POLITICAL HISTORY 



assisted the king with arms or money, except under constraint, and all 

 bishops and cathedral chapters. On May 23, 1643, tne House issued an 

 order for impressing horses in Surrey or for taking an equivalent in 

 money. At the same time a weekly assessment was levied in every 

 parish for the service of the war. 1 



In the latter part of 1643 the war again approached the borders of 

 Surrey. In November Sir William Waller, at the head of the regiments 

 raised in the south-east and of trainbands from London and the neigh- 

 bourhood, had advanced to attack Basing House in Hampshire, where a 

 Royalist garrison dominated the main road from London to the south- 

 west. His troops were ill paid and mutinous. The London trainbands, 

 who no doubt thought that they had done enough in one year by relieving 

 Gloucester and fighting at Newbury, were as impatient as militia 

 generally are of prolonged operations. They refused to assault, cried 

 out ' Home ! home ! ' and insisted on retiring. Waller was forced to 

 fall back upon Farnham, while the Royalists recovered Winchester, and 

 on December 9 took Arundel Castle and came on to the borders of 

 Surrey. There was skirmishing about Farnham. Petersfield and Alton 

 were both occupied by Royalist troops, and the enterprising Royalist 

 commander, Lord Hopton, was in hopes of penetrating right into the 

 south-eastern district. 



Waller however, with some fresh troops and some of the men who 

 had failed at Basing House but were now shamed into a better mind, 

 surprised Alton on December 13, and completely cut up or captured the 

 force there. The English soldiers brought over from Ireland, who were 

 among the prisoners, mostly enlisted in his army. The Royalists then 

 abandoned Petersfield, and Waller recovered Arundel on January 6, 

 1644. The war was again pushed away from the borders of Surrey. 

 The Parliamentarian victory at Cheriton near Alresford on March 29, 

 1644, rendered the south-east quite safe from invasion. But with un- 

 trustworthy militia for his principal support Waller was unable 

 permanently to get away from Surrey till September. He twice had to 

 return to Farnham. On September 2 he was there with only 1,400 

 men, and only three weeks' pay for these in hand. Yet by calling in 

 his cavalry, who were further west, and receiving reinforcements and 

 supplies, he was able to leave Farnham for good and all in the latter 

 part of September. The Parliament sent him orders to march on 

 September 16. The campaign ended with the second battle of New- 

 bury. Farnham was either left ungarrisoned altogether, or was occupied 

 by only a trifling force. The county levies seem to have been kept in 

 arms at Guildford. On January 9, 1645, the old Royalist forces made 

 their last appearance in Surrey. General Goring, who had been given 

 an independent commission to see what he could do in the south, made 



John Evelyn (of Ditton), knights ; Robert Goodwyn, George Fairwell, John Goodwyn, esquires ; 

 Richard Wright, Cornelius Cook, gentlemen. See Severall Ordinances and Orders, etc., for Sejutstring 

 Estates of Delinquents (London, 1645), pp. i, z, 16. 

 1 St. P. Dam. May 23, 1643. 



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