A perfect Narrative of the particular service performed by Thomas Wright Firemaster, with a Morterpeice of fifteen Inches and a half diameter, against the Castle of Elizabeth in the Isle of Jersey, being commanded thither by Order of the Council of State, under the Command of Coll: Jamer Haine, humbly represented to the Honourable Council of State.  
Right Honourable:  
I Humbly conceive it is not unknown unto you in some measure, what service I have performed, (I speak it to the glory of God, whose good hand of Providence was over me) in the Isle of Jersey, being called thereunto by Your Honour's Authority, as appears by this ensuing Order signed by Mr. Rowe.  
Mr. Thomas Wright Gunner in the Tower is hereby desired to bespeak these particulars under-written, and ready Money shall be paid for them upon delivery.  
Whitehall, July 15. 1651. William Rowe.  
100● Fuzes for the 〈◊〉: 600 Hand Fuzes: Four wooden Mallets: Four Iron Rammers: 600 Tomkins: Two large Chests: Two large Quadrants: Two plain Tables: Two Chains: Two pair of Callipers.  
W. R.  
Hereupon I had a Commission from Colonel Heane Commander in chief for that Expedition, as followeth.  
BY virtue of the Power and Authority to me derived from the Parliament of England, and my Lord General Cromwell, I do hereby authorize you Thomas Wright as Fire-master, to Command one of the Great Mortar pieces, and all such persons as are appointed for your assistance, with all those provisions and materials thereunto belonging; the which are appointed for the service of the Isle of Jersey. Which assistance, provisions and materials you are to Command, and order for the Reducing of the said place, according to your best Judgement and discretion; And all persons whatsoever appointed as your assistance for the service aforesaid, are hereby required to obey you as their Commander: and you are to observe such Orders and directions for the carrying on of the said service, as you shall from time to time receive from me.  
Given under my hand this 24th day of September: 1651. To Mr. Thomas Wright Fire-master. Ja: Heane.  
May it please Your Honours, after this service was ended; upon my return into England I could not but look upon some various reports which have been made concerning that great and weighty Employment of reducing the Isle of Jersey, and Elizabeth Castle, unto the obedience of the Parliament, in which service, by Your Honour's Command, (not to derogate from the honour and worth of any Officer) I was under God in my place instrumental; and therefore I humbly conceive in further discharge of my duty, I am bound to represent a perfect Narrative of such particulars wherein myself was an Actor, together with some other things which either concern myself, or that Island.  
After we got footing in the Island, and Sir George Caretret and those of his party were forced to retreat into Elizabeth Castle (a place which unto them seemed impregnable) it was our chiefest care to reduce the said Castle, without which we could not settle the Isle in a condition of peace and security, or lessen the charge of the State, in maintaining of men and other necessaries for that service. And when I came to view the distance betwixt the place where I was to raise my battery, and the Castle; I found it to be seven eights of a mile, or 924 paces Geometrical, five foot to a pace, which was so great a length, that I humbly conceive there hath not been any instance in former actions, of execution done so far by a Mortar piece.  
Nevertheless upon Monday the fifteenth of November last, I planted my Morter-peece upon the Battery, and levelled my shoot at Sir George Caretrets Lodgings which were on the farthest part of the Castle: and I proffered to lay a wager of ten pounds with Captain Dover, that my first shot should strike the Castle, or fly over, and not fall short: And when I was commanded to play my Granado, I gave fire myself, and through God's providence it did strike one fide of the great Tower, where the Granado broke, to the exceeding terror and amazement of the Enemy, and gave all on our side good grounds of encouragement, and assurance that the work would shortly be effected.  
Whereupon I proceeded to make a second shot with the same proportion of powder and degree of elevation, which proved also a very fair shot upon the same Line as the other fell; and the Granado broke very kindly, though it fell shorter than the first, for the distance was very great, and the Carriage of my Gun but weak, and not able to perform that violence of execution which was necessarily required. Yet I proceeded to make a third shot upon the same Line, and having altered my degrees of elevation, and my proportion of powder to a much larger length than the last, I did myself give fire to the Granado and Gun as before, and had wonderful great success and operation in the execution; For this shot struck quite through the Roof of the Church, and fell into a Warehouse underneath the Church, where the Enemy had their Magazine of powder and other things, which by the Granados breaking there, it was all set on fire, their Church thrown down, and many dwelling houses, Warehouses and buildings there, of about 200 foot square were totally ruinated by this blow; and as I was after informed by many Gent● that came out of the Castle, there was in the said houses and Sellers, about 30 Tun of Cider, 12 Tuns of Sack, great store of Corn and Biscuit, with a vast number of Fish and other provisions of victual, and for the War. Also a large cistern which was made for the receiving of rain-water, very serviceable for the Castle, and joined to the said buildings, was utterly made unuseful, and sixteen or eighteen men were killed outright, and six or seven more, so mortally wounded that most of them are since dead; and I myself did see at the same time three men lie dead under the Church wall where no man could come unto them; Likewise Sir Philip Caretret did since tell me, that most of his own wearing Apparel, and his other goods of consequence were destroyed by the same blow.  
After this I made a fourth shot by the same degrees of elevation, and with the like proportion of Powder, which fell something short of the other, for the Carriage of my Piece not being able to do more, did break: with many of the Irons belonging thereto; So that without God's infinite goodness and providence in my preservation, I had lost my life by this shot, and I was in much danger both at this time, and every other shot which I made.  
On Thursday following, which was the eighteenth day of November, my Carriage was repaired and amended, and held five or six shoots, and towards the evening my first shot did its execution, the Granado falling into a Reek of Corn, set the same on fire, burnt and destroyed all their Corn and Provisions in the Mows, that was for Horse and man, myself and others beholding the fire to burn three quarters of an hour, before they could quench it, or throw it into the Sea.  
Upon the nineteenth and twentieth of November, I made five shot on the farthest part of the Castle, and two about the middle of the Castle, and two shot upon the Out-lynes, every one of them breaking, and doing their execution in one kind or other. At the last of these shot my Carriage broke all her Iron work in pieces about me, and my life was again preserved, with great difficulty.  
About eighteen days after my Carriage was mended again, and I made five shot more, three whereof, I carried quite over toward the farthest part of their Castle, which fell amongst their Vessels, and did them some harm, beating them out of the places of security, where they lay; And to that place I shot (near an English mile) the two other Granades; the one whereof fell into the Chancellors house, and the other not far from the same place, and now my Carriage broke the third time, in a more desperate manner than it did before.  
Thus far I have humbly thought good to set down a particular account of the state of my Morter-peece, the distance of place, the number of Granades that were spent, and the execution made thereby; wherein it appeareth that the whole number of Shells which were spent in this service, were but sixteen, nine whereof fell into the Castle, and did their Office, as is before recited, and the other seven fell in and near the Enemies out works, beyond their utmost lines, among their shipping; and some near their other shipping, lying on the hither part of their works, which did all break, and do their Office, though they were very long shoots, and my carriage so weak and unserviceable as aforesaid; for had my carriage been as strong as my Gun, I am able to affirm with much confidence, I could have thrown those Shells and many more, into any part of the Castle, and not one have fallen forty yards in distance from the other.  
After my carriage was broke the third time, (to the end that no time might be lost for the effectual carrying on of the work) whilst the same was mending, I undertook to make able and sufficient Fireworks, to fire the Enemy: shipping which lay under their Castle Guns, which I brought to maturity and perfection, and my Mate Rich: Facey (who approved himself a deserving man) undertook that service, and went down to a ship that lay within Pistol shot of the Castle's Fort, (taking only one of my men along with him) and notwithstanding the enemy did play upon them from the Fort very thick, both with great and small shot; Mr: Facey entered the ship and set it on fire, by which means both the ship and the goods in her were consumed. In acomplishment whereof, he underwent very great danger, himself and my man that went with him being much burnt, and scorched, hardly escaping with their lives; and before my carriage was mended this third time, the Castle was surrendered; Then I made a farewell shot with my Gun upon the Sands (shooting near an English mile) and so left it safe and sound.  
These Right Honourable are the Particulars of my service in this Employment, of which both Col. Hayne the Governor, and divers eminent Gentlemen of the Country have also given their Certificates of the matter in General.  

Colonel James Haynes Certificate of the service performed by Thoms Wright Fire master, for the reducing of Elizabeth Castle.  
Whereas Thomas Wright one of the Gunners of the Tower of London was appointed Firemaster, and Richard Facey another Gunner of the same place, his Mate, by order of the Council of State, to serve under my command, in the expedition against the Isle of Jersey. These are to certify that the said Thomas Wright, and Richard Facey have faithfully and carefully served the State in that service, I attest that they have acted with so much Zeal and Judgement, that more could not be expected from any men; And thus much I must moreover inform, that they have not neglected or slighted any duty or Command, but have been very instrumental under God, to the rendition of Elizabeth Castle in this Isle. I could speak more of their deserts, but their services when made known, will speak them large enough, I have only paid them their bare pay, from the time I entertained them, until the 22 of this instant Decemb: viz: for Mr. Wright 4 s. per diem, and Mr. Facey 2 s. 6 d. per diem, besides their men and assistants with some small encouragements for their eminent service, and 3 li. 1 s. which I gave them in their purses, besides their pay; I should have been glad if I had been able to have given them a greater gratuity, but I remain their friend and Servant,  
Jersey 22. Decemb: 1651. Ja: Heane.   

The Certificate of divers eminent Gentlemen of the Country, in behalf of Tho: Wright Firemaster for the service of Jersey.  
WE certify to all whom it may concern, that Mr. Tho: Wright (one of the Gunners of the Tower of London, was appointed Firemaster, by order of the Council of State, to serve in the expedition against this Island and the Castle here) hath approved himself a very skilful and gallant man with the Morterpeice, against Castle Elizabeth, by reaching and overreaching it, beyond the expectation of most men, Ruinating the best Lodgings therein, and firing a Magazine of the Enemy; As also with his other fireworks firing one of their Vessels, by which means they became glad to embrace a treaty, whereby the said Castle was surrendered to the Commonwealth.  
Witness our hands given hereunto in Jersey, this 23. of Decemb. 1651. Lemprie Baily Judge: John Filkins. Samuel Chase. George Eton. Coll: Stocker: Lieut: Grout. Matthew Thoroughgood. Tho: Hooper. Lieut: Vyvyan. Will: Willis. John Sumerfield.   
I shall in the next place humbly make known ●nto Your Honours, the certainty of what moneys I have received for pay or otherwise, and what my necessary charges and disbursements have been during this Employment, as followeth.  
First, it appeareth by Order from Mr. Roe, before recited-that I entered upon the service of the State for this Employment the 15 day of July, 1651. and I have continued in the same until the 28 of this instant January.  
During which time I have received only 13 week's pay at 4 s. per diem of Col: Hayne, which in all amounts to 18 li. 4 s.  
I likewise received 13 weeks pay for my men of Col: Hayne, which at 4 s. per diem comes to 35 li. 19 s.  
Item, allowed unto me by Coll: Hayne for my charges to bring me from Jersey to London, 3 li. 10 s.  
Item, given unto me by Colonel Hayne the same day the Church was blown up by my Mortar piece, 1 li.  
Item, Coll: Hayne gave to Mr. Facy, my Mate, as a gratuity for the service in firing the Ship, 4 li. 10 s.  
Item, received of Coll: Hayne towards my charges in going to Jersey, 2 li. 3 s.  
So that we received in all, 64 li. 17 s.  
Whereof I received for my own part, but 24 li. 8 s.  
Which is all that I have any ways received of Colonel Hayn.  
In the next place I shall humbly present to your Honour's view, what my losses and expenses have been, from the time I went out upon this service, until my return again to London, and refer the rest to your Honour's wisdoms, relating to what Materials were found in the Castle, which in the like cases have been claimed as a right by other men; As also how small my pay was, and what hath been given to other men, though their service hath been nothing at all, or at the best very inconfiderate.  
First, I have been constrained to be at the charges in carrying & recarrying myself and my men both by Sea and Land, to and from Jersey, (having beforehand engaged my word to them in that behalf) which hath cost me no less than ten pounds sterling.  
Secondly, By reason of the length of the Journey, and violence of the service, I have worn out and spoilt in Linen, Woollen, and other wearing Apparel, to the value of above 14 li. sterling.  
From whence it appeareth, that my necessary charges, besides other expenses in the Island, doth amount unto four and twenty pounds at the least, and that all the wages or pay that I have received of Col. Hayne as Firemaster, amounteth to but 18 li. 4 s. and I had of the State but ten pounds when I went for Jersey, which is all that I have any ways received for the service.  
Thirdly, It hath taken up a considerable part of my time, in preparing for the said Journey, before my Commission did begin or Commence, besides the setting on work of several Artificers, to get in a readiness provisions fit for the expedition, on whom I will aver upon Oath, I expended the whole sum of six pounds.  
Fourthly, Whereas there were many Instruments of War and broken store in Castle Elizabeth, which by Discipline of War upon the surrender, did appertain unto me, as appears (amongst other Emmunities and Privileges granted to the Train of Artillery by Charles the fifth Emperor, Arricle the 9th. and hath been observed by all Nations) viz.  
When a City or Fort is taken by Assault, than there belongs to the Master of the Artillery and Gunners the best Piece of Cannon, all Cannon dismounted, or broke by battery, the Charges in all the Cannon; all Powder Barrels that are open, the Ammunition in the Magazine, and the Bels. Also when a Victory or Field is gotten, and the General desires the Magazine, it ought for to be prised, and to give according to equity, that the Master of the Artillery be content therewith.  
Nevertheless the Governor Col: Hayne conceiving that they were fit to remain in his custody, I had not any part thereof, or penny profit for the same, either directly or indirectly.  
Fifthly, Upon occasion of some conference which I had with divers able Gentlemen of the Country (whom I found very Cordial and real for the Parliament.) they conceiving that my present allowance was not a sufficient competency, to maintain a man of my employment, made a proffer (for my better encouragement in the service of the Morter-peece) to make a Collection or gathering throughout the Island, which they would undertake should amount to one hundred pounds to be given unto me, nevertheless although I could not but acknowledge it as a great favour from them, yet for the Honour of those whom I served, and being unwilling to be a charge to the Country, I refused to accept thereof.  
And after the Castle was surrendered, and I was dismissed by Col. Hayne, some of the Gentlemen of the Island did declare much Civility and Courtesy to me, and told me that if I would stay 3. or 6. months there, they would provide me a Horse, and I should have Meat, Drink, and Lodging gratis, yet being unwilling (as before) to be chargeable unto those whom I conceived had been sufferers under Sir Geo: Carteret, I rather made choice to expedite my return, (though by reason of the time of the year, it was a time of Danger and Peril) then to protract time in staying there.  
This discourse having occasionally led me to make mention of some persons of that Country, me thinks it lies upon me as a part of my Duty, to give a Glimpse of what I observed in that Island in general.  
When we came before Jersey, my Mate Facey did land with Major Purling, and divers others at the first, who affirm unto me, that they discovered not any great considerable party that came down to fight or oppose us in our Landing, and that there was not two hundred Horse and Foot discovered in Arms in a Body; And it is humbly conceived by myself, and others who have Judgement, that if but 2000 of the Islanders had stood to fight in Caretrets' Cause, we had been so far from gaining the Island, that we had all been destroyed before we had gotten to Land. And notwithstanding, both myself and others heard of great numbers that were in Arms before the Parliaments Forces appeared against the Island, yet is it also affirmed by Persons of good Repute, that when the Parliaments Forces came, many ran to their own homes, and that all the men that were able to bear Arms in one whole Parish (which was Populous) were threatened to be hanged by Sir George Caretret, for not appearing at his Summons, some few days before our Landing there, and the generality of people during my abode there, expressed much love and affection to the Parliament of England.  
As for the Country it is full of Rich Corn-land, Meadows, and Orchards, and in the Summer (especially) is a place of very sweet and pleasant Habitation; The Men and Women are generally courteous, and of a good deportment, the Poorer sort only excepted.  
FINIS.