A HISTORY OF CUMBERLAND 



cavaliers. 1 An attempt had been made in 1 643 to take it in the interest 

 of the parliament by ' a Rascall rout,' as it was called at the time, under 

 the leadership of Sir Wilfrid Lawson and others, but it was defeated. 

 To Carlisle fled in the spring of 1 644 the famous Marquis of Montrose, 

 and there found shelter, and it was from Carlisle that he set forth in 

 August, disguised as a groom with only two companions, on his 

 desperate plunge into Scotland. But a more formidable attempt was 

 now to be made on the city. David Leslie was sent after the taking of 

 York to operate against it. Sir Thomas Glenham, general of the 

 northern counties, retreated with some broken troops into Cumberland 

 and shut himself up in Carlisle. In his pursuit of Glenham, Leslie 

 encountered Sir Philip Musgrave and Sir Henry Fletcher, who retired 

 before him ; he crossed the Eden near Great Salkeld, and arriving before 

 Carlisle surveyed the approaches to the city from Harraby Hill, where 

 the gallows stood ; ' a place,' says Isaac Tullie, the historian of the siege, 

 ' more proper for them he could not have chosen.' Then commenced 

 the famous siege of 1644-5, *^e surrounding forces being stationed at 

 Newtown, Stanwix and Harraby. The headquarters of Leslie were at 

 Dalston Hall. The garrison was reduced to great straits, which are 

 forcibly depicted in the pages of the diary of Isaac Tullie, a lad of 

 eighteen years, who has left a history of the siege. a On 10 May 1645 

 a fat horse taken from the enemy was sold for ten shillings a quarter. 

 Captain Blenkinsop came in with the news on 30 May, ' yt the king 

 was come into Westermerland and y* Leslie had warned y e countries 

 carts to fetch away his badgige ; which caused the joyful! garrison to 

 eat that day three days provision, and repent with a cup of cold water 

 for three dayes after. At this time three shillings peeces were coined 

 out of the cyttysens plate.' In June hempseed, dogs and rats were eaten, 

 and the ' gentlemen and others [were] so shrunk that they could not 

 chuse but laugh one at another to see their close hang as upon men on 

 gibbets, for one might have put theire head and fists between the 

 doublet and the shirts of many of them.' But the end was drawing 

 nigh. On 23 June ' the townsmen humbly petitioned Sir Tho s Glenham 

 y* their horse flesh might not be taken from them as formerly and 

 informed him y 1 they were not able to endure y e famine any longer ; to 

 w ch he gave no answer nor redresse in four dayes space ; at which time 

 a few woomen of y e scolds and scum of the citty mett at ye Cross, 

 braling against S r Henry Stradling there present who first threatned to 

 fire upon them ; and when they replyed they would take it as a favor, 



1 Sir Richard Graham, writing in 1644, said that the prime gentlemen of the county had lately 

 certified Sir Thomas Glenham of the ill-doings of Leonard Dykes, the sheriff, and desired his removal. 

 He recommended Edward Musgrave to be appointed sheriff of Cumberland and Philip Musgrave sheriff 

 of Westmorland ; ' these two men are the most powerful to serve the king in their counties and with the 

 assistance he would give them would carry both the counties for the king ' (Hist. MSS. Com. Rep. vi. 

 App. p. 335)- 



2 In 1840 Mr. Samuel Jefferson printed Tullie's Narrative of the Siege of Carlisle in 1644 and 1645, 

 from Harl. MS. 6798, with an introduction and some useful notes. It forms one of a series known as the 

 ' Carlisle Tracts,' published by Jefferson. 



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