A HISTORY OF BEDFORDSHIRE 



The importance of Newport Pagnell however, as ' so considerable a 

 frontier ' '"" of the Eastern Association, continued, and constant pressure had to 

 be exerted on the Association by the authorities in London for its maintenance. 

 Further levies from Bedfordshire were ordered for the garrison on 1 5 August 

 1644,"" and on 25 October the Committee of Both Kingdoms promised 

 that some of the forces then in the field should relieve the local garrison as 

 soon as the time for winter quarters arrived ; meanwhile it must not be with- 

 drawn/" In November Luke complained that he had ' about 800 men in- 

 the town and no pay. Bedfordshire men make a fair show and tell them 

 strange things.' "'^ Accordingly the Committee of Both Kingdoms sent a 

 remonstrance to the Bedfordshire Committee: — ' Newport cannot subsist with- 

 out maintenance for its garrison. If you will not pay your proportion why 

 should not others also forbear.? We shall take care you shall not be in this 

 particular instrumental to your own ruin.' '^* Once more, in January 1644—5, 

 Luke asked for 300 men, and on 1 2 April Bedfordshire sent ' some pressed 

 men.'"* The inefficiency of the local organization is also illustrated by a 

 complaint from Browne, who was holding Abingdon. In August 1644 he 

 , received a reinforcement from Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire, which brought 

 no supply of ' gunpowder, match, or bullet,' and was already in want of 

 money ; ' the soldiers begin to dispute their duty for want of it.' '" 



On the estabhshment of the New Model army in January 1644-5, with 

 a strength of 14,000 foot, 6,000 horse, and 1,000 dragoons, the monthly 

 contribution charged upon Bedfordshire was ^(^ 1,000.*'* In fixing this 

 amount the burden of the Newport and Bedford garrisons was taken into 

 consideration. A later ordinance of 3 September 1645 provided for the 

 maintenance and pay of the garrisons of Newport Pagnell, Bedford, King's 

 Lynn, Huntingdon, and Cambridge by a monthly assessment of ^3,746, of 

 which Bedford was to pay ^173, and it was carefully notified that those 

 liable for payment (as above) to Sir Thomas Fairfax's army were also liable 

 under the new ordinance. The strength of the garrisons was to be as 

 follows: Newport, 800 foot and 120 horse; Bedford, 80 foot and 40 

 dragoons ; Huntingdon the same ; Cambridge, 120 foot and 10 horse ; Lynn, 

 1,000 foot.'" Besides paying these contributions the county had to keep its 

 local trained bands in readiness for immediate action if necessary, and Captain 

 Ramsay's Scottish troop was quartered in the county at a charge of £So per 

 week."' The burden was not indeed entirely borne by the supporters of the 

 Parliament. In the spring of 1 644, a year before this, the sequestration which 

 had been so rudely interrupted by Sir Lewis Dyve in the preceding autumn 

 was going on steadily, G. Palmer writing on 6 April that ' Bedds is wholly 

 done, not having the like cause of impediment as Bucks.' "' The annual 

 value of the sequestrations made on houses, lands and woods in the town and 

 county of Bedford was £,^,yQO, and the total amount sent up to London 

 between 1644 and 1647 was ^9,659.'^° There was great dissatisfaction 



™' C-j/.S.?. /),»»/. 1 644-s,p. 32. "» Ibid. 1644, p. 428. »" Ibid. 1644-S, p. 71 



'" Brown, John Bunyan, 49. "» Cal.S.P.Dom.i6\i^-e„ p. 190. ="* Brown, loc. cit. 



'" Cal. S.P. Dom. 1644, p. 458. "« Ibid. 233. Dragoons were virtually mounted infantry. 



'" Lords' Journ. vii, 567. The chief burden was placed on Norfolk, Suffolk, and Essex, which were 

 assessed at ^700 to ^800 each per month ; they were larger, presumably richer, and far less directly affected 

 by hostilities. "» Cal. S.P. Dom. 1644-5, p. 462. ™ Ibid. 1644, p. 96. 



™ Brown, op. cit. 44 ; for his authorities see his note. 



48 



