A HISTORY OF DURHAM 



the arrangement of 1627 was abrogated before 

 the lease of that year expired.' Apparently the 

 corporation had gone on with some modification 

 introduced, it is probable, by themselves. Then 

 we hear of a recorder and town clerk in 1649.* 

 Petition was made in 1650 for reconstitution of 

 the local courts of justice,' for the establishment 

 of a college at Durham,'" and for the continuance 

 of dean and chapter payments to the school.** 

 In July Cromwell passed through the city on 

 his way to the battle of Dunbar. After the 

 battle came the memorable imprisonment of 

 the Scots in the cathedral which did so much 

 damage to the building in the dull autumn days. 

 For the great number of sick and dying among 

 them, the castle was used as a hospital. The 

 survivors only left Durham in 1652. 



It is, apparently, the case that the civic 

 sympathies were largely with the Parliament 

 throughout this disturbed period. This would 

 be the natural result of the corporation's long 

 struggle for independence which had now been 

 crowned with belated success, thanks to the 

 overthrow of bishop, dean and chapter in 

 Durham. In 1650, when the recent act for en- 

 forcing the engagement was put into operation, 

 there were great rejoicings at Durham, the 

 citizens expressing their resolution to stand by 

 the Parliament, and presenting Lt. Col. Hobson*- 

 with the freedom of the city. Another 

 letter of near date to this speaks of the strong 

 Parliamentarian feeling in the county. But 

 there were exceptions to it, even in the corpora- 

 tion, for next year a report was circulated that 

 the Mayor of Durham, one John Hall, had 

 slighted the celebration of the thanksgiving 

 day after the battle of Worcester.*' In 1653, 

 with the establishment of the protectorate 

 under Cromwell, a petition was sent up once 

 more" for representation in Parliament. Ac- 

 cordingly, in 1654, the city was, for the first 

 time, represented by a member, one Anthony 

 Smith, a mercer, who was again returned in 

 1656, after which there was no member for 

 city or county until 1675. The exclusion of 

 the county and city from the Parliament of 

 1659 called forth a petition for representation.*^ 



The Restoration was acceptable in the county,** 

 but not very largely in the city. The cries of 

 protest, which must have greeted the re-entry 

 of the church landlords upon the lands and 

 houses alienated since 1646, were doubtless 

 vigorous, but soon died away in the effervescing 

 loyalty to the throne which now became the 

 order of the day. Cathedral and castle had 

 suffered from the Scottish prisoners, and on 

 every hand signs and sounds of repair and re- 

 building were observable. It is noted by Cosin, 

 the great Restoration bishop, that ' the violence 

 of the times and neglect of men ' *' had deso- 

 lated the city. The bishop's carefully preserved 

 accounts show what was done in and round 

 the castle,*' whilst various references indicate the 

 widespread restoration of the college and the 

 furniture of the cathedral.*' The parish churches 

 had suffered, and were, to some extent, refitted, 

 as the parish books testify. A work of import- 

 ance was the new conduit to convey water from 

 Elvet Moor across the river to the college and 

 precincts, where it was carried again across 

 Palace Green to the Castle.-" It was probably 

 at this time that the old castle well, sunk by the 

 Normans, was finally abandoned, to be reopened 

 only in 1903. In 1664 the County House, 

 otherwise the Assize Court, built in 1588, was 

 pulled down, it may be surmised owing to recent 

 injury, and was rebuilt by the bishop. The 

 gilds were asked to contribute, but in general 

 refused to aid the prelate.^* Civic life, as 

 regulated under the Commonwealth, was at 

 first uninterrupted, but in 1662 commissioners 

 were appointed for regulating corporations in 

 the palatinate,22 and it is presumed that they 

 carried out the restoration of the corporation to 

 its former condition. The Assize system was 

 brought back, and the judges entertained as of 

 yore. 2' 



But the years were not restful. Fanaticism 

 had sprouted during the anxious times.^-" and 

 soon developed into disaffection. The city 

 became the centre of the plot which is known as 

 the Derwent Dale plot. It was reported that 

 a large number of fighting men were ready in 

 Durham.^^ Indeed, Durham was no longer 



' See above, p. 37. 



* Surtees, op. cit. iv, l6o. 



* For the point see Surtees, op. cit. iv, 9. 



10 Fowler, Hist. Univ. Dur., V.C.H. Dur. ii, 52. 



1* B. M. Burney Newspapers 35, 8 May. 



*2 Hobson was Deputy Governor of Newcastle. 

 The statement comes from B. M. Burney Newspapers 

 35, 2 April. 



*3 Founder of a Durham family. See the pedigree 

 in Surtees, op. cit. iv, 154; Burney Newspapers 39, 

 28 Oct. 1637. 



** See above, p. 37. 



*■"• Burney Newspapers 53, 31 March 1659. 



" V.C.H. Dur. ii, 53. 



" Hutchinson, op. cit. ii, 35-) or 275. 



" Mickleton MSS. xx, passim, printed in Cosin's 

 Corresp. (Surt. Soc), ii, 356-83. 



*• The correspondence of Sancroft and Davenport 

 gives details (Tanner MSS. in Bodl. Lib.). For the 

 state of the cathedral cf. Cosin's Corresp. (Surt. Soc), 

 p. xvi, summary of work done in Drake, Siege oj Ponte- 

 fract Castle (Surt. Soc), 260. 



2" Particulars in Mickleton MSS. xx, 56. 



2* Surtees, op. cit. iv, 21, 24. 



" S. P. Dom. Chas. II, bri, no. 157. 



*' Ibid, xliii, no. 131. ^4 ibij. Ixxviii, no. 6, 71. 



*5 S. P. Dom. Chas. II.^xcv, no. 140. 



40 



