April 1. 353. Vol. 597, p. 296a. LORD JUSTICE PELHAM to the QUEEN. Sent by Mr. John Stafforde. The Earl of Ormond and I, dividing your forces, have passed through the rebel's countries in two companies with fire and sword. I succeeded in winning this house of Carrigofoill, the plate of which I send your Majesty. If God send us the like good success at Asketten, then are all the Earl's houses taken from him. "Many of his poor people, meeting him of late, cursed him bitterly for entering into this war, to whom he made answer that if his aid from Spain and the Pope came not before Whitsunday, he would seek a strange country and leave them to make their compositions with the English as well as they could; which banishment or some more honorable end for your Majesty I would undoubtedly hope of." A full pay and victuals are needed for the soldiers. I have of late by my brother Spencer received two patents from your Majesty, the one for creation of Sir William Burke, the other a confirmation of me in the place which I hold, which I conceive as a warrant for anything that I have done or shall do. But the toil of this war is far unfit for my years, that am already touched with the disease of this country. The place requires an able body and an honorable personage. "The confidence that these people have in the assured coming of foreign aid from sundry parts hath so bewitched them, as within these two days those few of the freeholders of the county of Limerick that held firm to your Majesty have reyolted," whereby you are entitled to every part of Limerick and Kerry, which will largely recompense your charges. I mean to raze all castles. Carrigofoill, 1 April 1580. Signed. II. A coloured plan of Carrigofoill. PELHAM to the PRIVY COUNCIL in ENGLAND. Respecting the musters of the army, the pay of the soldiers, and the victualling. "All the cities and towns cry out against the victualling of our soldiers in garrisons; and rather than they would be beggared by keeping of them at the usual rates, they do forsake their towns and put up supplications to me to be rid of the garrisons." Wheresoever I place my bands, I will henceforth deliver victuals and place a victualler, or otherwise the poor inhabitants will be utterly undone. "I am now ready to march towards Asketen, and may be doubtful how it may hold out, for the seat is strong upon a rock, in the midst of a deep river." The rebels could never hold up head if the army were garrisoned in three parts, in Kerry, Connelough, and the county of Cork. 1580. April 1. Vol. 597, p. 299. April 3. Vol. 597, p. 301. 354. 355. Since my coming to this camp I received letters from your Lordships by my brother Spencer, of the 3rd and of the last month, the one concerning the disallowance of the entertainment given to the Lord Keeper for the custody of the Seal in the absence of the Lord Chancellor; the other letter concerning the creation of Sir William Burke, which shall be publicly performed in the next assembly of the nobility. So many serviceable horses have been destroyed in these campaigns, as 1,000l. will hardly repair that loss only. "While the Earl of Ormond and I were in Kerry, Sir John of Desmond visited Ormond, and used some extremity upon the people and burnt some of the Earl's towns; in which mean time my brother Spencer without any guard came through those parts and hardly escaped the rebels, which I declare to your Lls., to th' end you might know with what difficulty letters do pass." Camp at Carigofoill, 1 April 1580. Signed. PELHAM to the LORD TREASURER (BURLEIGH). I have received your letters of the 6th and 9th of March. The first makes declaration of the last money sent by [Thomas] Fantleroy, Mr. Treasurer's servant, to Dublin. The captains are far short of their due. A great part of the revenues due from Munster ceases, because the farmers and such as compounded for cesse are now in actual rebellion with the traitors. The seasonable coming of the victuals in The Elizabeth and The Bear of London, and of the ordnance and munition, has already cut off the Earl of Desmond from one of his forts. As to her Majesty's second resolution for a preparation to the sea, upon an assurance that no great matter is intended here from Spain, God grant your Lo. be truly informed. I hear that some ships are now come into Beare Haven, whether her Majesty's or Spaniards, I know not. Victuals must be sent, for the soldiers almost tear the meat out of the citizens' mouths. Carigofoill, 1 April 1580. Signed. PELHAM to the LORD OF LIXNAWE. Requiring you not only to convoy with all speed and safety this inclosed letter to Andrew Marten to Castle Mange, but also that you do send unto him such relief of victuals as he shall require." Asketten, 3 April 1580. Signed. * As Baron of Castleconnel. 1580. April 3. Vol. 597, p. 301a. 356. April 3. 357. Vol. 597, p. 302. April 5. 358. Vol. 597, p. 302a. PELHAM to ANDREW MARTIN, Constable of Castle Mange. I have received a letter from you by my Lord of Ormond, whereby I see the necessity wherein you stand, I have appointed an increase of your ward to be shortly sent you, and a large proportion of munition and victuals to be sent by the next wind. In the mean season I have sent the enclosed letter to the Earl of Clancare, and have written to the Baron of Lixnawe not to see you want. I purpose to visit you at Castle Mange. We have taken Carrigofoill. Asketten, 3 April 1580. Signed. Contemp. copy. P. 1. PELHAM to the EARL OF CLANCARE. I am sorry you forbare to visit me, but I understand by Asketten, 3 April 1580. Signed.. LORD JUSTICE PELHAM to the QUEEN. "This bearer, Mr. Stafford, being dispatched with my letters from Carrigofoill, could not well pass till I had assigned him conduct, whereby he was appointed to come with the camp unto this place, where, while I was preparing for the landing of your ordnance, the ward, fearing the example of the execution at Carrigofoill, abandoned this house secretly in the night, leaving a train of powder to set it on fire, which did indeed consume part of it, though the principal towers remain untouched. Their departure could not be holpen, being on that side the river where they escaped no ground to cast a trench for the safeguard of the warders, but all a plain rock that lay open to the castle. "Yesterday certain bands, being sent abroad for forage, came before the Castle of Ballogellohan, which hath this year past been warded by the Earl, but upon view of the ensigns they also fired the house and escaped; so as now there is not any house or castle in Munster kept against your Majesty, but all wholly at your devotion. And therefore now I most humbly desire your Majesty to take the opportunity and follow this occasion, whereby your Majesty may be thoroughly recompensed of the charges sustained in this war. "And like as your Majesty's instructions in your establishments hath assured the captains and soldiers that twice in the year they should receive their pay, in th' end of March and September, so is their extreme necessity such at this present as, without that be performed, I cannot possibly carry them into the field. "The horsemen have received extreme loss by this journey, by death of their horses standing abroad and wanting food 1580. April 5. 359. and swimming rivers at this unseasonable time of the year, whereby a thousand pounds cannot repair that loss only. Truly your Majesty's servant, John Souche, hath lost in his band of fifty horsemen, nineteen horses; the like hap have the rest had, and none escaped without great loss, whereby some time must be given them before they can again be employed in the field." I mean presently to discharge 400 laborers and kearne, and all shipping save your own ships and the pinnaces to attend them; "hoping that your Highness hath so good intelligence from Spain as that you foresee the danger of foreigners.' Asketten, 5 April 1580. Signed. Postscript.-"It may please your Majesty to conceive well of this young gentleman, my cousin, John Stafford, who hath painfully attended here this whole journey." Contemp. copy. Pp. 24. II. A coloured plan [of Asketten?] The LORD JUSTICE and COUNCIL to the PRIVY COUNCIL. General petition by the captains and soldiers for a full pay to the last of March. Notes enclosed, how the 7,000. received in February was disbursed, and how the revenue has been employed. Her Majesty, being moved for a further supply of money, makes stay thereof till it may be certified in some certainty what is due; but the Auditor* and Sir Edward Fitton's clerk are absent in England. Nevertheless, we have ordered the Clerk of the Check † to make up all receipts of full pays till the last of March, and commanded the victuallers and Master of the Ordnance to send certificates what imprests have been made. We have employed Mr. Waterhouse to repair to Dublin, and there with the Deputy Auditor § and the principal clerk of the Treasurer at Wars to collect an estimate of the whole. No great reckoning is to be made of the composition in Munster till this rebellion be ended; and whereas the Pale and certain shires adjoining compounded instead of cesse to pay 2,000l., there is not of that victualling money come to the hands of me the Treasurer above 2001. Out of the counties of Wexford, Kilkenny, Caterloughe, Tipperary, and the King's and Queen's Counties, nothing at all can be gotten." "The impost, which is the most certain revenue, although the Act be expired, is never answered here until Michaelmas, because that merchants look for long days of payment, or else 1580. April 5. Vol. 619, p. 30. Vol. 597, p. 306. April 5. Vol. 597, p. 307. 360. 361. [April 5.] 362. Vol. 597, would not continue their trade, for they must first vent their wines before they can pay their collector." In Munster the impost due from the towns will be converted in part payment of the soldiers' debts to the citizens. Asketten, 5 April 1580. Signed: William Pelham, He. Wallopp, Ni. Malbie, Lu. Dillon, Ed. Waterhous. Contemp. copy. Pp. 31. PELHAM to the EARL OF LEICESTER. The terror of the taking of Carrigofoill has given us two other castles, namely, this of Asketten and Ballegellohan. I have placed four ensigns here in Asketten, and do send five others and certain horsemen to Kilmalloke, between which two garrisons I hope to chase Desmond beyond the mountain into Kerry. Asketten, 5 April 1580. Signed. Postscript.-Your servant and good friend, Sir William Stanlie, deserves all commendation. If the intelligence from Spain be none otherwise than her Majesty conceives it, I hope she shall of this make both an honorable and a profitable peace. I pray you to further the captains' petitions. "If your Honour did view the commodious, havens and harbours, the beauty and commodity of this river of Shenen, which I have seen from the head of it beyond Athlone unto the ocean, you would say you have not in any region observed places of more pleasure, or a river of more commodity, if the land were blessed with good people; and yet these of Munster be the most docible and reformable of all other." Asketten, 5 April 1580. Signed. PETITION of the CAPTAINS. Exhibited to Sir William Pelham, Lord Justice, in their own behalf, and by his Lordship sent to Mr. Secretary Walsingham in the forewritten letter. (1.) As Sir William Drurie signified her Majesty's pleasure that a full pay should be made to the army on the last of March and the last of September, they desire that you will take speedy order for their satisfaction. |