[A1641/8/118]*[print] [email] [cite] [preceding] [following]
Supplication with the parliament's answer thereto, by Colonel Hamilton, general of the artillery†
To the king's most excellent majesty and honourable house of parliament, Colonel Alexander Hamilton, general of the artillery, humbly shows,
Whereas it is not unknown to your sacred majesty and many of this honourable house of parliament that my whole study has been in the art of military discipline, especially regarding artillery, wherein I being employed in Germany upon honourable and good conditions, I was recalled therefrom to England, where your majesty was graciously pleased to grant me pensions and allowances of £800 sterling by year, whereof I have now, by the iniquity of times, this well near four years bygone been frustrated. And seeing I have given proof of my love, fidelity and abilities to serve my native country in the charge of general of the artillery or master of the ordinance, and am yet willing and ready either in peace or war to discharge that duty which is incumbent to the same and which will require nearly as great attendance, diligence and care in peace as in war for preservation and right ordering of the artillery, munition and armies already within this kingdom,
May it therefore please your majesty and this honourable house to take the premises to your consideration and to prescribe such wages as I may be paid of my bygone arrears; and also that I may be secured of thankful payment thereof in time coming during my lifetime, for the which, if my service can be acceptable and useful to your majesty and this honourable house, I hereby heartily and willingly offer the same, and shall attend a gracious answer.
11 November 1641
Read in audience of the nobility.
11 November 1641
Read in audience of the barons.
Read in audience of the burghs.
11 November 1641
Read in audience of the king's majesty and estates of parliament, who remit and refer the supplication, as well regarding the ordering and directing of the artillery pertaining to the public as regarding the said pensions, bygone arrears and allowance in time coming, to the committee nominated for the burdens of the country; and give them warrant to proceed and determine therein as a matter reasonable and expedient for the good of the public. And earnestly recommend to the king's majesty what may concern his majesty's part regarding the office of general of the artillery and yearly wage thereof.
[John Elphinstone, lord] Balmerino, in presence of the lords of parliament
[A1641/8/119]*[print] [email] [cite] [preceding] [following]
Supplication of the general of the artillery for his approbation and exoneration†
To the king's most sacred majesty and honourable estates of parliament, the humble petition of General Alexander Hamilton, general of the artillery, humbly showing,
That I, having been employed in these troublesome times past by the estates of this kingdom as general of the artillery, and now seeing all matters are brought to an happy closure, therefore I humbly entreat your majesty and honourable estates of parliament that I may have your majesty's and estates of parliament's approbation if it shall be found by your majesty and honourable estates that I [...]† and discharged with honest and faithful duty for the public of the charge imposed upon me by the estates. And if it shall be found by your majesty and estates of this present parliament that I have committed any fault or omission in discharging of my said charge to the prejudice of the public, I humbly submit myself to the censure of your majesty and parliament. And your majesty's and honourable estates' answer I humbly crave.
[A1641/8/120]*[print] [email] [cite] [preceding] [following]
Supplication by [Mary Sutton], countess of Home regarding the house and plenishing of Dunglass†
To the king's most excellent majesty and honourable estates of parliament, the humble petition of Dame Mary, countess of Home,
Shows whereas by that lament accident which fell out at my house of Dunglass pertaining to me in liferent, as is manifest to this whole kingdom, I have sustained great prejudice in my means and estate by the overthrowing of my said house and whole household stuff, plenishing and hangings thereof, which were spoiled and lost, and the yards and planting belonging thereto defaced. And seeing my prejudice was occasioned by the public service of this kingdom, for which my said house, plenishing and others belonging to me therein were taken up and wholly employed for keeping of victuals, ammunition, lodging of prime commanders and other officers etc., and that according to the supplication made to the committee of estates by James [Home], earl of Home, heritor of the said house, regarding the examination of the losses of the same and taking of course relating thereto, the reparation of the said house, yards and plantings thereof were by reputable persons estimated to amount to £40,133 Scots money, as by the said supplication, commission from the committee of estates and report thereof given in by the said Earl of Home at length bears. And in respect I am life-renter of the said house, yards and plantings and that the same is now ruined and made unprofitable to me, the most part of my whole estate lying thereabouts, necessary it is that the rest of the said house which yet stands not altogether ruined be repaired to me and I be considered for the loss of my plenishing and household stuff, and the monies appointed to be paid for repairing of the rest of the said house ought to be employed for my liferent use thereof or given to me upon sufficient security for making of the same forthcoming to the said Earl of Home after my decease. Humbly therefore I beseech your majesty and estates foresaid to take consideration of the premises and to appoint such course for reparation of my said great losses as shall be found equitable, and that the little of the said house not altogether ruined may be repaired and helped and I satisfied for the loss of my said plenishing and household stuff, and that the rest of the monies appointed to be paid may be employed for my liferent use or else delivered to me upon sufficient security for making the same forthcoming to the said Earl of Home after my decease as your majesty and estates shall think expedient. And your majesty's and estates' answer humbly I beseech.
11 November 1641
Read in audience of his majesty and estates of parliament, who refer the same to the committee for the burdens of the kingdom and recommend the business† to them as a matter deserving consideration.
[John Elphinstone, lord] Balmerino, in presence of the lords of parliament
†15 September 1641
[James Home], earl of Home produced the commission with the report of the valuation thereof. The committee think the supplication and desire thereof deserve the parliament's consideration, and therefore the same to be represented thereto.
1 October 1641
Read in audience of his majesty and estates of parliament, who appoint the duplicate hereof with the commission granted by the committee of estates and report thereof to be given to every estate, and another to [John Maitland], earl of Lauderdale for [Mary Sutton], lady Home.
6 October 1641
Produced by the Earl of Home to the nobility.
[A1641/8/121]*[print] [email] [cite] [preceding] [following]
The humble supplication of Sir Patrick Drummond†
To your most sacred majesty and honourable estates of parliament, humbly means and complains, I, your majesty's most humble servant Sir Patrick Drummond, conservator of the liberties granted to the Scots nation in the Low Countries, that whereas I being lawfully presented by your majesty to the said office of conservator under your majesty's great seal, and having exercised the said office now above the space of 16 years and above, attending the discharge of that function in the town of Campvere as the ordinary staple port appointed by your majesty to our nation in the Low Countries, and where my ordinary residence and dwelling place during that time has been and still is, certain persons alleging themselves to be commissioners of burghs caused cite me in the month of July 1640 at the market cross of Edinburgh and pier and shore of Leith upon 60 days' warning to have compeared before the lords and others of the committee from the estates of this kingdom, and upon certain frivolous and unjust reasons referred to my oath in my absence, I, never having heard of any such citation, obtained a sentence and decreet against me before the said lords and others of the said committee depriving me of the said office and place of conservator and debarring me in all time coming from all fees and casualties belonging and appertaining thereto most informally and wrongfully, considering that I having my ordinary and actual residence with my wife and family in the town of Campvere and being out of the country although remaining in spirit for your majesty's and the kingdom's service, I could never have been cited upon 60 days at the market cross of Edinburgh and pier and shore of Leith (which is the ordinary citation of those who have their actual residence with their wife and family in this kingdom, and who for their own affairs for a certain time go out of the country), but I behoved to have been cited personally at the place of my actual residence. Secondly, I being actually occupied in the discharge of the said office entrusted to me by your majesty as your agent for the affairs of this kingdom and judge of your majesty's subjects residing in and trading to the Low Countries, I was absent on public business and not for any particular business of my own, and so could not have been cited by the ordinary citation of those who are absent out of the country, but by a personal intimation made to me at my ordinary residence where I did attend the discharge of my calling. Thirdly, in the said month of July 1640 wherein I was cited, and a long time after, all passage from the Low Countries to this kingdom, both by sea and land were stopped, so that although the said citation had come to my knowledge and I never so willing to have compeared, I could not have done it. Likewise the time of the said citation and a long time after this kingdom was in great combustion and the country all full of soldiers, so that it was altogether an unfit time to any man to enter in pursuit of or defence of actions, for at a time of war, laws are silenced. In respect whereof, of all equity and reason, I ought to be restored to the proposing of my lawful defences before your majesty and the honourable estates of parliament, which I am most willing to do whenever your majesty shall appoint, and to show upon how unjust grounds and frivolous reasons I am challenged. And your majesty's answer humbly I desire.
11 November 1641
Produced in parliament and taken to consideration.†
[A1641/8/122]*[print] [email] [cite] [preceding] [following]
11 November 1641
The barons are of the opinion that the commissioners shall have power to go beneath 8 chalders of victual or 800 merks in the providing of the ministers by virtue of the commission to be appointed by this parliament where they shall have just, reasonable and expedient causes to go beneath that extent. And that without the exceptions contained in the first article.
The barons assent to the second article and marginal note made thereupon bordered with a score. As likewise are of the opinion that prorogation of tacks may be granted by the commissioners for the augmentation granted by virtue of the commission of 1633 or for the augmentation by virtue of the commission of 1641. Refuse the fourth article regarding the commissioners' charges.
The barons approve our addition to the lords' second answer, and desire that in the last article instead of ministers' charges, it be said the charges of ministers or elders or the charges of commissioners to the assemblies.
Item, the barons are of opinion that the tacksmen who were burdened in making up 8 chalders of victual or 800 merks fully in favour of the ministers' provision in 1633, or shall be burdened in manner above-written by virtue of the commission of 1641, the said tacksmen may be prorogated in retribution thereof.