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Hampshire Chapter 1 | THE Civil War in Hampshire (1642-45) AND THE STORY OF BASING HOUSE BY REV. G. N. GODWIN, B.D.Chapter XIX - Mustering Armies - Plunderers - Colonel Carne and Sir John Oglander(use "control F" to search text) On March 1, 1644, Hopton was said to have barely 6000 men at Winchester, and desertions were frequent. Sickness was decimating both armies, but the CavaUers were the greatest sufferers. The town and garrison of Portsmouth were distressed for provisions, as Hopton's outposts were in occupation of Southwick, Bishop's Waltham, Fareham, and other places in the neighbourhood. As we have seen, 100 barrels of powder were ordered to be stored in Arundel Castle for the supply of Waller's army, and on March 7 orders were given that forty other barrels from the powder mills, near Guildford, should be sent for the same purpose to Farnham Castle, the garrisoning of which at this time caused some anxiety to the Parliamentary Committee of Both Kingdoms. All the officers of cavalry and infantry regiments raised in Kent, and the governors of all the garrisons in the four associated counties of Kent, Surrey, Sussex, and Hants, were to obey the orders of Sir William Waller as Major-General of the Association. Sir William himself, when present in the House of Commons about this time, obtained authority to make a summary levy of horses in three days in West Sussex, so as to complete the proportion of cavalry to be provided by the county for the regiment then being raised for Sir Richard Grenville. The regiment of Colonel Weldon was sent to him on March i, and two days later *' 3000 horse, 5000 foot, and 600 dragoons were to march westward against the forces of Lord Hopton," whilst on March 9 the Committee of Both Kingdoms wrote to Colonel Cromwell, " informing him what forces are gone towards Hants, that he may make a strong diversion towards Aynho, or where he shall think fit that way." The Committee of Militia wrote " to encourage the City Regiment, now in Sussex, to continue for yet longer upon the service, the necessity for it at this time being so important." Sir John Trevor was raising money in Sussex for Sir William Waller, and on Thursday, March 7, the Committee of Militia and Mr. Molins, Comptroller of the Ordnance, delivered to that General's army, " one demi culverin, called Killcow, three drakes at Leaden Hall, one demi culverin drake, and one sacre drake, upon shod wheels, with their carriages, and for carriages, with provisions for sixty shot round." Hampshire and Sussex Puritan recruits were coming in apace, and Kentish Volunteers, nearly 5000 strong destined for the same service, were being maintained at the expense of their county. Colonel Ralph Weldon was a son of Sir Anthony Weldon, of Swanscombe, Kent. We shall hear of him again at Taunton and Bristol. On or about March 9, 1644, some of Lord Hopton's cavalry from Winchester faced Southampton. Colonel Norton sent out a party to skirmish with them until some other troops, who had made a long and circuitous march, could attack them from an ambuscade in their rear. The result was most disastrous to the Cavaliers. One of the sons of Sir John Stawell, of Hinton Ampner, the Governor of Taunton, was killed. His family were all staunch Royalists. The Cavaliers are said- to have carried off five cartloads of their dead, whilst the slain and prisoners are variously estimated at 80 and 140. Between 60 and 80 horses were brought back to Southampton, together with two cornets and other officers. Colonel Norton, according to one writer, lost only three men, but all concur in stating that his losses were but slight. On Sunday, March 10, eighteen loads of ammunition left London for Waller's army. Sir John Evelyn, of Dean, and other Hampshire gentlemen had promised allegiance to the Parliament, and had taken the Covenant, but on March 2 it was debated whether or not they were eligible for seats in the House. On Tuesday, March 12, a party of Cavaliers marched out of Romsey, and when approaching the New Forest met a party of their comrades, who did not recognise them, and shots were exchanged. This mistake having been discovered, the whole force returned to Romsey, which town some of Colonel Norton's men from Southampton had that evening occupied, under the command of Captain Thomas Evans, " where they had but a short night's rest." Early in the morning of March 1 3 the Cavaliers entered the town and surprised their opponents, who were about 120 in number and very well armed. From 80 to 100 prisoners were taken, " the rest by different ways escaping." Captain Evans had in his pocket a commission as Governor of Romsey. Six of the prisoners were deserters from Lord Hopton's army, and were summarily hanged at the especial request of their own regiment. One at least of these deserters was hanged upon the still-standing signpost of the late Swan Inn. In the Abbey register the following entries appear, for which I am much indebted to the kindness of Miss Berthon : "Mar. 13. Charles Wall, a soldier, slaine ot the 15th; a sargeant ye same day. William Morris, a soldier, hanged upon the Swan signpost." " Mar. 14. James Smith, a soldier from Hampton, ye same day. Norris, a soldier from Hampton ; 1 8th March, George Whetley, a soldier, of hys woundes." " 20th, James Bowles, Sonne of Xtopher, a soldier from Hampton, wounded." " 22nd, Walter Horman, a soldier of the King's." Colonel Harvey, who, in company with Colonel Norton, had been repulsed at Basing House on August 2, 1643, was now sent with his regiment of horse to join Sir William Waller at Farnham, and our old acquaintance, Captain Swanley, the terror of Southampton, and of the Irish, about this time made prize of a Bristol ship laden with arms and ammunition for the King. On March 13 (Cal. State Papers Dom.) Sir William Balfour, Major-General of Horse under William Waller, had already been three or four days at Petersfield with 4000 horse and dragoons. On his march from Reading to Devizes he took a few straggling Cavalier horsemen, who were billeted at Andover, and immediately afterwards occupied Newbury, which now had a garrison of 5000 horse and foot. Waller was to join him at once, as Prince Maurice was thought to be ready to reinforce Hopton, and "also Wareham and Poole in danger to be lost." From Newbury, Captains Dolbery (Dalbier ?), Turner, and Thompson were sent to face Basing House with about 200 horse. "The foxes and wolves there came out," and followed the retreating Parliamentarians as far as Odiham, plundering meanwhile, and capturing a waggon-load of provisions. Then they, numbers being about equal, halted, and fell back towards Basing House, only to be attacked in turn. Balfour's men slew twenty of them, routed the rest, and retook the waggon, besides taking many prisoners ; or, according to two chroniclers, " many troops of horse and provision carriages," or "six waggons of beef, malt and bacon, going to Basing House." Sir William Balfour's troopers then advanced, somewhat to the alarm of the garrison at Winchester, but " that good knight, Sir John Smith (who had gallantly recaptured the King's standard at Edgehill), beat up the rebel quarters at Bramdean, Petersfield, and Alton," recapturing the provisions, and making the unwelcome Parliamentarian intruders retire. On Tuesday, March 12, Lord John Stuart, who was in command of Lord Hopton's cavalry, led a party of Sir Edward Stawell's horse and foot " to a place near Alresford." On March 19 a petition was presented by " the Master and Almesfolk of the Poore Hospitall of St. Mary Magdalen, neare Winchester, to the Right Honourable Ralph, Lord Hopton, Baron of Stratton, and Field Marshall General of His Majesty's Western Forces." The petitioners stated that they could not live without charitable additions to their endowment, and that sixteen acres of barren arable land and dry common for 120 sheep was all the land they possessed, which they diligently cultivated. That about Christmas, 1643, Lord Hopton's men had killed thirty-six of their sheep, necessitating the removal of the rest to a distance of sixteen miles. Of this they had made no complaint. " But your petitioners do farther shew that within four nights last past the soldiers keeping their rendezvous there have not onl}' devoured nine quarters of their seed barley for this season, being the full provision for the same, and have broken down and burnt up the great gates, all doors, table boards, cupboards, gyses, timber partitions, barnes, and stables there, but have also used violence to the House of God, burning up all the seats and pews in the church. also the Communion table, and all other wainscot and timber there that they could lay hands on, and have converted the said house of God into a stable for horses and other profane uses, to the great dishonour of God and grief of soul of your poor petitioners, being very aged and impotent persons, and thereby made destitute of the means of having either temporal or spiritual food." Lord Hopton endorsed this petition with an order that Henry Foyle, Esq., and Commissioner Fry should protect these distressed almsfolk. On March 18, "Mercurius Britannicus "says that "Rupert is about Wem, Colonel Cromwell will call the young man home again." Meanwhile, things were by no means going smoothly in the Isle of Wight. On Tuesday, March 12, the petition of Captain Scofield, Captain Baskett, Richard Bury, gentlemen, and of others against Colonel Carne, " the present Deputy-Governor of the Isle of Wight," was read in the House of Commons, and referred to the Com- mittee for the Safety of the Isle of Wight. The Committee " are to take some course for repressing the petition now in preparing in the Isle of Wight." Colonel Carne, who was accused of discountenancing the friends of the Parliament, and of countenancing those of the King, was to appear in London in his own defence. The Earl of Pembroke, Governor of the Isle of Wight, wrote to its standing committee " to take care of the safety of the Island, especially of Carisbrooke Castle and of Sandown Fort. And that James Millis and Captain Hunt may be secured, or sent out of the Island by the Committee, that they may do no prejudice to the safety of the Isle." On March 22 a petition of the knights, gentlemen, and inhabitants of the Isle of Wight was read, and the Earl of Pembroke was bidden to take care of the island until the matter should be decided by authority. Colonel Carne was after- wards acquitted of the two charges brought against him by a majority of twenty-one and twenty votes respectively. Notice was also taken on March 22 of " the demeanour and carriage of one Oglander in the Isle of Wight." On this point " Mercurius Aulicus " enlightens us on Monday, August 14, 1643 : " This day also we received intelligence that Sir John Oglander being in the Isle of Wight, one, who is a sufficient brother, said to him that the King's ships were goodly ships. ' Yes,* said Sir John, * but they would be better if they were restored to their true owner,' meaning His Majesty. The Roundhead replied, ' Why, what would you gain if the King had them all?' 'No matter for gain,' said Sir John. ' I would I had given ;^SOO of my own purse so as the ships were in the right owner's possession.' 'And verily,' said the other, 'it shall cost you ;^50o,' and so presently informed against him, and caused him to be fetched to prison, where now the good knight is kept close only for discovering a good wish to His Majesty." On Tuesday, March 19, 1644, two letters from the Earl of Warwick, dated, one three days previously, and the second the day before, were read in Parliament enclosing " extracts of Captain Jordan's letter and Captain Thomas, his letter from Portsmouth and Stokes Bay," to the effect that they had chased the Earl of Marl- borough, "and had taken four prizes of good value, the one of thirteen guns, belonging to Lyme." On March 25 it was decided that the Summer Guard should consist of eighteen merchant ships. The two second-rates and one third-rate men-of-war previously ordered to be sent to sea were countermanded. A strong escort was to be provided for certain ammunition carts going to Sir William Waller. Secretary Sir Edw. Nicholas wrote to Lord Forth on March 21, saying that the King highly approved of the proceedings of himself and Lord Hopton, and that the Sheriff of Berkshire was to send provisions for men and horses to Forth's headquarters at Andover. But all these matters of detail were speedily to be dwarfed by the great struggle which has been variously styled the Battle of Cheriton, Alresford, Brandon, Brandon Heath, Bramdean, and Winchester, as well as Cheriton Down Fight, and Cheriton Fight. Truly manifold are the appellations of this dread and stern reality !
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