A TRUE AND FULL RELATION, OF THE TROUBLES IN LANCASHJERE; between the Lord Strange, now Earl of Derby; And the well-affected People of that County: with their Valiant Resistance, and full Resolution.  
ALSO, Certain passages between the Earl of Newcastle, and Captain Hotham in Yorksheire.  
Sent to a Reverend Divine in LONDON.  
LONDON, Printed for Edward Blackmoore, December the 9 th'. 164●…   

Kind SIR,  
I Have received your Letter, with the Printed Papers of the News amongst you therein enclosed, for which I return you many thanks, and in requital thereof have sent you, by this Post, the Passages and Accidents which this last week hath befallen us in Lancashire. The County, as you know, is grievously distracted and divided into two factions; The Papists and Malignants (whereof there are many in our County) act one part, and the well-affected Protestants another. The Lord Strange (now Earl of Derbie) is the great Ringleader of the Popish faction and Malignant party, and keeps his Rendezvous at Warrington, whither great multitudes of illaffected people, both out of Lancashire and Cheshire do daily resort, it lying upon the fronters of both. They make daily great spoil in the Country, which hath now awakened them of the Country, and so incensed them, that they are tied death tide life resolved to endure it no longer, as may appear by the last Skirmish that this last week fell out at Leigh and Loaton Common, between the Earl of Derbies' Troops and the Country people, whereof I myself being one, can relate you the truth: for the last Sabbath as we were going towards the Church, a Post road through the Country, informing us that the Earls Troops were coming towards Chow-bent; whereupon the Country presently risen, and before one of the Clock on that day we were gathered together about 3000. Horse and Foot, Encountering them at Chow-bent aforesaid, and beat them bacl to Leigh, killing some and wounding many. Where you would wonder to have scene the forwardness of the young youths, Farmer's sons, who indeed were two forward, having had little experience of the like times before this. And so We over-road our Foot, being carried with a fervent desire to overtake them, and to do some notable Service upon them, so that we drove them to Loaton-Common, where they knowing our foot to be far behind, turned faces about and began to make head against us. Whereupon began a sharp although a short Encounter, but when they perceived our full and settled resolution, they made away as fast as their Horses could carry them, and we after them, killing, wounding, and taking prisoners about 200 of them; and we lost never a man, only we had three of our men wounded, but not mortally, so that I think they will trouble us no more out of that part of the Country, but if they do we shall be better provided for them then before, for we are all upon our Guard, and the nailers of Chow-bent, instead of making nails, have busied themselves in making of Bills and Battleaxes; and also this weeek the other part of the Country meet and intent not only to stand upon their Guard, but to disarm all the Papists and Malignants within their Precincts, which we are resolved upon in our Precincts, and also by God's assistance to take the greatest Papists and most dangerous Malignants prisoners, and carry them to Manchester to keep house with Sir Cecil Traffard, that Arch-Papist, who is there a prisoner; for now the men of Blackburne, Paduam, Burnely, Clitherc, and Colme, with those sturdy Churls in the two forests of Pendle and Rossendale, have raised their Spirits, and are resolved to fight it out, rather than their Beef and fat Bacon shall be taken from them. For the last week Sir Gilbert Houghton set his Beacon on fire, which stood upon the top of Houghton Tower, and was the signal to the Country for the Papists and Malignants to arise in the field, and in Lealand hundreth; whereupon upon great multitudes accordingly resorted to him to Preston in Andernesse, and ran to Blackburne, and so through the Country, disarming all, and pillaging some, which Master Shuttlewath, a Parliament man, and Master Starkie hearing of, presently had gotten together out of the places formerly mentioned about 8000. men, met with Sir Gilbert and his Catholic Malignants at Hinfield-moore, put them to flight, took away many of their Arms, and pursued Sir Gilbert so hotly, that he quit his horse, leapt into a field, and by the coming on of the night escaped through fur-bushes and byways to Preston, and there makes great defence by chaining up Ribble-bridge, and getting what force he can into the Town for his security: out of which the Country swears they will have him by God's help, with all his adherents, either quick or dead; so that by the next Post, I hope, I shall certify of some good posture that the Country will be in. O that the Parliament had but sent down their 1000 of Dragooneers into the Country, we would not have left a Mass monger, nor Malignant of note, but we would have provided a lodging for him.  
It is reported by some about the Earl of Derbie, that he is very melancholy, and much perplexed about that unadvised course that he hath run, for the last Thursday at Warrington at dinner, he said he was borne under an unfortunate Planet, and that he thought some evil Constellation reigned at the hour of his birth, with many such other words of passion and discontent, so that we all think he would purchase his peace with the Parliament at a very dear rate, for now he is fled from his holds as yesterday, and to morrow goes towards Congerton, as is reported.  
This day came News from York, that it is in great distress for victuals, so that the Citizens, especially the women, swear if my Lord of Cumberland will not be gone, they will try their skill to set him packing. He daily offers conditions of peace to the Lord Fayrefaxe, and desires he would suffer him to march through the Country, and he will offer no wrong; but his Treaties are refused. The last week Sir Thomas Gleman, with three hundreth men, assaulted Weather be in the night, where Sir Thomas Fayrefax, the good Lord Fayrefax son lay in Garrison, but the Noble Knight, with six of his Soldiers, beat back Sir Thomas whole company, having them in a narrow passage, and Sir Thomas Fayrefax himself valiantly encountered Sir Thomas Glemans' Sergeant Major, slew him, and so had dealt with Sir Thomas Gleman himself, had he not been arrayed in a Coat of Male, to maintain his Array Commission, with all, if that County had but Commanders, the very Fowls being so shrewdly bitten by the Cavaliers, and the City also, would all rise to assist my Lord Fayrefax, whom we hear is made General of this County, which we are not a little glad of, for he hath done very good Service; and this day Captain Hotham and my Lord's Regiment went to meet my Lord of Newcastle coming towards York, and give them a sharp Encounter, beat them bacl again to Durham, and I hope they will come no more. So until meeting, am  
Altherton this 2. of Decemb 1642. Your friend and Servant, THOMAS JESLAND.  
FINIS.