A HISTORY OF BEDFORDSHIRE 



In February 1638-9 the Earl of Cleveland, lord-lieutenant of Bed- 

 fordshire, was ordered to provide 200 men from the ' trained bands ' for the 

 Scottish campaign, and during the following months the working of the 

 machinery may be traced in certificates or indentures between deputy- 

 lieutenants and conductors for conveying soldiers to rendezvous, a list of 

 1 1 men from Bedfordshire who deserted on the march, and warrants for the 

 arrest of Sir Henry Campion, Edward Rolt, Edmund Waller, Lady Atkins, 

 and others as defaulters at musters, with their subsequent examination before 

 the Council."' In the summer of 1640 a fresh demand was made for 400 

 men, and there appears to have been a good deal of resistance. By 22 May 

 Cleveland said he had already raised 300 men, and he expected the remain- 

 ing 100 to be ready a week later. But the money for 'coat and conduct' 

 came far short of what was expected,^*" and writing on 13 June the Earl 

 of Northumberland included Bedfordshire among the counties which were 

 ' so restive that we shall not get nearly our number of men from them.' '" 



To the Long Parliament the county sent up at first three opponents 

 of the Government, Sir Oliver Luke of Haynes, one of the knights of the 

 shire, and his son Sir Samuel Luke of Cople Woodend, and Sir Beauchamp 

 St. John of Bletsoe, the borough members. Sir Oliver's Royalist colleague. 

 Lord Wentworth, son of the Earl of Cleveland, was raised to the peerage 

 a month later, and his place was taken by Sir John Burgoyne, who belonged 

 to the opposition, so that Bedfordshire was one of the few counties voting 

 solidly against the policy of the court."" 



In January 1 640-1'" a petition went up from the nobility, knights, 

 and others, of the county, to manifest their affection to the Book of Com- 

 mon Prayer, and praying for the continuance of the present form of Church 

 government, and that statutes against offenders be put into execution. On 

 1 6 March another petition from the county was presented to Parliament by 

 Sir John Burgoyne and two thousand others, including the high sheriff, 

 knights, esquires, and inhabitants of the county of Bedford, who rode 

 through London in procession. Nehemiah Wallington saw ' above two 

 thousand of these men come riding from Finsbury fields, four in a rank, 

 with their protestations in their hats.' '** They thanked Parliament for 

 having in so short space done so much in the removal of innovations in 

 religion and illegal taxes, for the abolition of the Star Chamber and 

 Court of High Commission, and the taking away of the bishops' votes in 

 Parliament, and asked for the removal of evil councillors, the punishment 

 of delinquents, and the removal of burdensome and scandalous ceremonies 

 and of corrupt and scandalous ministers ; for the provision and mainten- 

 ance of learned, pious, and conscientious ministers, and reparation to 

 ministers unjustly and frivolously deprived ; for a 'faithful magistracie and a 

 painfull ministrie.''" It was ordered that the Speaker should thank the 

 gentlemen of Bedfordshire for this petition. 



The nobility of the county were almost equally divided between King 

 and Parliament. Francis, fourth Earl of Bedford, enjoyed a very high 



"' Cd. S.P. Dom. 1638-9, p. 514 ; ibid. 1639, pp. 100, 103, 193, 201-24, 2+7. 259- 

 "» Ibid. 1640, p. 206. '"Ibid. 294. '" Ret. of Memb. of Pari. 



'" Cal. S.P. Dom. 1640-1, pp. 445-6. «* Hist. Notices, ii, 31. 



'" Broadside quoted by Brown, join Bunyan, 16 ; the references are to the 2nd edition (1886). 



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