POLITICAL HISTORY 



troop of horse.*" On 2 November an order of the House of Commons 

 bade Luke seize Dyve's horses, as well as those of Sir William Boteler (of 

 Biddenham) and Lord Capel,"'' and on 4 January 1642-3 he was commissioned 

 by the Earl of Essex to raise a regiment of dragoons in Bedfordshire."' 



In the spring Cromwell was busy clearing the ' Cavendishers ' "' out 

 of South Lincolnshire, and he may have had assistance from the Bedfordshire 

 forces, as on 10 April he wrote to Sir John Burgoyne asking for the 

 assistance of ' dragooners,' as ' these plunderers draw near.' — ' If you can 

 contribute anything to our aid, let us speedily participate thereof '*'''' 

 Throughout the war the east side of Bedfordshire was never seriously 

 threatened,*" but the north and west boundary from St. Neots to Dunstable 

 in the south was subject to attack and inroad until the king's surrender to 

 the Scots in 1646. 



Essex occupied Reading on 15 April 1643, and next day moved upon 

 Oxford. But the Royalist troops were soon active in his rear. Rupert 

 sallied out from Oxford on 1 7 June, and early next morning surprised Luke's 

 Bedfordshire regiment in its quarters at Chinnor, killing 50 and taking 120 

 prisoners.*'* Their commander was not with them, but later in the same day 

 * great-spirited little Sir Samuel Luke ' fought by Hampden's side at Chal- 

 grove, and ' escaped without hurt, though thrice taken prisoner.' *'' He at 

 once began to levy recruits for his regiment, and a warrant issued in his 

 name at this time has been preserved in the pages of a Royalist newspaper,*'* 

 which says that ' horrible Sir Samuel Luke sent his Deputies notice, but to 

 what end, you may see by this intercepted Warrant, directed 



To THE Constables and Inhabitants of Salford 



These are to signifie unto you, that it is Sir Samuel Lukes desire that it be published 

 in your Parish with all speed, that he will no longer dally with, or by any more faire wayes 

 or meanes claw his Countrey-men, seeing it is almost altogether vaine and fruitlesse, but 

 he is resolved that if all persons in every Parish betwixt i6 and 60, being able to carry 

 Armes, shall not severally appeare at Laighton on Monday morning next by seven of the 

 clock with all provisions with them and Armes and Weapons for the service of the State 

 and their owne safety, he will proceed against such cold and insensible persons and Parishes 

 of this County with that rigour and severitie as is done in other places, that the good 

 may not remaine always scoft and derided at, but that they may receive such ease and com- 

 fort by his proceedings as is agreable to all manner of equitie and good conscience ; and to 

 let them know that all such as doe come are to march away presently and therefore 

 desire them to come provided for that purpose ; fayle you not hereof, and to bring a list 

 of the names of every man, at your perils. 



Todington, July i, 1643. Thomas Potts.' 



'^^ Diet. Nat. Biog. "^ Commons' J oum.W, %^6b. »" Ibid, iii, 156^. 



^^ So called from their leader, Charles Cavendish, who was killed at Gainsborough in July 1643 ; Diet. 

 Hat. Biog. 



** Carlyle, CrflaftK^// (1871), i, 123. A letter upbraiding the ' Biggleswade dormice' for their slowness 

 in coming, is, however, one of the Squire forgeries ; ibid, ii, App. 280. 



**' The comparative safety from attack of the eastern part of the county led to the transference of Sir 

 Robert Cotton's famous library, or part of it, to Stratton near Biggleswade, where it was preserved in a 

 house belonging to the heiress of the Anderson family, who was at once the step-daughter of Sir Thomas 

 Cotton, and the wife of John, his son by his first marriage. Diet. Nat. Biog. Sir Robert Cotton ; Stukeley, 

 Jtin. Cur. (1776), 7^ ; Lysons, Mag Brit, i, 37. 



^ Gardiner, Civil IVar, i, 176 ; the references are to ed. l, in three volumes. 



^ ParRament Seout, no. i (20-7 June). A week later West Wycombe was ravaged by the Royalists 

 under Urry, and according to some accounts Luke opposed him with success. Pari. Scout, ut sup. ; Perfect 

 Diurnal, no. I (26 June-3 July). According to the Pari. Seout, no. 2 (29 June-6 July), however, it was 

 Sir Philip Stapleton who engaged him (unsuccessfully), and this is adopted by Gardiner. 



'^ Mercurius Aulicus, 2-8 July. Toddington is 5 miles east of Leighton Buzzard, and Salford 9 miles north. 



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