POLITICAL HISTORY 



men' out of a total of 1,200, and to pay >C75o a month for its support, out 

 of a total of ^4,000 ; the county was, by an ordinance of 13 December 1643, 

 P^y^^g jC952 monthly for the support of the army.*'^ Newport continued 

 to be largely garrisoned and supported by Bedfordshire throughout the war, 

 and it was there that John Bunyan served.'" Luke, who had been appointed 

 scout-master-general to the army, and had done good service in that capacity, 

 was an able and active governor. He co-operated with Cromwell in the 

 capture of Hillesden House, 4 March 1643-4, and in May his men went 

 so far afield as to attack a Royalist force at Islip.'"" 



In the campaign of 1644 Charles met the combined advances of Essex 

 and Waller by manoeuvring with a small mobile force to engage one or other 

 of them separately. Early in June Essex was in Dorsetshire,'"^ while Charles 

 continued his rapid marching and counter-marching about Oxford, and finally 

 arrived at Buckingham on 22 June, 'with Waller toiling heavily after him.'™' 

 The king now hesitated whether to go north to York, to attack the Associated 

 counties, or to make for London. There was great alarm in the capital, and 

 Major-General Browne was dispatched to protect the country between 

 London and Buckingham. The committees of several of the counties of the 

 Eastern Association were ordered to send their trained bands to his assistance, 

 and he soon had as many as 3,000 men, but was short of horse.™' It was 

 not safe for infantry to march alone over the open country beyond St. 

 Albans, so Colonel Norton was sent with a body of cavalry, detailed from 

 the siege of Basing House. The Royalist head quarters remained at Bucking- 

 ham for four days, the king wasting time by sending to Oxford for advice. 

 ' When the answer came it was too late. Waller was close at his heels, and 

 without fighting it was impossible to shake him off.' ™* 



Those four days, 22—6 June, were full of trouble for the nearer parts 

 of Bedfordshire. As he had a large force of cavalry the king apparently 

 detached parties to operate in different directions, one plundering Leighton 

 Buzzard, and another Dunstable, while another seems to have swept round to 

 the north through Hockliffe and Woburn as though to march on Bedford, 

 At Dunstable the Royalists ' entered the Towne when the people were at 

 Church, not contenting themselves with plunder, but made a great disturb- 

 ance, cutting and slashing the people in the Church, and shot a case of Pistols 

 at the Minister in the Pulpit, but missed him ; and afterwards abused him 

 very inhumanely. The like outrage they committed at divers Townes and 

 Villages thereabouts and at Woodborne (Woburn), the Earl of Bedford's house. 

 They also faced Newport Pannell, but Sir Samuel Luke let fly two or three 

 of his great peeces, which set them packing.' ™' Browne was at this time 

 at Barnet, whence he sent a dispatch dated 24 June : ' The enemy, as I am 

 credibly informed, number 10,000, and as many Horse as Foot, quartered 

 about Dunstable and Leyton.'™' Browne, having received notice of Waller's 

 intended attack upon the king, sent out summons for a rendezvous at Dun- 

 stable on the night of 28 June.™'' From Dunstable his force marched to 

 Berkhampstead to meet Colonel Norton's cavalry and supplies of ammunition 

 from London;™^ Bedfordshire then ceased to be the scene of operations. 



"' Common^ Joum. iii, 340. "' See note by Mrs. Lomas in Carlyle's Cromwell (ed. 1904),!, 205. 



'" Diet. Nat. Biog. '" Gardiner, op. cit. i, 416. "' Ibid. 422. 



Ibid. 423. '"' Ibid. '" Perfect Diurnal, no. 48. 



Kingston, op. cit. 51a. "" Ibid. 52^. *" Ibid. 



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