26. of August, 1647.  
TO ALL THE WORLD TO view, and to all men of common sense Christianity or humanity, to judge of Thomas Coningsby of Northmynis in the County of HARTFORD Esquire, now Prisoner in the TOWER OF LONDON.  
And of continuance under slavish and most inhuman Gaol tyranny over his person, the space of four years, eight months, and most illegal proceeding and oppressive, violence and Villainies, (by indirect carriage) to his total ruin, presents both the one and other to judge of and shows.  
London, Printed in the Year. 1647   

26. of August, 1647. TO ALL THE WORLD TO view, and to all men of common sense, Christianity or humanity to judge of.  
THat in November 1642. He being a Gentleman borne in that County, and inhabitant there all his life time; was by the King's Majesty made sheriff of the said County, and a Commission under his said Majesty's great Seal (the authority of which was then unquestionable) for executing the said Office, and a writ directed to administer such oaths as lawfully were usual to the trust committed to the Shreises, all which were accoordingly by me taken, and in January following it pleased his Majesty to direct his writ of non omittas with a certain number of proclamations, commanding me by the said authority under his great Seal to publish the same in the County, which unavoidable by Office, and Oath I was bound to perform, and performing the same at the Town of St. Albon's the 13. of the said january in a peaceable manner, not doing any the least thing in my own interest or accompanied with any force in doing the same. I was that day forceably seized upon (without any warrant or authority) by one Pat●son with a Troop of 80. horse, and so violently carried away, and brought to Westminster the 15. of Janu. where endeavouring to be brought and heard in the house of Commons, which could not be obtained, but that night unexamined sent prisoner to London house, but by what warrant, or for what cause I know not to this day, continuing in this condition till the 13 of March 1642. I was by a strict warrant signed, Miles Corbet seized on by one that called himself a Sergeant's deputy, and carried before THE said Corbet in the Court of Wards Chamber, not examined at all concerning the cause of my then imprisonment, and Corbet leaving me under Guard going into the house of Commons, what report Corbet falsely and ungroundedly made of me to the house, nor upon what cause or reason, more than a mentioned order in this warrant of my Commitment whereon grounded, I could never since learn, the warrant here inserted.  

By virtue of an Order this day made by the House of Commons now assembled in Parliament, These are to will and require you or your deputy, forthwith to receive from the Sarjeant at Arms or his deputy, the body of Mr. Coningsby high Sheriff of the County of Hertford into his Majesty's Prison of the Tower. And him there to keep as close prisoner, during the pleasure of the said Commons; and this shall be your sufficient warrant,  
Dated this 13 of March 1642, William Lenthall Speaker.  
To the Lieutenant of the Tower or his Deputy.   
Under this commitment. from the said 13 of March 1642. till ninth of May 1644. I did continue in the Tower without any charge brought against me, and with what tyrannical usage till then, and most part since would draw it justly to a question whether the place stood in any part of Christendom, or the Gaolers bred under any rules of humanity, and THE said Corbet as a Committee for the Tower pretended to be their authority, for all their extortions and outrages, now that on the 9 of May, I here divide my time of imprisonment it fall on thus that my wife paying in the country all 5. and twenteth parts, and pay in all rates, until the Sequestration of my real estate and totally robing me of my personal estate (as here follows) I continued unquestioned, till one Sir William Brereton by ordinance of the Lords and Commons published in print, dated Die Martis 26. Martii 1644. inter ali● in that ordinance has these ensuing words. And be it farther ordained by the Lords and Commons, that the personal estates of all such Delinquents and Papists within the City of London and Westminster, and within 20 miles of the same, not Sequestered nor discovered, and which shall be discovered by the said Sir William Brereton, or such person or persons, as he shall authorize, under his hand and seal for that purpose, within two months' next after the publishing in print of the ordinance: shall be allowed unto the said Sir William Brereton, for the farther advancement of the said service, provided that the said concealed estates exceed not the sum of 5000 l. And that the said Sir William Brereton or any person authorized by him as aforesaid nor any of them, shall possess themselves of the said Papists or Delinquents estates, before he or they acquaint the Committee of Lords and Commons for Sequestrations therewith, to the end they may judge of the Delinquency of the persons, before his or their estates be taken away.  
Here is the limitations of Breretons Ordinance, yet shortly after it appeared by his proceed, he procured an order from the House of Commons, only to the Committee of Examinations, to examine and judge of the Delinquency; mark here (right or wrong.) Brereton plays a sure game with me in Corbets Chair-ship.  
1. May, A Warrant of that Committee issues out for seizing Ms. Conningsbys Estate, and Mr. William's his estate for sending Horse and Arms to Oxford, and for entertaining and sending Intelligence thither.  
3. May, (No Delinquency examined) the Warrant was executed, both their goods within door and without, Inventored, several bonds with Sureties, required for securing them, or else to have Soldiers put upon them, to look to their goods, and to avoid that, bonds were accordingly given.  
6. May. Both were served with order of that Committee of Examination to appear, the 7. of May, which they accordingly did, being called and having nothing against Ms. Conningsby, the Solicitor was blamed for troubling her, and she discharged. But here gins a charge against me by one Prices information, to the Solicitor, that Mr. Conningsby had set the Commission of Array on foot in that Country; hereupon it is appointed that I be brought before Corbet, on Thursday following, my wife acquainted them with the scisure of her goods, her barns, locked, her house full of Soldiers moved, she might have necessary relief for her and her children's livelihood out of her goods, and not be accountable for what the Soldiers took, who were unruly, and had continued there all the winter till then, and the Committee declared accordingly, Mr. Williams is likewise discharged of the same lying charge.  
9 May I am brought before this Committee, no Commission of Array but charged for the Proclamations at Saint Albon the date aforesaid in january before the Ordinance of Sequestration, for that Ordinance was not in being till March following, and upon one Brown (they said Lawyer) his learned expouding the words has or shall in the ordinance adjudged by that Committee a Delinquent though done before the said Ordinance and in the lawful discharge of my said office, of Sheriff wick, the tye of oath than lay upon me and justly punishable by Law, if not executed being the King's Writs. This judgement of the Committee thus pact by Brereton, and as I may justly suspect by the practice of Litton as by the sequel, (who in the beginning of this Parliament before a Committee in the court of requests, and the contrary testified by two of his own rank there, and notoriously known to hundreds of people present at the occasion, did lyingly declare and testify before that Committee (that at the Election of Burgesses for the Burrow of St. Albon (and myself standing for an Election to serve this Parliament) he seem brought 〈◊〉 shoolders from my lodging to the place where the Kings writ wa● to be read and before reading the same. and in his view, as fare as the turning into the open market place from the end of a close street, which is fully the length of West-minster hall, yet now upon this occasion, my son joining with my wife, applied themselves to crave his assistance in a Petition of Appeal to the Commons house against the irregular in the proceed, and most unjust upon the matter of proceeding of this Committee, and shown him their Petition, the Lawyer Browne was likewise acquainted with it, Littons discouragement to them, and advice was to compound with Brereton for he said the House would not alter the Votes and judgement of a Committee, and Lawyer Brown, his answer was, that if they went that way, my son would utterly undo his father, and upon this they desisted and were discouraged to proceed, and some few days after, Litton pretending friendship, and they applying themselves to Litton, and in Westminster attending him, and in discourse of my said ruin and sad conditon upon this judgement meeting Brown, asked him why he gave at the Committee that opinion upon has or shall against Mr. Coningsby answered why were you so earnest to have me there, I understood it to be in friendship to Sir William Brereton, or words to this effect.  
My wife hereupon, prepared another Petition to the house of Commons wherein her son joins shows it to Brereton who gives her smooth language, and seems willing to refer the matter to Sir William Litton, and Mr. Ab●●st to stand to what they should think good therein, and in the Interim Brereton caused the goods to be valued by creatures of his own, contraty to what the ordinance declares, my wife offers Brereton a composition which he excepts not of, go suddenly for Chesheire she is threatened of his Agent, all her goods to be taken away, upon which she Petitions the Committee of examination who referred the petition to the Committee of the County they appoint a day to hear the same.  
1 july Breretons Agent brings to my house one Hanle and Jeering two of the under Sequestrators, and revewe, and value the goods, but permit not my wife to be privy to the values now made, nor formerly not to have any copy thereof, the Agent pretending haste, and missing some things of common use to the house, in the places first inventored entered the same as wanting, though my wife then told him they were necessarily used in other rooms, and should against the day of sale be set in their first places which was accordingly done.  
2 july upon debate of my wives Petition referred as aforesaid, Breretons Agent present the Committee, ordered the bringing in the inventory next morning, and my wife to have the 5. part of the personal estate set her out.  
3 july the inventory is brought in, amounting to 549. pound wherein the timber felled and the rents were not included but left to farther order, the Committee with consent of Breretons Agent did farther order that 9 pounds of 149 I should be strooken out for the goods they marked with a cross, as belonging to the House. and that 108. be allotted to her for the fifth part of 540. l.  
And for equal setting forth five part, Mr. Grob and Mr. Brooks withother neighbours, or any two of them, were ordered to join with Breretons Agent for doing thereof out of the Parcels inventored.  
But the same day the Agent proceeding to sell the goods, the persons ordered for setting out the 5th. part at my wife's request, tendered to the Agent for her 5th. part, the Cows, the corn in the Barn, the Hogs, as they were serverally apprised, and the residue of her 5th. part to be set out in sheep, or household stuff, but the Agent refused the same, and Oduisell the Solicitor of the County being then brought thither by the Agent, made himself another division giving her thereby the 5th. part of the Cows, which were in the whole number 21. Cows, the 5th. part of the sheep, Hogs, Corn upon the ground, and all the goods in her own lodging Chamber, the little Parlour, and the Kitchen which my wife, and persons ordered to make the division opposed, chief because those goods were over valued in comparison of all the other, out of presumption she would take them, being so necessary for her own use, and some of them her sons being so marked in the inventory, as likewise that two of the Cows were by the Soldiers that quartered there, killed and spent 10. or 12. days after the seizure, and by Breretons, Soldiers that quartered 8. or 9 days after the other were gone, and by appointment of his own Agents, and for that half of the sheep and those of the best were driven away long before by Breretons Agents, without sail or authority, the Lady's good haswifery at Chaisoe Bury, not to be otherwise provided, and the good woman much offended, that the Cows stayed so long, whether the most part of them were to be carried, which considerations made my wife, and the said persons desired a more equal division which was denied, than my wife desired (they proceeding to sale) that the household stuff allotted her might likewise be put to sale, and she have the taking or refusing them, or the first of the moneys upon the sale of all the household stuff, for somuch of her 5, part which likewise was denied her, than did she, and the said parsons apppointed desired they might choose one of their 4. Cows for my wife, according to Oduisells division, which was likewise refused, and 9 of the best of them first chosen out by Breretons Agent, and driven away without putting them to sale, 4. of those 9 being more valuable by much then 6. of those left behind, of all which a certificate was then made by those persons apppointed for the division and returned to the Committee.  
And having so informed the Committee of the miscarriage, and Oduisells juggling, finding Oduisells power with the Committee to great for her, she submitted to his division, so as she might have benefit of that for the future, the pretence being that Oduisells division was for the advantage (as they call it) of the State, and those things would yield most, and readiest money to the State, that were denied to her by the first division tendered, and how fare it tended to the benefit of the State, I desire all honest men to judge of, except you will have it that knaves be countenanced in their villainies, the Committee Silliciter Brereton, and his Agent being all like to like.  
The 9 Cows of the best driven away as aforesaid, without being put to sale at all, out of the resedue of them my wife had only 2. for her fift part, and those killed by the Soldiers set on her acount by abatement, and the rest Hale the under Sequestrator took without being put to sale at 2. pound 10. shillings a Cow, as inventered, which others understanding, desired the Solicitor that they might be put to sale as other goods and the householdstuff were by the candle, and thereupon they were put to sale, and 3. pound 9 shillings a piece bid for them, and so carried away, yet did Hale so carry the business and claimed them as his right by the former private sale of them, that he got the Agent to refer it to Oduisell, who adjudged the first sale to Hale good at 2. pound 10. shillings a Cow, and depastured then Gratis, in my ground all the year after for the Benefit of the State, and if Brereton examine his account I believe the money is not paid yet.  
The corn in the Barn was another particular my wise desired, at the rate inventoried which was 45. pound, and this sold at 41. pound payable by 5. pound a Week, which was 4. pound loss to the State as they call it, and not sold for ready money, so that though the public was pretended all was done to their own private ends, so they rob me of all, there State pretended was much cozened by knaves, and my wife of the benefit of the Ordinance of her 5. part very much, for the householdstuff put to sale, they had ready money for nothing else.  
In this straight my wife was in and nothing left to keep her, her children and family, from starving, (but the dutiful goodness of hers and mine eldest son Harry Coningsby, upon whom an estate was settled on his Marriage) and she not being suffered to have any thing out of her own goods  for livelyhod, under hand employs one Cow William who had for divers years been Committee over her hogs, to bid for and buy for her the wheat in the barn, which was to be paid for as aforesaid, which accordingly did at 43. pound, went the next market day to make sale of what was threshed, and according to his disposition became very drunk, this discourages my wife in her bargan and her new bailiff, and allows him not to market any more, her old Committeeman sa aforesaid grows discontent, aplyes himself to the Committee at Saint Albon, claims from them, to have the bargan to himself, my wife rightly possesses that Committee how the business stood, of his bargaining in her behalf, yet this righteous Committee in their great wisdoms and equity, order Cow William to have the bargan to himself, to break open the Barn doors against her, and put himself in possession, but now see Gods great providence to her in so deep distress, so to mollify the heart of this one rascal towards her, Cow William is content to take her to halves in the bargain, to pay for all the work and carriage, pay Brereton, and so to divide with her, the one half, and upon his account brought her in above 20. quarters of wheat, now judge all men by this account how my goods were sold for the beneifit of the State, and how seasonable a relief in so great a distress as this was, when being robed of all we had by the greater thiefs, thus to be relieved by such a rascal.  
The same day the sale was, they discovered in a garret room under a trape door some goods, 5. feather beds some trunks of linen, and pewter, two riding suits of women's furniture for horses, of velver, 12. halberds, 8. muskets with other goods, some of these goods being my sons and his wives, and put there long before sequestration, for securing them from soldiers and plundering, and some of them my daughter in laws put there in the winter before for safety upon their going from thence to live at London, and upon discovering of these goods my son's man being there, acquainted Oduisells therewith, that such goods were his Masters and Mistrises, and laid there by him, offered oath for the same and desired time till next morning, and he would fetch the inventory of such goods as were his masters, and bring the next day farther proof, this was denied him, the beds, and pewter, halbeards, and muskets, put to sale; linen and the furniture had away without inventoring any, they sold the 5. beds, for 9 pound, and my wife borrowed money and paid it there presently for one of them five pounds, for herself to lie upon, so good was such furniture as they put upon her in her own chamber, and of all these goods she has had no account of a 5. part, nor my son of what of those goods was taken away of his.  
And my wife not suffered to have the division she desired, so she had not the benefit of Ondui sells division for all the Cows, but two were had a way, as before is showed, and those two she was forced to keep out of their way, and the sheep likewise that were left were had away, and sold to Halle, and she left for account to her 5. part of those that were killed and eaten by the Soldiers, and for the Corn in the ground which was another particular, out of which she was to have a 5. part by Oduisells division, one Andrew's the first setter on of Brereton upon this business, the new admitted Vicker of the parish, as busy for his own profit as any other, director in chief of the whole matter, and in truth as unconscionable a knave as Brereton himself, or any of his instruments, though he were furnished with some out of Turnbull Street, and Charter-houselaine, and some of the pertious dames of these places to boot, whether many Cart loads of my goods were brought, this Andrew's without my wife's privity, and not according to the ordinance by the candle, did sell away all the crone, and she desiring to have some share, as most convenient for livelihood, and having neither money nor means to send to market was denied it, and yet it was not sold for ready money, but payable at Christmas, and upon her complaint hereupon to the Committee, and debate thereupon pretending the public good, and examining of what my wife had received of her 5. part, which was about 50. pound, and of that 50. pound 44. pound was in household stuff not worth half the money, after the rate of their apprising of those goods they carried away.  
30 July the said Andrews, present it was ordered that my wife be paid 58. pound in money for the resedue of her 5. part, if cause were not showed to the contrary that day fortnight.  
The same day ordered my wife shall receive her 5. part of the Lady days rents, and of the money the Timber was sold for, the sale of which Timber was there tendered (in writing of his own hand) by Andrew's wherein he afirms in writing the quantity of the Timber that the same was measured and sold (among others therein named) by one George Oliver a carpenter, sent by my wife for that purpose who thought the rate sufficient, by which false and deceitful cozenage and forgery of that lying Andrew's (for he was excellent at that & after well known to the Committee themselves for his qualities) without opposition the committee allowed the sale, but afterward upon examination of the matter, it was found otherwise, for Oliver never measured nor sold any of it, nor knew of the sale, nor was he sent unto by my wife for that purpose, nor was the sale made by the candle or otherwise, but in private, nor the Timber ever measured by any but the carpenter that brought it, and the quantety entered as he said it was sold for, at 18. shillings p●r load, which others hard by sold at 1. pound 5. shillings the load, and the ends suffered by Andrews to go with the timber save aniy account, of great which were value and not mentioned in his note, & as large as the carpenter pleased to make them, which cheat was for the benefit of the State and my wife.  
Now for a close after my so long durance without any cause or other matter then as aforesaid, and the indirect proceeding of Breretons, before the Committee of examination neither warranted by the general ordinance of Sequest▪ or his particular Ord that direcs the judgement of cause Sequestration to Lords and Commons, and not to any other judicators; a supsequent order of Commons only to that Committee shows where this Breretons strength lay to ruin me, and carried on before a Committee where the doors were kept shut, the business carried among themselves, where is to be presumed he had a strong party of the Committee made sure, and council prepared, whereas on the contrary, (after false pretence to bring his ends about) I am sent for, to be brought out of a Gaol, not knowing upon what ground, or what was to be objected against me, without counsel or knowledge who were to be my judges, but am confident if the Ordinances had been accordingly proceeded in before the right and open Committee, where close dealing carrieth not causes, and others are free to here, though they only to judge, Breretons greedy ends upon me, nor the malice of others, neither upon the cause itself, nor Brownes has, or shall, would have so carried on my ruin, this close dealing is ever the contrary to just dealing, and I once heard a Noble Lord coming out of the Star-chamber, upon a hard censure of a private Gentleman, we that are a few give judgement here, but they are many more that judge us.  
The order of the Committee on the 30. of July, that allows her 58. pound to make up her 5. part, is opposed by Andrews who had got the money into his own hands, who pretends Malignansie, & imbesiling against my wife, spares no means to suborn proofs, makes his strength to countenance his malice, and cheating one Bradshaw, and Steel, Lawyers as I hear, by whom she is for a full year tossed from Committee above & Committee, below & after several referrences of their procuring here, & certificats from the county Committee, and nothing to be proved, & Andrew's malice perjury and villainies, so discovered by them that reproved, and as I take it certified to the Committee here, and causing her to spend in following it above 60. pound for upshot of all, expecting a full sertificate to this Committee to have her money, and being before the Committee, the said Andrews and one Lownes, both special instruments of Breretons, Bradshaw helping at a dead lift, inform that my wife had spoken words against the Parliament, Bradshaw makes use of this, and the words must be received as new matter against her, they are asked if the words were that the Parliament were Traitors, they answer they were much to that purpose, the question again put with humming and hawing give the same answer, it is then put that positively upon their oaths did she say the Parliament were Traitors, and did you here ●e● speak the words, they answered she did, at which their villainy and purjurie she was more astonished to hear, then troubled at all her losses, and this purjurie was by the wise Sergeant Wild▪ adjudged good payment of her moneys, but admitted the words true, I pray judge whether it is provided or meant in the ordinance, to make a Woman's tongue under so heavy losses a Delinquent.  
To enlarge myself farther of all my sufferings upon this false foundation, and the villains both countenanced and acted upon me and my family these 4 years 8 months, and to tell you that Andrews in his malice, and by his firm supporters by advantage of these times, when Bradshaw and Steele have laid a side their old law books, how they have laid at my son to ruin him, and the proceeding therein would present to an understanding man that had for 7. year been absent in fare parts, and never heard what and how the affairs of this Kingdom have been carried, and to hear but as to my particulars, such a loss of the good old laws in force, at the time he left us a happy Nation, wonder and hardly be brought to believe such things could be done, a Parliament sitting in England,  
To make an end you have my imprisonment for cause and time, the Committee proceeding, and by that my unrecoverable ruin of me and my family, my endeavours used by appeal to the house of Commons obstructed, I shall tell you but one mote, and that is when laws are of no use to protect honest men, the commons trusts not to be protective to their trusters, the mixed Committee of Lords and Commons as to my case, and as you have heard so quick in judgement, but slow to come to it, that expenses and attendance will soon undo a better man than they have left me, to bring a good cause to a hearing, after all and for the space of a year and two months passed since, I did perition the house of Lords, and appealed with desire to be heard, but no answer for that year, 2. months since renned my petition▪ had for answer of one particular Lord they were tied up tantamount to do no man right or justice, if the complaint concerned the house of Commons, so no justice to be had in house of Commons, against a vote of a Committee, no laws to protect, no Lords to relieve, and opressions thus continuing on me, I have made recoverede to the laws taken possession of my own, presumed of the law's protection, the●e I find an Army which banne● against me, and Club Law Captain Clown and his trained soldiers full charged against me, a Commits that believes all honesty and laws are to be clean forgotten, and that to perpetuate their lawless, cheating and villainies, have by the power and the Trained bands, imprisoned 9 poor labouring men for working in my work, and in my own ground, and for no other cause, broken open my barn, and continuing Captain Clown & his lawless, violence and riot all day, carried away all the corn by night. What can be sand when a sort of men degenerate in to brute beasts are countenanced in these lawless, villains, I may say they are more wolves and bears then those brute beasts themselves, for they in their kind are peaceable among themselves, and by't not one another, whereas contrary the malice of these men give them no content, but in tearing and spoiling of others, Now hear O Heavens and consider O earth, if the like oppressions were ever heard of in our fore Father's times, as I have here truly stated, and all honest men will have a sense and feeling of my condition, I may justly say a fellow feeling with me, nor to a few & the good God of Heaven, earth & all honest men look on our miseries and in thy good tune send us deliverance, ever are the prayers and the steadfast assurance of Thomas Connigs by.  
FINIS