THat in November 1642. He being a Gentle­man borne in that County, and inhabitant there all his life time; was by the Kings Ma­jesty made Shriffe of the said County, and a Commission under his said Majestyes great Seale (the authority of which was then un­questionable) for executing the said Office, and a writ directed to administer such oathes 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 Seale to publish the same in the County, which unavoydable by Office, and Oath I was bound to performe, and performing the same at the Town of St. Albons the 13. of the said Ianuary in a peaceable manner, not doing any the least thing in my own inter­rest 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 carryed a­way, and brought to Westminster the 15. of Janu. where indeavour­ing to be brought and heard in the house of Commons, which could not be obtained, but that night unexamined sent prisoner [Page 2]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 seised on by one that called himselfe a Sargeants deputy, and carryed 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 Guarde 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 then a mentio­ned order in this warrant of my Commitment whereon groun­ded, I could never since learne, the warrant here incerted.

Vnder 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 mee, and with what tyranicall usage till then, and most part since would draw it justly to a question whe­ther the place stood in any part of Christendome, or the Goalers 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 fal on thus that my wife paying in the country all 5. and twenteth parts, and pay in all rates, untill the Sequestration of my reall estate and totally rob­ing me of my personall estate (as here followes) 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, [Page 3]that the personall estates of all such Delinquents and Papists within the Cittie 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 authorise, under his hand and seale 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 exceede not the summe of 5000 l. And that the said Sir William Brereton or any person authorized by him as aforesaid nor any of them, shall possesse 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 Delinquencie 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 proceedings, he procured an order from the House of Commons, only to the Committee of Examinations, to examine and judge of the Delinquencie; marke here (right or wrong.) Brereton playes 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. Williams his estate for sending Horse and Armes to Oxford, and for entertaining and sending Intelligence thether.

3. May, (No Delinquencie examined) the Warrant was exe­cuted, both their goods within doore and without, Inventored, severall bonds with Sureties, required for securing them, or else to have Soldiers put upon them, to looke to their goods, and to avoid that, bonds were accordingly given.

6. May. Both were served with order of that Committee of Examination to appeare, the 7. of May, which they accordingly did, being called and having nothing against Ms. Conningsby, the Soliciter was blamed for troubling her, and she discharged. But here begins a charge against me by one Prices information, to [Page 4]the Soliciter, 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 barnes, locked, her house full of Soldiers moved, she might have necessarie reliefe for her and her childrens livelyhood 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 Commssion of Array but charged for the Proclamations at Saint Albons the date aforesaid in Ianuary before the Ordinance of Sequestration, for that Ordinance was not in being till March following, and upon one Browne (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 lawfull discharge of my said office, of Sheriff wicke, the tye of oath than lay upon me and justly punishable by Law, if not executed being the Kings Writs. This judgement of the Committee thus pact by Brereton, and as I may iustly suspect by the practise of Litton as by the sequell, (who in the beginning of this Parliament before a Committee in the court of requests, and the contrary testified by two of his own ranke there, and notori­ously known to hundreds of people present at the occasion, did lyingly declare and testifie before that Committee (that at the Election of Burgesses for the Burrow of St. Albons (and my selfe standing for an Election to serve this Parliament) he seeme 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 farre 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 sonne ioyning with my wife, applyed themselves to crave his assistance in a Petition of Appeale to the Commons house against the irregular in the proceedings, and most uniust upon the matter of proceeding of this Committee, and shewed him their Petition, the Lawyer [Page 5] 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 sonne would utterly undoe his father, and upon this they desisted and were discouraged to proceed, and some few dayes after, Litton pretending friendship, and they applying them­selves to Litton, and in Westminster attending him, and in discours of my said ruin and sad conditon upon this Iudgement meeting Browne, 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 frendship to Sir William Brereton, or words to this effect.

My wife hereupon, prepared another Petition to the house of Commons wherein her son joynes showes it to Brereton who gives her smoth language, and seemes willing to referre the mat­ter to Sir William Litton, and Mr. Ab [...]st to stand to what they should think good therein, and in the Intrim Brereton caused the goods to be valued by creatures of his owne, contraty to what the ordinance declares, my wife offers Brereton a composition which he excepts not of, goe suddenly for Chesheire shee is threatened of his Agent, all her goods to be taken away, upon which shee Pe­titions the Committee of examination who referred the petition to the Committee of the Countie they appoynt a day to heare the same.

1 Iuly Breretons Agent brings to my house one Hanle and Geering two of the under Sequestrators, and revewe, and value the goods, but permit not my wife to be privie to the values now made, nor formerly not to have any coppie thereof, the Agent pretending hast, and missing some things of common use to the house, in the places first inventored entred the same as wanting, though my wife then told him they were necessarily used in o­ther roomes, and should against the day of sale be set in their first places which was accordingly done.

2 Iuly upon debate of my wives Petition referred as afore­said, Breretons Agent present the Committee, ordred the bringing [Page 6]in the inventory next morning, and my wife to have the 5. part of the personall estate set her out.

3 Iuly 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 stroken out for the goods they marked with a crosse, as belonging to the House. and that 108. be allotted to her for the fifth part of 540. l.

And for equall setting forth five part, Mr. Grob and Mr. Brooks withother neighbours, or any two of them, were ordered to joyne with Breretons Agent for doing thereof out of the Parcells in-ventored.

But the same day the Agent proceeding to sell the goods, the persons ordered for setting out the 5th. part at my wives request, tendred to the Agent for her 5th. part, the Cowes, the corne in the Barne, the Hogs, as they were serverally apprised, and the re­si [...]ue of her 5th. part to be set out in sheep, or houshould stuffe, but the Agent refused the same, and Oduisell the Soliciter of the County being then brought thither by the Agent, made him­selfe another division giving her thereby the 5th. part of the Cowes, which were in the whole number 21. Cowes, the 5th. part of the sheep, Hogs, Corne upon the ground, and all the goods in her owne lodging Chamber, the little Parlor, and the Kitchin which my wife, and persons ordered to make the divisi­on opposed, chiefly because those goods were over valued in com­parison of all the other, out of presumption she would take them, being so necessary for her owne use, and some of them her sonnes being so marked in the inventory, as likewise that two of the Cowes were by the Soldiers that quartered there, killed and spent 10. or 12. dayes after the seisure, and by Breretons, Soldiers that quartered 8. or 9. dayes after the other were gone, and by ap­pointment of his owne Agents, and for that halfe of the sheep and those of the best were driven away long before by Breretons A­gents, without saile or authority, the Ladyes good haswifery at Chaisoe Bury, not to be otherwise provided, and the good wo­man much offended, that the Cowes staid so long, whether the [Page 7]most part of them were to be caried, which considerations made my wife, and the said persons desired a more equal division which was denied, then my wife desired (they proceeding to sale) that the houshold stuffe allotted her might likewise be put to sale, and shee have the taking or refusing them, or the first of the monies upon the sale of all the houshold stuffe, for somuch of her 5, part which likewise was denied her, then did shee, and the said par­sons appoynted desired they might chuse one of their 4. Cowes 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 ualuable by much then 6. of those left behind, of all which a cer­tificate was then made by those persons appoynted for the division and returned to the Committee.

And having so informed the Committee of the miscari­age, and Oduisells jugling, finding Oduisells power with the Committee to great for her, shee submitted to his di­vision, so as shee might have benefit of that for the future, the pretence being that Oduisells devision was for the ad­vantage (as they call it) of the State, and those things would yeild most, and readiest mony to the State, that were denied to her by the first devision tendred, and how farre 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 villanies, the Committee Silli­citer Brereton, and his Agent being all like to like.

The 9. Cowes 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 [Page 8] Hale the under Sequestrator took without being put to sale at 2. pound 10. shillings a Cowe, as inventered, which o­thers understanding, desired the Solicitor that they might be put to sale as other goods and the household-stuffe were by the candle, and thereupon they were put to sale, and 3. pound 9. shilings a peece bid for them, and so cari­ed away, yet did Hale so carrie the businesse and claimed them as his right by the former privat sale of them, that he got the Agent to referre it to Oduisell, who adjudged the first sale to Hale good at 2. pound 10. shillings a Cowe, and depastured then Gratis, in my ground all the yeare after for the Benefit of the State, and if Brereton examin his account I beleeve the monie is not paid yet.

The corne in the Barne 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 Weeke, which was 4. pound losse to the State as they call it, and not sold for ready mony, so that though the publique was pretended all was done to their own private ends, so they robbed me of all, there State pretended was much cosened by knaves, and my wife of the benefit of the Ordinance of her 5. part very much, for the houshold-stuffe put to sale, they had ready monie for nothing else.

In this straite my wife was in and nothing left to keepe her, her children and familie, from starving, (but the du­tifull goodnesse of hers and mine eldest sonne Harry Co­ningsby, upon whom an estate was setled on his Marriage) and shee not being suffered to have any thing out of her own goods propper for livelyhod, under hand imployes one Cow William who had for divers yeares beene Com­mittee over her hogs, to bid for and buy for her the wheat in the barne, which was to be paid for as aforesaid, which [Page 9]accordingly did at 43. pound, went the next market day to make sale of what was threshed, and according to his disposition became very drunke, this discourages my wife in her bargan and her new baylie, and allowes him not to market any more, her old Committeeman sa aforesaid growes discontent, aplyes himselfe to the Committee at Saint Albons, claimes from them, to have the bargan to himselfe, my wife rightly possesses that Committee how the businesse stood, of his barganing in her behalfe, yet this righteous Committee in their great wisdomes and e­quity, order Cow William to have the bargan to himselfe, to breake open the Barne dores against her, and put him­selfe in possession, but now see Gods great providence to her in so deepe distresse, so to mollifie the heart of this one rascall towards her, Cow William is content to take her to halves in the bargen, to pay for all the worke and carriage, pay Brereton, and so to devide with her, the one halfe, 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 reliefe in so great a distresse as this was, when being rob­ed of all wee had by the greater theeves, thus to be reliev­ed by such a rascall.

The same day the sale was, they discovered in a garret roome under a trape dore some goods, 5. feather beds some trunkes of linen, and pewter, two riding sutes of wo­mens furniture for horses, of velver, 12. halberds, 8. mus­kets with other goods, some of these goods being my sonns and his wives, and put there long before sequestra­tion, for securing them from soldiers and plundring, and some of them my daughter in lawes put there in the win­ter before for safety upon their going from thence to live at London, and upon discovering of these goods my sonns [Page 10]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 hee would fetch the inventory of such goods as were his masters, and bring the next day far­ther proofe, this was denied him, the beds, and pewter, halbeards, and muskets, put to sale; lynnen and the furni­ture had away without inventoring any, they sold the 5. beds, for 9. pound, and my wife borrowed monie and paid it there presently for one of them five pounds, for herselfe to ly upon, so good was such furniture as they put upon her in her own chamber, and of all these goods shee has had no account of a 5. part, nor my sonne of what of those goods was taken away of his.

And my wife not suffered to have the devision shee desired, so shee had not the benefit of Ondui sells division for all the Cowes, but two were had a way, as before is showed, and those two shee was forced to keepe out of their way, and the sheep likewise that were left were had away, and sold to Halle, and shee left for account to her 5. part of those that were killed and eaten by the Sol­diers, and for the Corne in the ground which was ano­ther particular, out of which shee was to have a 5. part by Oduisells division, one Andrewes the first setter on of Brereton upon this businesse, the new admitted Vicker of the parish, as busie for his own profit as any other, di­rector in chiefe of the whole matter, and in truth as unconscionable a knave as Brereton himselfe, or any of his instruments, though he were furnished with some out of Turneball Street, and Charter-houselaine, and some of the pertious dames of these places to boote, whether many Cart loads of my goods were brought, this Andrewes [Page 11]without my wives privity, and not according to the or­dinance by the candle, did sell away all the crone, and shee desiring to have some share, as most convenient for lively-hood, and having neither mony nor meanes to send to market was denied it, and yet it was not sold for ready mony, but payable at Christmasse, and upon her complaint hereupon to the Committee, and debate thereupon pre­tending the publique 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 houshold stuffe not worth halfe the mony, after the rate of their ap­prising of those goods they caried away.

30 July the said Andrews, present it was ordred that my wife be paid 58. pound in mony for the resedue of her 5. part, if cause were not shewed to the contrary that day fortnight.

The same day ordred my wife shall receive her 5. part of the Ladie dayes rents, and of the money the Timber was sould for, the sale of which Timber was there tendred (in writing of his own hand) by Andrewes 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 w^ch false and deceitfull cosonage and forgery of that lying Andrewes (for he was excellent at that & after well known to the Cōmittee 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 privat, nor the Timber ever measured by any but the car­penter that brought it, and the quantety entred as he said it was sold for, at 18. shilings p [...]r load, which others hard by sold at 1. pound 5. shilings the loade, and the ends suffered by Andrews to goe with the timber save aniy account, of great which were value and not mentioned [Page 12]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 generall ordinance of Sequest▪ or his particular Ord that direcs the iudgement of cause Sequestration to Lords and Commons, and not to any o­ther Iudicators; a supsequent order of Commons only to that Committee shewes where this Breretons strength lay to ruine me, and carried on before a Committee where the dores were kept shut, the businesse carried among them­selves, where is to be presumed he had a strong party of the Committee made sure, and councell prepared, whereas on the contrary, (after false pretence to bring his ends a­bout) I am sent for, to be brought out of a Gaole, not knowing upon what ground, or what was to be objected against me, without counsell or knowledge who were to be my Iudges, but am confident if the Ordinances had beene accordingly proceeded in before the right and open Committee, where cloose dealing carieth not causes, and others are free to here, though they only to Iudge, Brere­tons greedy ends upon me, nor the malice of others, nei­ther upon the cause it selfe, nor Brownes has, or shall, would have so carried on my ruine, this cloose dealing is ever the contrary to just dealing, and I once heard a No­ble Lord coming out of the Starre-Chamber, upon a hard sensure of a privat Gentleman, wee that are a few give judgement heere, but they are many more that judge us.

The order of the Committee on the 30. of July, that allowes her 58. pound to make up her 5. part, is opposed by Andrews who had got the monie into his own hands, who pretends Malignansie, & imbesiling against my wife, [Page 13]spares no meanes to suborne proofes, makes his strength to countenance his malice, and cheating one Bradshaw, and Steele, Lawyers as I heare, by whom she is for a full yeare tossed from Cōmittee above & Cōmittee, below & after several refer­rences of their procuring here, & certificats from the coun­ty Committee, and nothing to be proved, & Andrewes ma­lice perjury and villanies, so discovered by them that re­proved, and as I take it certified to the Committee here, and causing her to spend in following it aboue 60. pound for upshot of all, exspecting a full sertificate to this Com­mittee to have her mony, and being before the Commit­tee, the said Andrews and one Lownes, both speciall instru­ments of Breretons, Bradshaw helping at a dead lift, informe 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 Traytors, they answer they were much to that purpose, the question againe put with humming and hawing give the same answer, it is then put that positively upon their oathes did shee say the Par­liament were Traitors, and did you here [...]e [...] speake the words, they answered shee did, at which their villany and purjurie shee was more astonished to haere, then troub­led at all her losses, and this purjurie was by the wise Sar­giant Wild▪ adjudged good payment of her monies, but admitted the words true, I pray judge whether it is provid­ed or ment in the ordinance, to make a Womans tongue under so heavie losses a Delinquent.

To enlarge my selfe farther of all my sufferings upon this false foundation, and the villains both countenanced and act­ed upon me and my famelie these 4 yeares 8 monthes, and to tell you that Andrews in his mallice, and by his firme 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 undestand­ing man that had for 7. yeare beene absent in farre parts, and ne­ver [Page 14]heard what and how the affaires of this Kingdome have beene carried, and to heare but as to my particulars, such a losse of the good old lawes in force, at the time he left us a happie Na­tion, wonder and hardly be brought to beleeve 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 ruine of me and my familie, my endeavours used by appeale to the house of Commons obstructed, I shall tell you but one mote, and that is when lawes are of no use to protect honest men, the commons trustes not to be protective to their trusters, the mixt Committee of Lords and Commons as to my case, and as you have heard so quick in Iudgement, but slo to come to it, that exspences and attendance will soone undoe a better man then they have left me, to bring a good cause to a hearing, after all and for the space of a yeare and two months past since, I did periti­on the house of Lords, and appealed with desire to be heard, but no answer for that yeare, 2. months since renned my petition▪ had for answer of one particular Lord they were tied up tanta­mount to doe 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 lawes to protect, no Lords to relieve, and opressions thus continuing on me, I have made recoverede to the lawes taken possession of my own, pre­sumed of the lawes protection, the [...]e I finde an Army which banne [...] against me, and Club Law Captaine Clowne and his trained soldiers full charged against me, a Committes that beleeves all honesty and lawes are to be cleane forgotten, and that to perpetuate their lawlesse, cheating and villanies, have by the power and the Trained bands, imprisoned 9 poore labouring men for working in my worke, and in my own ground, and for no other cause, broken open my barne, and continuing Captaine Clowne & his lawlesse, violence and riot all day, carried away all the corne by night. What can be sand when a sort of men degenerate in to brute beasts are countenanced in these lawlesse, villanes, I may say they are more wolves and beares then those brute beasts themselves, for they in their kinde are peaceable among themselves, and bite not one another, whereas con­trary the mallice of these men give them no content, but in tearing and spoyling of others, Now heare O Heavens and consider O earth, if the like oppressions were ever heard of in our fore Fathers times, as I have here truly stated, and all honest men will have a sence 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 assureance of Thomas Connigs by.