Newdigate family collection of newsletters

Some Day Next week Secretary Iohnson sets forward for Scotland with aCommission Constituteing Duke: Hamelton High Comissionor dureing the Parliment which is to sitt the 18 of aprill and to Continue 40 Daies And tis said his highness has in Commission to Demand monney of that Kingdom towards Carying on the War against ffrance

On Thursday Night it was ordered in Councill that Maior Gennerall ......... be made Governor of the Isle of Weight & that the Lord Catts ^be Governor of Portsmouth & tis still said the Duke: of Lenister will command the fforces here

On Thursday Night his Maiestie Ordered the Lievtenant of the Ordnance to get ready 3 traines of Artillery viz one at Plimouth- another at Hull & a3d at Berwick

ffive Regiments to be Employed in the Discent upon ffrance are ordered to be transported with all speed from Ireland hither viz Briggadeer Stewards. Collonel Rowses & Collonel Hamelton with 2 others and Iam assured that the King- will return from fflanders about 6 Weekes hence to head the Discent which will be made some time in Iune Next

The Lord Cheife Barron Atkins Speaker of the house of Lords has Layd Down

Sir Scroop How is made Comptroler of the Excise Office

and Collonel Churchill as Maior Genneralls and the Lord Cutts Sir Thomas. Levison Collonel Lumley and Sir David Collier Briggadeer Genneralls to Command the Discent fforces Tis Gennerally said the King has ordered the Creation of 4 Dukes viz the Marques of Camarthen Earles of Bedford Devonshire and Clare which ... tis beleived will be Don when the Queen enters upon the Goverment which will be as soon as she heares

The Commissioners for transportacion being Ordered to take up severall thousand Tunns of shipping [Mord] haue this week taken up 120 Colliers for their Maiesties Service & the Masters are ordered to Clear them with all Speed

My Last Left the Councill Sitting late at Kensinton where Sir Iohn Summers was Called in and Sworn thereof and took his place as Lord Keeper of the Great Seal of England and had the Mace [Purgh] & Seal delivered to him being the Ensigns of that high Office Sir Iohn Grenehard was alsoe Called in & sworn of the Councill & had the seales of the Secretarys Office [d..] to him Since which these 2 Great & worthy Gentleman have been Complemented by most of the Nobillity & Gentry His Maiestie was pleased when he Declared Sir Iohn Summers Lord Keeper to promise him 4000^li Per annum when Displaced

Sir Iohn Treundham Chosen with Bridgmanan & Mr Prodtrey his under secretaries-

Sir Thomas: Trevor Solliscitor Gennerall is made Attorney Gennerall & Mr Ward of the Exchequer Solliscitor Gennerall.

Sir William Woogan one of the Serients at Law is appointed Chiefe Iustice of Chester in Roome of Sir Iohn Trenchard

There is noe Tresurer nor Master of the Ordnance as was Expected would be Declared last wek

Yesterday Morning about [9] a Clock his Maiestie accompanyed by the Queen & attended by aGreat many of the Nobillity set forward for Harwich in order to his Embarquement for Holland her Maiestie went 2 stages Dined with and parted from the King at Wickham and returned in the Eavening His Maiestie was pleased before his Departure to Nominate the Lord Colechester Collonel Levison Collonel Rumsey

that Great Office would Incapascitate him for Repleading at the Bar upon which the King Granted him aPattent for the Estate afore Mentioned Wee want 6 fforeign Mails

25 March. 1693.

To the honorable Sir Richard: Newdigate Baronet at Arbury near Coventry 2

L.c.2157

London March 28th 1693.

Sir

The forreigne Letters since my last bring the following advice.

Paris the 24th March. The King has ordered the Dauphin to goe to Brest to see in what forwardnesse the fleet is in, and to visit the Magazines & fortificacions of the Coasts and to returne in 3 weeks time and to make an exact report to the King when his Maiestie. will hold an extraordinary Councell upon Maritime affaires as how to act with his fleet eithe^r. to offend the enemy or to guard our owne Coasts the latter of which is judged moste needfull for that there begins to be a discourse and not to be without some foundacion that the English will certainely make adescent upon us this summer. The Kings Equipage is getting ready in a very glorious manner but will not set forward untill Midd May. Those skilled in the Polliticks conclude that he has some greate designe in veiw but where it will be formed they are to seeke but guesse it is eithe^r. to attacque the Garrison of Rhinfeilden on the Rhine to regaine our last reputacion or to forme the seige of Neuport in flanders This wee are assured that all the Switzers that were at the veiw of Chaltilly had orders from the Duke of Maine the generall to hold themselves ready to march upon the first orders to flanders.

Edinburgh the 27th instant The last weeke 21 souldiers with a serieant & 2 corporalls 2

of Captaine Makays independant Company which was to make up part of Collonel Moncriffs Regiment. and were quartered at Glascow deserted with their Armes and marched in a body to the high lands and aparty of Dragoons were sent in pursuit but missed them

Falmouth the 23d A Whale of prodigious [buzinesse] had beene seene of the Lizard Severall of the men belong -ing to the Crowne Interloper lately taken on the Coast at Guinea are come ashore at the lands end and say tho she carryed but 30 guns yet fought 3 french men of War 24 hours till 50 of her men were Killed and severall wounded

Plymouth the 24 On the 22^d. arrived here the Mary Brigantine of New yorke in 5 weeks from Bar -badoes and brought a packquet for their Maiesties which was imediately sent to white hall the men say that Island is in perfect health and in a good posture of defence, that Sir Francis Wheeler was not arrived at their comeing away and that they onely wanted for assistance from England to attacque Martenico haueing put themselves to a 10000^li charge for that purpose

Our Merchants upon the Exchange haue received letters from Leghorne of the 16th Instant which give an account that Count d:'Estree with the thoulon squadron has met with a violent storme which has separrated & shat - tered them and one of the bomb boats is come ashore neare that place This Morning one Hamilton an Irish Papist was taken into the

The Duke of Ormonds Troope is goeing to quarter for some time at Warwicke & Cowentry.

Yesterday the Queene went to Hampton Court.

Wee had an account yesterday from Pakham in Rutlandshire - that a quarrell lately happened there betweene acompany of Souldiers and the Butchers of that Towne one of the later being Killed in the fray and sewerall of the former wounded but the souldiers being the Occasion - of it severall of them were committed.

Vienna the 18^th. instant The Emperour has lately received divers letters from Turkey that the Grand Signior by the advice of the Counsell continues resolv -ed to carry on the War with the whole force of his Empire designing to bring 100000 men ^not reckoning 4000 tartars and malecontents who shall endeavour to breake into transilvania. Already 20000 turks have appeared before Essecke as if designed to beseige the same and in their returne plundred agreate many villages carrying severall thousands of the Imperialists into slavery upon which the Governour has sent to Court for a Reinforcement of his Garrison and the Emperour has held severall Councells

upon it, and tis generally said that his Imperiall Maiestie has recalled the Prince of Baden from the Rhine and 'tis feared some imperiall Regiments must alsoe be recalled to make head against the turks, and expresses are sent to all princes in Germany to hasten the March of the forces into Hungary A french Spy was seized as he was goeing to burne the Emperours fleete in the Danube

Custody of a Messenger by Secretary Trenchards Warrants in So hoe for treasonable practices yesterday the King gaue the Queen Notice that by a Letter that if the Wind continued eastward which hindred his Embarqueing he would returne to Kensington this evening and accordingly the guards went this morning to meet him The Princes of Denmarke continues indisposed since her miscarriage of adead child The Dutch Letters confirme that 11 of 25 ships that went from Scotland with recruits for flanders were taken by 3 French Privateers which fell in with the reare of them.

8 March 93 News Letter

To the honorable Sir Richard: Newdigate Baronet at Arbury 7 6d [..] near Coventry

L.c.2158

London the 30^th of March 93

Sir

The Master Gunner of England- & Captain Silver of Whitehall have ordersfrom the King to hold adayly performance in discharging of Cannon & Bombs on Black =heath in order to perfect the Gunners and Montresses in an Exact method Designed for the Descent where those if are curioius in that Art may vpon Applicacion bee received into that service & tought the whole Art of Gunnery

Yesterday they began att Tower wharfe to Ship off such Instruments of warr designed for the Descent as will receive no damage & the most prodigious preparacions that ever were knowne in England are now making for that service

The Lords of the Admiralty this week sent order to Sir John Ashby not to suffer any Interloper for India to putt to sea And Yesterday the Owners Petitioned the King about its alledging that they have 50000^li- Cargo on board & had his Maiesties Letters Mart & none of the seamen to bee Impressed but its beleived the Company will Influence her being stopped

Yesterday morning the Lord Lex =ington was sworne Gentleman of the Kings Bed Chamber

The 6 East India shipps fitted out by the Company are now in the Hope & had theire dispatchers sent them Yesterday & will Saile with Expedicion

2000^li per Annum vpon the Excise to bee paid to the said Keeper soe soone as hee shall bee removed = The Turkey Merchants have advice from Constantinople that a great ffaction rages in that Citty in favour of the Son of the Deceased Mahomett the 4^th in soe much that the Grand Signior dares not stirr from thence fearing a Revolt & should there bee the least misconduct of Affaires the Populacey would make great Revolucions

The Queen has been pleased to dismiss the Lord Bellford from the Place of Treasurer to her Maiesty & 'tis beleived his Lordshipp will bee Succeeded by the- Lord Hide

Plymouth: the 26 of March the Robert of London is arrived here from St Malo haveing brought with himthe 244 English Seamen amongst them 33 Masters of Shipps being all the English Prisoners that were in that Port from whence shee came on ffryday last & brings an account that shee comming in Company of 2 ffrench: Privatteers one of 40 Guns the- other of 16 the Captain of the former Sayed hee was resolved to fight the Dover ffrigatt wherever hee mett her

Sheildes the 26 of March Yesterday arrived here 100 Saile of light Colliers & 10 Saile of other Shipps from the Southward

The King since his returne on Tuesday night has Continued att Kensington but as soone as the wind is fare hee will goe for Harwich by water & See the Shipping in his way

declared whether Sir Thomas: Trevor or Mr Ward shall be Attorney Generall the King haveing promised the Lord Keeper that Sir Thomas: should Succeed him the Earl: of Nottingham presses hard for Mr Ward = Two persons coming this day to speak with Mr Hamilton foremencioned were Seized & one of them proves to bee the [Minister] of some of his Papers - 2 others of his - Accomplyces were Seized a Little after - A Patent is passing the Seales for Charging -

My last told you one Hamilton an Irish Man was Seized since 10th hee has been Examined and found to bee affrench: Spye & a great number of .... dangerous papers found in his Custody with Severall Blank warrants Signed by the ffrench: King & there is some hopes that hee will - discover all his Accomplyces

Plymouth Letters further say that the Master of the Robert Sayes that before hee came away from ffrance all the Capers were called in Except 11 who had King Iames Commission they haveing occasion for the Men on - board theire Grand ffleet

Portsmouth: 23d the Crowne ffrigate is come to Spithead to refitt Sir Georg Rook in the Royall oak & Rear Admirall Aylmer in the Kent are still att Spithead & most of the outward bound Merchant Shipps are in Cowes Road but an Embargo is come downe to them not to Sterr att least 10 dayes

The King has been pleased to appoynt Beniamine Tymewell Esquire Comissioner

of the Dock Yard att Portsmouth in the Roome of Captain Wiltshire who is made one of the Navy = It was ommitted in my last to Informe you that by private Letters from the Hague here is an account of a Hellish designe lately discovered there to have blowne vpp the house where his Maiesty was to Lodge & severall persons are secured vpon itt = This Evening a great Councell is held at Whitehall where 'tis beleived it will bee

30 March 93

News Letter

To the Honorable Sir Richard: Newdigate baronet at Arbury 4^d near Coventry

L.c.2159

London Aprill the 1st 93

Sir//

Wee have an account from Chipping Mallet in Sommerset Shire that there has lately happened such a Storm of Wind and hail accompanyed with Flakes of fire that some fancifull people beleived theWorld would have had its Desollucion

There is such Visible demon stracion of the Intended Discent that allready the Minnions of Warr begin to be shipped off at the Tower the Gates at booth ends being shutt up to prevent the troublesom Crowd from hindering that operacions There are 500 Guners & Montrosses ordered to be taken anew into that service & taught the Art of Gunery

Wee have Advice from the West Indies that the Norwich ffriggatt about 3 Months agoe was driven out of St. Christophers by aViolent storm & has not been since heard off

The Duke of Ormond haveing a disposicion to surrender his Command and recall his baggage from going to fflanders upon an Intercourse with the Heer Overkirk and his Grace has reversed his Intentions & went yesterday with the King for Holland

I am Assured that his Maiestie has been pleased to Confer the Government 4

of which the Coast is full they watching for the Return of the Spanish shipps -- The Lord Mayor in Coniunction with the Aldermen and Common Councill design to make an order in Nature of an Act of Parliment to suppress all Haukers and Pedlers with in this Citty and the Libertyes which may be