they were secretts not fit to bee divulged. Some repined and tooke it as an ill presage wee should turne our backs to our ennemies, and make a shamefull retraite upon the first advancing neere them: but the greatest ennemy wee could heare of (at our retourne that night to Anwick) was hunger, which had soe assaulted the campe then at Gosswick, that there was a mutine in the army for want of bread, and if wee had gone on it was feared wee should have sufferd with them and emboldned theire disorder with our companie. This was probably the occasion of our command back, because wee mett divers cart loades. of bread the dayes following goeing to the army from New Castle, Morpitt and Anwick and all the county about, which carriadges, with the king and campe's remoovall before, soe overlaboured the countrey's cattell that many of them dyed, and the rest were soe feeble and the people soe unwilling to come in upon summons (knowing how they were abused by the master waggoner, who would sometimes send out warrant for 500 carriadges when hee wanted but 200, making his profitt by the rest), their allowance beeing but 2d. a mile, that the king was constrained to stay a day longer at Anwick than hee intended for want of carriadges. [May] 24. This night after our retourne from Belford, beeing 12 long mile, and an exceeding hot day, to please us for our paines, and to repaire our lost honour by our retraite, which made it 24 miles, wee were graced with the like needlesse watch of his majestie's person which my lord chamberlaine's troupe had the night before, and it was as wellcome to us and our beasts as a new onset to allready beaten souldiours, but obedience is better than sacrifice.' The quarrell (I thinke) relished soe ill, that every petty sufferance to unwilling mindes æqualled Hercules twelve labours, and were thought unmercifull exactions. In the church at Anwick I could not but wonder that the painted frame of his majestie's armes over the quire doore, beeing for noething considerable, and having the earle of Bedford's armes35 on the inside, should carry this inscription underneath them: Sumptibus Eduardi Comitis Cognomine Bedford On Saturday, the 25th [May], the king went from Anwick to GOSSWICK where the army lay encamped in the feild. The king's pavillion was pitched, but hee lay in a little house, where the widdow of Sir Robert Hamilton36 lived, after whose decease it was the inherit 35 The Earl of Bedford, as farmer of the great tithes belonging to the chapelry of Alnwick and parcel of the possession of the abbey of Alnwick, had liabilities for the maintaining of the chancel and therefore had corresponding privileges. 36 Margery, daughter and coheiress of William Swinhoe of Goswick, married first, her kinsman William Swinhoe, and secondly, Sir Robert Hambleton of Berwick, knight. On the 8th of August, 1637, Sir Robert Hambleton and Margery his wife joined with her two sisters in conveying the manor of Goswick, etc., to James Fawcett, gent. Cf. Raine, North Durham, p. 185. ance of one Fossett, a London taylour. Heere the pensioners watched his majestie both this night and Sonday night, and boasted much they had the preheminence to keepe the first watch in the army, whereas that honour the privy chamber men had: it was but a formallity graunted to please them with, and neither of use nor reputation. It should seeme the king's designe was to have set downe with his army heere, it beeing neare the Holy Island, and to have had the command and pleasure of his shipps for his security upon any exigent. But this resolve was soone alltered, for on Monday the army broke up and marched to Barwick, the king himselfe goeing before in the morning.37 Had they remained there the Scotts would little have regarded the king's forces, and would have wearied him soone out with the expence, and kept them selves quiet at home: besides, Barwick was a place of strength, and was newly fortifyed and furnished with a garrison, which, if it should bee attempted, could receive noe present succour from the king's army, 5 miles distant on the sea shore, where there was noe possibility of attempting anything, the Scotts beeing unable to performe ought at sea. Theise, or some such consideracions, 'twas likely caused the campe remooved thither where it was last pitched, beeing a place where Barwick and it might best mutually assist each other, and resist the intentions of the Scotts by defending the river Tweede. The 27th of May, beeing Monday, Sir Francis Kinaston,38 Mr. Willbraham, Mr. Crew and my selfe came from Anwick, and went towards GosswYCK, thinking there to finde our troupe and receive orders for our quarter, but upon the way wee received notice the king and the army were dislodged and gone for Barwick, that our troupe was quartered in a poore base villadge where was noe accommadacion either for man or beast. Soe Mr. Willbraham, Mr. Crew and my selfe tooke a liberty (not lawfull indeed for souldiours under government, but that wee saw it practized by others) to provide for our selves, and Sir Francis Kinaston beeing to waite that night, went for Barwick where the king was and wee found out a house neare Gosswyck (where my lord generall had had his owne quarter), one Mr. Haggerston's of HAGGERSTON, 18 miles from Anwick. It was a house indeed, and naught els, for the master of it, fearing least the army beeing to encampe thereabouts, would, like an inundation, sweepe all his stocke and provision away with it, for prevention hee had wholly dissfurnished his house, and left it empty and naked both of furniture and foode, and him selfe and family were retyred to Barwick, and hee had put himselfe in the earle of New Castle's troops, yet hee was a man reported to have 7 or 8007. per annum. At his house hee had left 3 or 4 servants, and they denyed us any entertainement, pretending their house was taken up by the king's doctor of physick; yet upon further importunity, with civil demeanor wee enquired who the 37 On the afternoon of May 27 Charles arrived at Berwick.' Terry, Life and Campaigns of Alexander Leslie, p. 64. 38 Sir Francis Kynaston was knighted January, 1618 9. doctor was, and understood it to bee Turner the court buffoone, wee went up to visitt him, and made knowne our straite, and prayed his interest as a knowne guest to the servants for our accommadicion. Hee lying on his sick bed did intercede for us, which, with our owne earnest sollicitacion at last obtained us that favour, that Mr. Willbraham and my selfe were admitted to ly in the same poore bed and nasty sheetes which my Lord of Arundell's steward had formerly layen in (how long wee knew not) but by their sent it might have beene his cooke or scullion rather, for their smell and uncleannesse would affoord us but little rest; yet Mr. Willbraham would needes goe into bed, and Mr. Crew as a greater privilege had little Jefferye's bed and foule sheetes to himselfe. Beeing thus satisfied for lodging, our next care was for victualls: the house would affoord us none, and to buy any in that or any other villadge was a bootelesse hope, the whole army having devoured all the store thereabouts. Some tents there were yet standing at Gosswick, and Mr. Willbraham and my selfe, having the sharpest appetites, repaired thither in hopes to get somewhat to stay our stomacks, and, beeing devided, I met with Sir Ellis Hicks and Mr. Butler and Mr. Slater, who tooke me into their tent and gave mee a joint of roast mutton out of their stoare; I came then to Mr. Willbraham to shew him how wee had sped, and wee thought our selves not meanely fortunate; yet afterwards wee mended our commons, for wee found the king's kitchin tent standing, and there wee stored our selves both for our dinner, supper, and breakfast the next morning, more constant meales than souldiours usually have. In the meane time Mr. Crew, taking care for his horse, shewed more of his mercy to his beast than Dr. Turner39 did to one of his servants, a footman, who lay then gasping for life in the stable over head in straw, and Mr. Crew had like to have set his horse on topp of him, whom his master (though he were a physitian) tooke noe charitable care for, neither sent him any thing to comfort him in that languishing paine, till hee was cryed out to by the servants of the house, and then it came too late, hee breathing his last about an houre after wee came in, having poysoned him selfe (as they conjectured) with ill dyet and corrupt water, and his master tooke as little care to give him a decent or christian buriall. This was a poore meane house with thick walls (somewhat castle like) and a flatt roofe, from whence that evening, the Holy Island beeing nigh, wee descried many sayle of shipps put into the harbour and salute the castle with their ordinance. The 28 [May] beeing Tuesday, wee went downe to Gosswick to see where the campe was pitched. It was neare the sea shore, upon a plaine heath ground most part of it, and of a spungie turfe, which would have beene very discommodious to the souldiours had they continued there in rainy weather: they had cast up noe trench heere, because of their short stay and that they were designed for annother place. 39 Query, Dr. Samuel Turner who died 1647. Hence wee went to view the HOLY ISLAND, and about 10 a clock, when the tyde was out, wee rode over to it and divers walked on foote into it. It is about 5 mile in compasse, a levell ground with a short greene swade upon it, noe part of it tilled nor affoording any thing but conies. Just at our comming those shipps wee sawe last night, beeing 20 sayle under the command of Marquisse Hammilton (having beene with him at Dum Fryth with 5,000 land souldiours), heere landed 2 regiments of foote. Sir Simon Harecourt's, and Sir Tho. Moreton's 24 ensignes, who in the island stood to their armes and musterd, and soe soone as the tyde was a little more withdrawne, marched away towards Barwick. There were more shipps and more souldiours (as they tould us) which were gone to the Fearne Islands neare adjoyning and within sight, where, as they report, are those foule they call Solom Geese, which at the time of the yeare flock thither in such multitudes they cover the ground, and bring infinite plenty of sticks with them to build theire nests with, and such as build upon the rocks will lay their eggs upon the edges of such precipices that if a man take it up, hee cannot possibly lay it where hee had it, but it will fall; the reason (as they affirme) is because the burd layes together with the egg a gummy matter, which after it lies a while covered with her foote (for soe they hatch them and not with their bodies as other burds doe) it growes stiffe and fastens the egg where it was layde. In this island is a small villadge, and a little chappell. There is yet remaining the ruines of a faire church very like the cathedrall at Durham, both for the stone and manner of building. It was consecrated to St. Cuthbert, who, for his holy life, obtained a miraculous gift to the island, that about 9 a clock every Sonday the water should bee soe lowe, that the inhabitants of the countrey that parish to that church may come dry shod to prayers and retourne before it flowe againe, and it happens soe noe day of the weeke besides: but upon enquiry I was tould it was but a superstitious tradition, and noe truth. This church and buildings were demollished by the Earle of Sussex since the beginning of King James his reigne, to whom the government of the isle was given. There is a pretty fort in it, which upon this occasion was repaired and put into forme. There are 2 batteries on it, on the lower stood mounted 3 iron peeces and 2 of brasse, with carriadges and platformes in good order. On the higher was one brasse gunne and 2 iron ones with all ammunition to them. There are 24 men and a captain kept in pay to man it, the common souldiours have 6d. per diem, and the captain [a space is left here]. The captain at our beeing there was Captain Rugg, 40 40 knowne com 40 Robert Rugg apparently succeeded his father-in-law, Henry Jones, 'Deputy Captain of Norham and Island-shire,' who died in 1629. He was buried at Berwick, September 6, 1647. Cf. Raine, North Durham, p. 164. See also account of Holy Island by Gibert Blakhal, quoted in Proceedings of Newcastle Society of Antiquaries, 3 ser. vol. iii., p. 294. In this island, in a dainty little fort, there lives Captain Rugg, governor of monly by his great nose; hee had beene captain there under the earle of Sussex divers yeares, yet now hee was not solely trusted but had Captain Hodge Bradshaw joyned him. Hee gave us such courteous wellcome as his poore habitation would affoord. [May] 28. Hence wee went to BARWICK the same night, beeing 6 mile, and found the towne soe thronged that wee had much adoe to get lodging. The king was yet in towne at an ould ruined house of his owne called the Castle, but his privy counsell, I believe, were jealous of his safet ie there, or els of disorders in the campe if his majestie were not present in it. [May 30.] Soe upon the Thursday following, beeing the 30th of May, the king's pavillion was pitchd, and hee himselfe went to lodge in the army, and continued in it from that time till it broke up. BARWICK: -Hath beene the ould partition wall betweene the two kingdomes, and, since the union, King James cashierd the garrison and slighted the woorkes, much against the mindes of some English, especially one, Captain [a space is left here], who wrote a witty discourse how necessary it was to maintaine a garrison still there, and did allmost prophecy the rebellion of the Scotts in future times. The scituation heereof is readily knowne by all; it stands on the further side Tweede, and hath a stone bridge leading to it of 15 arches. The haven, at high water, will receive a shipp of great burden, but 'tis a towne of noe trade, because it affoords noe commodities for transportation; fishing is theire best, but they wholly necglect it, except onely for salmon, which is very plentifull. The sea lyes open to them to the east, and, flowing up two or three miles above their bridge, is a good defence to that side of the towne. The building is very meane, yet it hath good stoore of houses in it, and one poore chappell on the north east side. It had a faire church in it but, during the enmity betweene the two nations, it was taken downe, for feare of battering, and this chappell built of the materialls and some part of the walls. There was aunciently a castle on the north west side of the towne, but King James bestowed it on the earle of Dunbarr,41 who began to build a stately house in the very place where the auncient castle stood, out of its ruins and left it unfinished. The seate serves properly for a defence to the towne still, and soe it was now used, there beeing two bulwarkes made upon the side walls by filling their inward parts with earth, on the one was three iron peeces mounted, on the other two. The castle hath a very deepe dry ditch about it and a gate over it leading into it out of the towne. The walls of the towne were not soe slighted but that with small the fort, who is as famous for his generous and free entertainment of strangers, as for his great bottle nose which is the largest I have seen.' Brereton, Journey through Durham and Northumberland in the year 1635, p. 33. 41 Cf. 'Notes on Berwick Castle and the Modern Owners thereof,' by William Maddan, History of the Berwickshire Naturalists Club, vol. xix., p. 348. |