1601. Feb. 20. Vol. 615, p. 22. 20. that I think, by that time my letters shall come unto you, both he and the Earl of Southampton, with some other of the principals, shall have lost their heads. I send you the note of most of them that were in open action with them. "If the Queen had not put herself in strength that very morning, and barricaded Charing Cross and other places of the back parts of Westminster, their resolution was to have been at Court by noon; whereof when they understood, they put themselves into London, and from thence (hoping to have been followed by the city) they resolved to come back. But being repulsed at Ludgate by a stand of pikes, and the city holding fast for the Queen, they and some 50 of their complices ran to the water and put themselves into Essex House, which the Earl had furnished with all manner of warlike provisions, and there defended themselves till towards six o'clock in the evening, at which time the Lord Admiral (Nottingham) sent unto them, if they would not yield, that he would blow up the house, which he might have done sooner but that the Lady of Essex and the Lady Rich were within it. Whereupon (notwithstanding their great braveries) they all yielded to her Majesty's mercy. Thus have you a true relation of this dangerous accident, unto which I will only add this, that even when a false alarm was brought to the Queen, that the city was revolted with them, she never was more amazed than she would have been to have heard of a fray in Fleet Street." From the Court at Whitehall, 10 February 1600. Signed. P.S. "The commanders of our little army were the Lord Admiral (Nottingham), Lord General; Earl of Cumberland, Lord Lieutenant; Lord Thomas (Howard), Marshal; Lord Gray, General of the Horse; Lord Burghley, Colonel General of the foot, who with some 10 horse went into London, and proclaimed the Earl of Essex a traitor with all his adherents, by the mouth of the King of Arms, notwithstanding that my Lord of Essex with all his complices were in the city." Pp. 2. Addressed. Endorsed by Carew: Received the last of Feb. 1600. LORD DEPUTY MOUNTJOY to SIR G. CAREW. Finding by your last letter of the 10th, which I received yesterday, that you make some doubt of the safe return of your messenger that brought your former of the 2nd, I have taken the like course as you do now, to send you a double of mine answer to that letter. . . . It will thereby appear how careful I have been to keep that province quiet, according to your advice, to prevent the worst that might happen, though, as then I was very confident, so now I find it certain there can no such numbers be sent from the North as you were persuaded there would be. Only those Munster men that went down to Tyrone in hope to be supplied from him have essayed to return with some few others, who assuredly do not exceed 1601. Vol. 624, p. 46. Feb. March 2. Vol. 615, p. 121. March 6. Vol. 605, p. 193. 21. 22. 23. 100 or 150, whatsoever is given out; and I have so carefully stopped them upon all the passages hereabouts, as I think they neither have nor can escape me, unless in so small a number, and that by stealth, as will not be found worth the speaking of." From Donowre, in Mageochagan's country, 20 February 1600. Signed. P.S., in Mountjoy's own hand.-"It may be that Redmonde Bourke will, as I hear, draw into Clanricarde to live with such forces as he can gather in that place. If some of your Lordship's forces with the Earl of Thomond's be ready to give assistance to the Earl of Clanricarde, I do believe they may do great service there, and assuredly keep them from looking after Munster, whither I am confident there will be few fighting men sent. But if your Lordship think those parts to stand so unassured that the rumour of some few supplies will make them brawl, it will be well to prepare to give resistance to their first arrival, which may be easily done.' P. 1. Sealed and addressed. Endorsed. 2. Copy. The EARL OF NOTTINGHAM to SIR G. CAREW. Having so convenient a messenger as this bearer, I write "to manifest my love unto you." Excuse my not writing with my own hand. "I am troubled with some imperfections my late great sickness. I will shortly Signed. in my head" since P. 1. Addressed. Endorsed: 1600; from the Lord Admiral; received ultimo Februarij. LORD DEPUTY MOUNTJOY to SIR G. CAREW. "I have sent to Don John to dine with me tomorrow, but whether he do or no, I pray take the pains to he here as early as conveniently you may, that we may despatch our business we have in hand with the greatest speed we can devise." Holograph. P. 1. Addressed. Endorsed: Lord Deputy, the 2nd of March 1600 written, and received 1601. SIR G. CAREW to the PRIVY COUNCIL, The 3rd inst. I received your two letters of 28th January, acknowledging mine of 15th, 16th, and 20th December. I pray" to understand your further pleasure for the Lady Joane, sister unto the Earl of Desmond, who as yet lives in restraint... Since her first commitment I have not heard of any further cause to enforce her restriction, and although I am daily sued unto for her enlargement, yet dare I not deal in a cause of so great weight as this may prove to be without your Lordships' direction." 1601. Your commands to displace Northcott, commissary of the musters for Kerry, and confer the same upon James Spenser, shall be forthwith obeyed. "Yet the gentleman hath not been altogether so faulty as by the certificates of his books delivered unto you doth appear, for after, upon the view of the certificates of checques, I had reproved him for the smallness thereof imposed,.. he protested unto me that he was greatly wronged, and that the party that did deliver his certificates for him had not only for reward corruptly counterfeited his hand in returning false certificates, but also did withhold others, leaving them uncertified. To prove this assertion true, I caused him immediately to certify unto Sir Rafe Lane the truth of his checques, which did amount unto 260 and odd pounds, that the same might be charged upon the captains that were deficient. Hereof Sir Rafe Lane takes notice, writing unto me that Northcott is wronged, for that his checques far exceed all others. If it may be my good hap to meet with the man, whose name is Tomlinson, that hath wrought this villany, . . he shall not escape punishment." "The state of Munster being as now it is, in the which private men may at their wills in all places have free passage," I think three commissaries will be sufficient. I pray you appoint by your next who shall be the standing commissaries. For the province two will serve; the third to attend the 1,000 foot that I hope to send the Lord Deputy for the service of Connaught or Leinster. Whereas you task me of some negligence for the commissaries' defaults, although I might justly clear myself from blame, yet, leaving all contestations, I humbly submit to your censures. I again pray you send by Wood at least 400 quarters of oats, "but the more the better." I pray you also, "for the provision of her Majesty's table for me and the Council, . . to grant and send me your Lordships' commission for myself or my assignee, from time to time as my wants shall require, to buy for ready money in England such kinds of grain as I shall be occasioned to use, and to transport the same custom free." "Since my last.. there hath been no alteration but . . is rather from good to better. . . If Tyrone send aids (which is threatened and daily expected), I am so well and readily provided for them that within two days' warning her Majesty's army shall be in the field. . . If they come, with two enemies they shall not fail to be welcomed; which is sword and famine. The rebels. . have sent into Spain unto the King for aids, and do by their priests and others assure the vulgar that before May next they shall be relieved. This I do rather report. . to let you know their hopes than that I do believe it to be true." "James FitzThomas, the titular Earl, is said to be gone out of the province, which I do the rather believe, because of late I cannot hear of him. He leads a miserable fearful life, 1601. Vol. 620, p. 54. March 8. Vol. 615, p. 131. 24. trusting no one man long, and not sleeping in one place a whole night. I have been promised of many to have him brought living or dead unto me, but nothing is performed, which hath caused me to proclaim head-money out of him and the other four capital exempted traitors and their dependants." I know not "any lord of country or gentleman of quality that either hath not his pardon come unto him or is not now by his agent now at Dublin ready to pass the Seal, and in the same all their swordmen are comprised. But for the poorer sort, as churls and their families, neither having wealth nor other means to sue out their pardons," again I pray you "to move her Majesty for a general pardon." In my letters of 13th January I omitted to ask for "300 weight of gyn rope and of draught rope 1,000 weight; for if we should be occasioned to use the cannon, nearer than Dublin there is no means to supply the same." I pray you also command the master of the ordnance "to mount 3 demi-cannons that lie at Limerick, whose carriages (12 years past made by myself) by negligent officers are merely unserviceable. Out of them all with much ado I could make one carriage to perform the service at the Glan, which hereafter may not be trusted unto." Moyallo, 6 March 1600. Signed and sealed. Pp. 3. Addressed: For her Majesty's especial affairs. To the Privy [Council]. George Carewe. Endorsed: Received at Whitehall the 27th.-Letters from my Lord Carew when he was Lord President of Munster, from 6 March 1600 till the 25 April 1603; in number 137 letters. 2. Copy. "Sent by the Earl of Thomond." The PRIVY COUNCIL to SIR G. CAREW. It has been thought meet that John Wood, provider of the victuals for Munster, shall from henceforth undertake the issuing of the same. He is therefore to name a deputy or deputies to supply the place of the commissaries of the victuals; and your Lordship is to give direction that the remain of the victuals that are serviceable be delivered over to his deputy. We have given instructions also to his deputy, wherewith your Lordship shall be made acquainted, and we recommend him to your Lordship to see he may be assisted for the safe keeping of the victuals, and that no captain or other person do offer violence to him. Command the commissaries of the musters from time to time to give a true note to the commissary of the victuals of the strength of the several bands, which the clerk of every band is to deliver to them. The captains are to appoint some known officer to receive the victuals, whose receipts shall be a sufficient discharge both to the commissaries and the said provider. 1601. Cause the commissary to have notice of the cashing of any companies. The commissary is enjoined weekly or from time to time to give certificate to the Treasurer (Sir George Cary), or his deputy, of the quantity of victuals delivered to the several companies; who shall see defalcation made accordingly, and once every month, or at least every two months, shall receive their accounts. It is found by the accounts of the former commissaries that there are great sums demanded of her Majesty for hire of storehouses, transport of victuals and other extraordinaries. We therefore think it requisite generally that the victuals shall be issued at the magazines. If there be occasion of journeys, or to send some part to garrisons or companies dispersed abroad, order the same to be sent for with sufficient convoy, and do not force the commissaries to send the same. The victuals are to be issued only to those in the list of the establishment, for otherwise no defalcation can be made. Cause an imprest of 100l. to be delivered to Wood's commissary, and from time to time such further imprests as you or the Council of the province shall think meet. Give order" that such storehouses, bakehouses, ovens, brewhouses, and other necessary provisions as have been made" for preserving the victuals be delivered to the commissary, who shall have such entertainment as was allowed to the former commissary for himself and his servants. You shall receive a copy of the contract and of the instructions. See that all observe what is enjoined, and that the offenders be punished. "The not execution of which, we must be plain with your Lordship, will not only bring infinite loss to her Majesty, but also a very great prejudice to the service, both which we know your Lordship doth wish and endeavour to avoid as much as we can desire." Whitehall, 8 March 1600. Signed: Jo. Cant., Tho. Egerton, C.S., T. Buchurst, Notingham, G. Hunsdon, W. Knollys, Ro. Cecyll, J. Fortescu, Jo. Popham, W. Waad. Pp. 3. Addressed. Endorsed: Received at Lymericke, the 16th of April 1601. March 8. Vol. 620, p. 56. 25. SIR GEORGE CAREW to the PRIVY COUNCIL. "This province being now reduced to a reasonable condition of peace, wherein all men may freely pass from place to place within the same without interruption, I have begun to set on foot the collection of her Majesty's rents, as well for the arrearages due since the beginning of this rebellion, as to proceed forward in the accustomed sort. But in respect her Majesty's greatest revenue groweth from the Undertakers by their grants, which amounteth yearly to a far greater sum |