submission to the Kings will, as the impossibility of contesting with Kingly power, the not being restored in blood, which brought along with it so many inconveniences, that it was not possible without it to possess or enjoy any lands or estate in this Kingdom, The not being in condition, if his cloak were taken from his back, or hat from his head, to sue for restitution. All which things being considered, together with splendid promises of great preferment in Court, and particular favours from the King not improbable, wrought much in the mind of young Mr. Ralegh, who being a person not full twenty years old, left friendless and fortune-less, prevailed so far that he submitted to the King's will.  
Whereupon there was an Act passed for his restauration, and together with it a settlement of Sherborn to the Earl of Bristol, and in show of some kind of recompense, four hundred pounds a year pension during life granted to Mr. Ralegh after the death of his Mother, who had that sum paid unto her during life in lieu of jointure.  
Thus have i with as much brevity, humility, and candour, (as the nature of the case will permit) related the pressures, force, and injustice committed upon a poor oppressed, though not undeserving 
* Sir Walter Ralegh discovered Virginia at his own Charge, which cost him 40000. Pounds. He was the first of the English that discovered Guiana in the West Indies. he took the Islands of Fayall from the Spaniard, and did most signal and eminent Service at the taking of Cadiz. He took from the Spaniard the greatest, and richest Carick, that ever came into England. And another ship laden with nothing but Gold, Pearls, and Cochineal.  Family; and have forborn to specify the Names of those, who were Instruments of this evil; left I should be thought to have an inclination to scandalize particular, and perchance Noble families.  
Upon the consideration of all which, I humbly submit myself to the Commons of England now represented in Parliament; desiring according to their great wisdom and Justice, that they will right me, and my Posterity according to their own best liking; having in mine own Person (though bred at Court) never opposed any of their just Rights, and privileges, and for the future being resolved to range myself under the banner of the Commons of England; and so far forth as Education, and Fatherly instruction can prevail, promise the same for two Sons whom God hath sent me.