Articles exhibited, Against Colonell EDVVRD KING, for his Insolencies and Misdemeanours in the County of LINCOLNE, to the Honourable, the house of Commons, in August 1644. by Mr. Mussenden, Mr. Wolley, and divers others of the Comittee of Lincolne.
IMprimis, That to the Great discragement of the Countie he doth openly declare, his slighting of all mens good affections to the Parliaments service, by expressing that he va [...]ueth not, that men should do the Parliament service volunta [...]ily, but than he would by his power force them to serve.
II. That he doth pay those great sums of money raised by him out of the Countrie only to whom he pleaseth, against all Equity and Justice, notwithstanding my Lord Manchesters Order to the contrary.
III. That he hath publikely declared his slighting the Ordinance of Parliament, and done very many Ty [...]annicall and arbitrary Actions, by imprisoning divers of [...]ersons at his pleasure, and exacting great sums of money, at such time when necessitin could be no plea, with many other particulars.
IV. When he was before Newarke he sent for a Captain, who kept Crowland, who obeyed his command, yet sent word to him of the danger that town was in, and therefore [...]esired his second pleasure, which was, that he should march, who acordingly did, the Gentlemen of the Countrie fearing [Page 2] the Enemy procured Major Ireton to send 100 Musketiers to keep Crowland, which he hearing of, took ill that without order from him, any should come into his Liberties, and commanded them to be gone, who accordingly departed; the Enemy presently surprised the Town, and those few that he had left in it, by which means he betrayed the Town unto the Enemy, which was not regained without much charge, hazard, and losse of many mens lives.
5 That he gives protections for securing both person and goods, to those who are professed enemies to the Parliament.
6 That he imployeth such Officers, as are altogether unfit for the Countries service,
7 That he doth most grossely and unworthily affront and abuse the well-affected Gentry of the Countrie.
8 That he doth encourage desperate Malignants and animateth them against the well affected.
9 That he and his Officers have imprisoned men well affected to the Parliament, and caused their houses, chests, truneks, &c. to be searched for pewter, brasse, and linnen, and threatned that they would make it cost one of them his whole estate, and that one of his Officers would not take three hundred pounds for his own satisfaction.
10 That at the siege before Newark, such provision as the Countrie had voluntarily and freely sent in to Col. Kings quarters at Winthorp, for the maintainance of the souldiers, his Officers would not deliver without money, although they had not pay, to the extream oppression and discouragement of the Countrie.
11 That he sent three warrants to Capt. Bushey at Tattershall, to take away a great quantitie of wooll, which wa [...] bought by Mr. Rawson one of the Committee, and paid for with hit own money, and so the said Rawson is likely to los [...] his estate, although he hath been a sufferer both for Church and Commonwealth this twentie years, and hath made him [Page 3] a Malignant, both in his words and letters, as much as in him did lie.
12 That when the Enemy took Grantham, they being beaten from one part of the town, wheeled about to fal upon the other side, at a place called Spittle-gate, which Major Sarvill being then Major of the Town perceiving, commanded Col. King being then Capt. of a Company there, to march with his Companie to defend that place, Collonel King answered, that he scorned to be commanded by him, and rather then he would be commanded by him, he would take his Companie and let the Enemie into the Town, and he delayed so long before he would go, that the Enemie was entered at the said Port before he came thither, by which means he betrayed that Town.
13 That when Commissary James had brought in certain sheep from a malignant for the relief of the siege at Newark, being then in great want, Colonel King caused the said sheep to be restored to the malignant, and told the Commissarie that he deserved to be hanged, with divers other threatning and reviling speeches; notwithstanding he had order from Sir Iohn Meldrum and the Committee for the taking of them.
14 That Collonel King havidg promised the Lord of Manchester to raise a great number of Horse and Foot, the said King, as did appear, not knowing how to raise so great a number, did to the great discouragement of the Countrie, take this course; In the first place he cashiered Major Syler, with him three hundred Voluntiers, which served on their own charge, who with the Townesmen had alwayes defended the Towne of Boston, that he might presse them to serve under him for pay; and secondly, he did seise upon and detain four or five of the Foot Companies belonging to the Lord Willoughbie, and did cashiere some of the Captaines, because they refused to forsake my Lord to serve under him.
[Page 4] XV. That the Troopers of Colonell Cromwell which were lost at Coleby and Waddington, were treacherously or ignorantly betrayed by Colonell King.
XVI. That to the great discouragement of the Countrie he doth oppose and quarrell with such as have been most serviceable to the Countrie, and such in whom the power of Religion is most eminent (viz.) Lieutenant Generall Cromwell, Mr Ram and others, and that he imprisoned divers other uery godly men, and that for exercising the very power of Godlinesse, which he did in a very scornfull and vile manner, and still continueth an utter enemie to such men, as namely Lieutenant Colonell Berry, Major Lilborne, Captain Chambridge and others.
XVII. That to the great discontent and discouragement of the Countrie, hee and his Officers did quarrell with, and slight the Committee at Lincolne, which was setled by Ordinance of Parliament, who were men of the best estates quality and Integrity, and such as were especially commended to serve the Countrey; and publikely vilifying them, and their actions, and assuming their power without any Authority.
XVIII. That before this war began he was an open and publike persecutor and scoffer of Religious men.
XIX That he is a man of a turbulent and factious spirit, of meane condition and estate for so absolute a command, that he hath received vast sums of money amounting to about 20000 .l. much of which he hath levied in an illegall and obscure way, and issued out accordingly, for which it is desired he may give a speedy Account, and likewise of the rest of his actins.
XX. That in a factious and seditious manner he did imploy some agents to deliver blue Ribbonds to such as would stand for him, and shew themselves his frinds, to the great terrour and discontent of the Countrey, and the hazard of raising a dangerous mutinie.
[Page 5] XXI. That he kept about twenty men to wait on him whom he called his life guard, to whom he gave extraordinary pay, though they were exempted from all duty, except it were to wait upon him advance his reputation, and awe and affright the Countrie.
XXII. That he did awe and gain the Countrie wholly after him and that he might with better colour dominere, falsely stile himselfe Lieuetenant Generall of the Countie of Lincolne.
Articles against Colonell King, presented to the Committe of the House of Peres, by Mr. Smith, of Lincolneshire, Sep. 1644.
IMprimis, That the said Colonell King hath at sundry times openly contemned and slighed severall Ordinaces of the Lords and Commons now in Parliament Assembled, to the great discouragement of the Committee and other Officers of Parliament, within the Countie of Lincolne, and to the manifest retarding of the publike service, (viz.) The Ordinance for the King, Queene, and Princes Revenue, with divers others.
II. That the said Colonell King hath not only heretofore been a violent persecutor of able Ministers, as Mr. Hinshley, and other godly and well disposed people, for not conforming to Ceremonies, but hath persevered therein, & in a tirannicall manner sithence his command from the Right Honor. the E. of Manchester, imprisoned divers religious and godly people in prisons, and a Dungeon without any fit accommodations, calling them, Brownists, Anabaptists, Witches, Conjurers and Devils, or words to th [...]t effect, threatning them that he would ship them away, and seize their estates, only for Christian meetings, which he said was worse then the sin of Witchcraft, and hath very much abused able and godly divines, as Mr. Ram of Spalding, and others that spoke well of them to him, in their behalfe, and hath often declared that he would root all such of his Regiment, which he hath done by Arbitrarie and ungodly waies and practises.
III. That he hath divers times summoned the Countrye to be and appeare before him and his Officers, which metings he termed Courts and therein shewed himself most intolerable imperious and [Page 4] [...] [Page 5] [...] [Page 6] [...]solent and hath therein done very many tyrannicall and Arbitrary actions, Fining divers persons (as Mr. Wallet, Mr. Hargrave, and others we [...]l affected) grievously, and insupportably in the said pretended Court, for small or no offence, and hath sent his agents, Officers & souldiers who have levien the said fines upon their goods.
IV. That he hath received vast sums of money much of which he hath raised by unjust and illegall waies, and wilfully neglecting the preservation of the Countie, hath done very little or no service with it (before the unhappie Siege at Newarke) save his defending the towne of Boston, which before he commanded there, was as well defended by voluntires, with little or no charge to the Countie, which voluntiers were Cashired by him, to the great damage of the Countrey.
V. That in a proud and insolent manner, he hath exceeded the limits of his Commission, granted him from the righ [...] Honourable the Earl of Manchester, by assuming to himselfe the title o [...] [...]enenerall of the Countie, and raising men and horses at his pleasure throughot the whole Countie, and keeping at the Countries charge about twenty men to waite on him, which he called his lifeguard, and usually called the Countries forces is Armie, and doth direct his letters to his Father with title of right honourable
VI. That there hath been divers blue ribbons dispersed in the Countrie by him or his Agents, to such as would shew themselves for him, and procure of set their hands to petitions for the restoring him to his former commands, and those who have refused to set their hands contrary to their consciences, have been threatned, [...]nd evill entreated by his said Agents, and he himselfe did tell Mr. Tilson and others of the Committee at Boston, in a threatning manner, when they would not obey his unwarrantabe desires and commands, that troue Blew was a good colour, which hath hazarded the raising of a dangerous mutining among the Souldiedrs and Countrey men.