POLITICAL HISTORY 



Goldsmiths' Hall to convoy the arms, clothes, and ammunition to be sent 

 to the Scots army at Newark. 1 



But Newark Castle now protected by two new fortifications, the ' King's 

 Sconce ' and the ' Queen's Sconce,' seemed invulnerable, and the county 

 began to weary under the burden of victualling the besieging forces. In 

 January, 16456, the inhabitants ' of that part of the county of Nottingham 

 lying on the north side of the Trent ' petitioned the Committee of Lords and 

 Commons, complaining of the hardships they suffered at the hands of the 

 Scotch army. 2 A complaint was therefore made to General Leslie, but in 

 February he wrote back to the committee enclosing a letter signed by 47 

 gentlemen of Nottingham giving ' a good character of the Scotch army.' 

 Though the burden was great, they wrote, 'in this small, barren, and exhausted 

 north part of our country, we cannot but cheerfully acknowledge our great 

 thankfulness for your favour. . . We are sorry that our poverty and weaknesse 

 cannot answer your merits and noblenesse.' Parliament ordered 15,000 per 

 mensem for the maintenance of the forces before Newark, and the general 

 ordered that the least wrong or violence done by his soldiers to any 

 whatsoever in persons or goods should merit death. 3 Throughout the 

 disasters of February and March, 1646, Newark still held out under Bellasis, 

 but already before the end of March Montreuil had been sent with a message 

 to the Scots promising that the king would come to the Scotch army on 

 assurance of security in conscience and honour and would surrender Newark 

 into their hands. On 28 March the besiegers summoned the garrison to 

 surrender, stating that Parliament had 16,000 horse and foot before the town, 

 ' soldiers of experience, united and in health and courage.' Bellasis replied, 

 knowing nothing of Charles's overtures to the Scots, that he must follow the 

 king's commands, and 'though honour and conscience might permit the 

 delivery of the garrison, yet civility would retard it, lest His Majesty's Act of 

 Grace should be frustrated.' * However, at the end of April, Charles left 

 Oxford, and advancing to Southwell delivered himself into the hands of the 

 Scots. And 'immediately upon his coming General Leven had some treaty 

 with His Majesty about the surrender of Newark' ; not to the Scots themselves, 

 but, to 'remove all jealousy,' to the Parliament. 5 The result was the character- 

 istic order sent by Charles to Lord Bellasis, who much against his own will 

 and that of his garrison, although by now the plague was raging in the town, 

 was forced to surrender on 6 May. By the articles of surrender the garrison 

 with all its ordnance and arms was to be delivered over to Parliament, and 

 Colonel Hutchinson with his regiment was appointed to receive the town and 

 the arms, and to quarter in it. 8 Lord Bellasis and his officers were allowed to 

 march out either to one of the royal garrisons not besieged, or to their own 

 houses ; the soldiers were allowed to ' make peace with Parliament,' or go 

 beyond the seas. 7 After the surrender of Newark the active participation of 

 the county in the Civil War was practically over. Nottingham town and 

 castle ' was continued a garrison for some time,' 8 until in August, 1647, when 



1 Cal. S. P. Dam, 1645-7, 326. ' Hist. MSS. Com. Rep. vi, 93. 



1 Two letters from Lieut.-Gen. David Lesley. 



1 Rushworth, Hist. Coll. pt. iv, vol. v, 250-2. 5 Ibid. p. 269. 



6 Mrs. Hutchinson, op. cit. p. 291. 



7 See Articles given in full in Rushworth, Hist. Coll. pt. iv, vol. i, 265. 



8 Mrs. Hutchinson, op. cit. p. 297. 



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