PAPERS Presented to the Parliament, against the Lord Inchequin Lord President of Munster in Ireland, sent from Captain Crowther, Vice-Admirall of the Irish Seas.
And the Lord Inchequins Declaration. With a DECLARATION Subscribed By severall eminent Commanders, late of the Army commanded by the Lord INCHEQVIN.
Read in both Houses of PARLIAMENT.
THese Papers concerning the Lord Inchequins disserting the Parliament, with his Declaration, And the Declaration of the Officers, is appointed to be Published.
Imprimatur
Printed at London by Robert Ibbitson in Smithfield, neere the Queens-head Tavern. 1648.
PAPERS Presented to the Parliament against the Lord Inchequeen, Lord President of Munster in Ireland.
I Am sorry I have so sad a subject as to occasion this, some time since, having been at Sea, and absent from this Port, some few dayes, in my absence the Councell of Warre exhibited Articles against Sir William Fenton, Knight and Colonell, Colonel Edm. Temple, Lieutenant Collonell Faire, and Major Docdum, which Gentlemen they have committed close prisoners, to foure severall Garrisons, not permitting any to have correspondence with them; upon my returne into Harbour here, where I presently understood of these sad divisions, I immediately wrote to the Councell of warre (my Lord being abroad in the field) that they would grant the imprisoned the liberty of Subjects for me to send to them to see what they had to be transmitted to England, which from them I could not obtain, which gave me cause of much suspition of their actions, and occasioned my present dispatch of a Letter to be posted to my Lord, to know whether things were acted by his pleasure, and that [Page 2]his Honour would declare his intention, in regard I heard a rumour he would make a Cessation with the Irish, which I protested against, and that if he did, I would block up all his Harbours, my Letter obtaining no Answer, till his return to Cork, in his way home at Mayall his actions produced this inclosed, upon which I took Order for shipping, to lye in all his Harbor mouthes, and declared my best assistance and succour, to my utmost power to all, whether Officers, Souldiers, or others, that would desert him, two dayes since he sent me leave to send to the Gentlemen in prison, which I suddenly did, and yesterday received two Letters, one from Colonell Temple, the other from Sir William Fenton, the latter of which desires me to impart to your Honour his request, that you would be pleased to mediate to some of the honourable Houses of Parliament, that a Letter may be sent from them to my Lord Inchequin, desiring his transmitting the imprisoned Gentlemen into England, to receive their triall there, which he desires you to be mindfull of. And that he farther advices you, that he conceives, that if the Houses would be pleased to send over Commissioners speedily, with some monies, that most, both Officers and Souldiers might be obtained, and so consequently the Garrisons, which (Sir) truely is my opinion likewise: forasmuch as I have heard from some Officers with whom I have had some conference: which is all at present I have to communicate to your Honour, onely to subscribe my self,
THE Declaration of severall eminent Commanders, late of the Army commanded by the Lord INCHEQUIN.
IN obedience and difcharge of our trust to the Parliament of England, sitting at Westminster: we give this information under our hands, to be presented to them, which wee shall be ready to make good in our persons upon oath, viz.
That the Lord Baron of Inchequin Lord President of Munster, having been abroad with some part of his Army, whereof we are members: Did upon the third of this moneth upon his returne home, being at Mayalle send for us, who have hitherto subscribed to appeare presently before at his Quarters, which being performed, and all of us assembled together in his presence Chamber: His Lordship declared this unto us, that in order to the Nationall Covenant, and to that particular branch thereof, which concerns the re-investing His Majesty in his Thron: he had with the advice of his Officers taken a resolution to oppose the present pretended Parliament in England: who were forced by an Independent faction, they having broken all Oathes and Covenants, which they had made both to God and Man: and to that purpose, was now puting himselfe into a posture of defence: And that for the managing of this Designe, he had correspondency with the King, with the Scots, and [Page 4]generally all the Presbyterian party that were agreed with the King: who were resolved to endeavour to their utmost the re-inthroning the King, and restoring a free Parliament, which hee fully declared this not to be: And for the better effecting and carrying on this Designe, he was resolved to joyne with the Lord Taff, and the whole Irish of the Province of Munstor: who have assured him of their assistance, both with their persons and estates, and that he had now sent for us, who were onely the suspected party of the Army to report this to us, and to require of us our resolution whether wee all would comply with him in this or no: To which we answerd, We stood for the King and Parliament, as we had ever done, upon which he required us not to juggle with him, but to declare whether it was this present Parliament wee meant, for he said the truth was, they did not acknowledge this to be a Parliament: To which we answered his Lordship, we could not comply with him: He still using many aggravations, to make good what hee had said against them, and further said, Hee hoped to see this present Parliament laid flat on their backs by Michaclmas day, and that this was no rash resolution, but a premeditated action, he being confident, that let it come to the worst it could, yet in spight of all, he would be able to procure good terms both for himselfe and the rest that adhered to him: and that which induced him cheifly to put it in practice at present was, that he was now assured, he was before hand with the Independent party, which hee never was before; yet hee had thought for some time longer to have forborne his declaring, but yet some suspitions, the Vice admirall Captaine John [Page 5]Crowther had of him; could not permit him to carry it private any longer, in regard the said Captain Crowther had protested against him, and blockt up his Harbours. And his Lordship did further declare, that al which would not joyn with him in this design, he required them to depart and go for England, for that he would not permit any neare him, or in his Army, that would not faithfully comply with him in his intention; and as a motive to induce us to joyn with him, he informed us that he was certainly assured, that Collonell Jones had by order from the Parliament of England, made a cessation with Owen Roe Oneal, and that faction; who chose rather to enter into League with the Parliament then with the King: and in this respect hee would now joyne with the Lord Taffe, and Munster forces against the other. For the truth of all these we have hereto subscribed our names this seventh of April 1648, aboard the Bonaventure, in Kinsale Harbour.
- Christopher Elsing.
- Alexander Barington
- John Gray.
- Thomas Davis
- Thomas Chandlor.
WE under written having this present seaventh of Aprill, 1648, heard read unto us the severall heads made by the Lord [Page 6] Inchequin, to the respective Commanders in his Presence Chamber at his head Quarters at Mayalle, the third instant forementioned, doe declare, that the said things were in the field upon the same day propounded to us, and the other Officers then in the Army, whereupon he desired our compliance, wee refused the same, as inconsistent with our duties to the Parliament, and thereupon disserted our several Charges and Offices under his command.
- John Benyworth,
- William Battle,
- Silliam Stotesbury,
- John Gettings.