A HISTORY OF NOTTINGHAMSHIRE 



Kingdoms for settlement, and by its decision all the affairs of town and 

 castle were to be in the hands of a general committee of which Colonel 

 Hutchinson, Colonel Thornhaugh, the mayor of Nottingham, and others 

 specially named were to be members. Without the consent of the 

 majority in this committee no forces should be sent out, or being sent 

 out recalled, and no works or fortifications should be made in or about 

 the garrison. Especially the committee were requested to take care that 

 money was provided for the garrison, so that it might not suffer from 

 want of pay. 1 



Meanwhile Cromwell's victory at Marston Moor had secured thenorth,and 

 the parliamentary forces were available elsewhere, but it was not until the end 

 of the year that Fairfax suggested that some of the Scottish horse should be 

 sent from the northern counties to Newark, the only considerable garrison of 

 the enemy and the ' receptacle of all (their) flying forces.' 8 During November 

 Fairfax received orders from the committee ' to straiten the enemy at Newark,' 3 

 and in December he wrote that he had ordered some regiments to march to 

 Newark, but the place was strong and well manned and provided for some 

 months, and he could not spare enough forces to effect much.* By January 

 Newark was not taken, but some of the forces of the counties of Nottingham, 

 Derby, and York, that had been rendering good service in the siege under Sir 

 John Cell, had been withdrawn. The committee, being ' sensible of the loss 

 and danger ' this withdrawal entailed on Nottingham, ordered Fairfax to send 

 1,000 horse out of Yorkshire, and ordered Sir John Cell to send back the 

 1,000 he had withdrawn. 5 The garrison, however, still held out, and periodi- 

 cally made desperate sallies, but was ' reduced to an exceeding strait for want 

 of provisions.' 6 In March, 1645, Prince Rupert determined to relieve the 

 town, and sent a party of 1,500 horse under Sir Marmaduke Langdale for 

 that purpose. 7 On the way from Leicester to Newark the relief party was 

 attacked by Colonel Rossiter with about 3,000 men, but succeeded in 

 repulsing the enemy, and marching on to Newark, was able to relieve the 



town. 8 



Once again, therefore, Parliament was obliged to leave Newark to the 

 royalists, and Colonel Rossiter was ordered to march after Sir Marmaduke \ 

 Langdale, who, when he had relieved the town, had started to meet Prince 

 Maurice in Cheshire, but to leave enough forces before Newark as ' may 

 preserve the country from spoil by the Newark garrison.' 9 A few days after 

 this order was countermanded, and Colonel Rossiter was ordered to take 

 special care of the country round Newark that none of the garrison should 

 ' be suffered to march towards any part of the Eastern Association to disquiet 

 and alarm them.' 10 



The march of the royal forces from Worcester across to Leicester in 

 April, 1645, presumably against the Eastern Association, aroused the fears of 

 Parliament, and early in May an order was sent to the deputy-lieutenants of 

 Nottingham to send 200 horse and 200 foot to join with Lincoln forces c in 

 case the Newark garrison should attempt to march towards the king.' u On 



1 Cal. S. P.Dom. 1644-5, p. m. ' Ibid. p. 104. ' Ibid. p. 119. 



4 Ibid. p. 172. * Ibid. p. 235. 



6 MS. of a gentleman of the relief party, printed in 1782, quoted in Shilton, Hut. of Newark, pp. 81-91. 



7 Cal. S. P. Dom. 1644-5, P- 334- * MS. above quoted. 

 ' Cal. S. P. Dom. 1644-5, P- 34. lo Ibid. p. 355. " Ibid. p. 478. 



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