[A1641/8/63]¹

[Report of the committee of the army regarding the payment of officers and soldiers]

At Edinburgh, 27 September 1641

Sederunt: Generall, Lieutennent Generall, Earl Glencarne, Lord Couper and Balcarras, generall of the artilliarie, Wedderburne, Dun, Cesnok, Edinburgh, Dundie, Stirling, Glasgow, Air.

The generall proponed that since it hes pleased God to bring bak the armie and that it is necessar the officeris (asweill horse as foote, and asweill countrey gentlemen as officeris of fortune) be eased thair arrieris, and seing the parliament have appointed that the officeris of fortune shall be paied in the first place, accordinglie quhairunto the generall commissary is going on so that it restis that the officeris being countrey gentlemen be paied in the next place, and efter thame the commoun souldiouris, the generall represents to the committee, whom he desires to tak to thair consideration, if there be als much money readie as will pay all the officeris of the wholl army, asweill officeris of fortune as countrey gentlemen, that they may be all paied promiscuouslie. And if there shall be any soume over and above the officeris paiment, that the same may be divided equallie among the regiaments, horse and foots, according to thair proportiones efter compt for paiment of the commoun souldiouris and trouperis. And what shall be wanting efter compt and rekoning made with the regiamentis, the noble men, commissioneris of shires and burrowes presentlie conveined wald be pleased to undertak for satisfactioun to be given to the saids commoun soldiouris and trouperis within thair severall shires. And the parliament to be bound to releive the commissioneris of shires and burrowes and to pay the debt to such as the shires shall appoint, conforms to the compts and particular portiounes they shall undertak and pay to the saidis commoun souldiouris and trouperis.

The generall commissary humblie intreatted the committee to joyne with him in petitioning the parliament to appoint some presentlie to goe about the reviseing and fitting of his accompts. As also to desire that some of the officeris of the armie (asweill noblemen and countrey gentlemen as officeris of fortune) may be upon the commissioun for reviseing and fitting the saids accompts.

The whilk desire the committee thought reasonable and fitting.

And for that effect they humbly represent the same to the parliament, and in thair opinione thinkis that for the better expeditioun of the saids accompts the commissioneris to be appointed for reviseing and fitting the samene wald be such as ar skilled in compting and not memberis of parliament.

The committe ar of opinione that the haill officeris of the armie should be paied promiscuouslie, and represents the same to the parliament, togidder with the motioun maid be the generall. William Thomsoun gave in a paper chewing his difficulties in paying the haill officeris of the armie: first, becaus he could not distinguish betuix the pay of the officeris and the commoun sojouris inrespect their compts wer not keiped severallie.

Secondlie, becaus it may be that some of the colonellis or uthairis officeris of the armie have gottin soumes of money from ether commissares which ar not within the compas of his knawledge, and thairfor intreattis that, incais the publict be prejudged by over paying, that the same be not impute to him.

To the first, the committie wer of opinione that the comptis shall be maid with the quarter masteris of all dew to the officeris and that the money conforme to the said compt be paied to the colonell and tuo landed gentlemen to be designed be the committee or warrand under the lieutennent generallis hand upon thair acquittance and band, that thair is no more resavit then what is dew to the officeris. And that thairby the commoun souldiouris ar not prejudged, bot that thair is als much resting in the regiment comptis over and above the said soume to be paied to the officeris as will satisfie the commoun souldiouris.

To the second, the committee thought it fit to represent the paper to the parliament, to whose consideratioun they remit the same.

The committee found it fitting that the commoun souldiouris should be paied with all expeditioune. And becaus their is not so much money presentlie ready as to pay them, they thairfoir thought it fit to deall with merchandis and factouris for advancement of so much as will satisfie thame upon assurance and securitie of a pairt of what is dew be the parliament of Ingland, allowing them annellrent for thair advancement.

The committe defines that the parliament will be pleased to tak to thair consideratioune the payes of the generall officeris and these of the staff, that they may receave satisfactioun accordinglie.

Thair wes a list of all the officeris who served within the countrey in the severall shires gevin in and heirwith produced demaunding thair pay as is conteined in the paper. Efter consideratioun quhairof the committee thought it fit to represent the same to the parliament, that ordour may be takin for giving them satisfactioun of what is dew conforme to the actis of the committee.

It wes represented to the committe anent the desire of the noblemen and gentlemen of the Merse and Teviotdaill for removing of that pairt of Generall Major Monroes regiment from them to some other place of the kingdome, which, being takin to consideratioun, the generall and committee found that they could not be removed or dismissed before money be givin to pay them.

28 September 1641

Red in audience of the kingis majestie and esteates of parliament, quha approves of the repoirt abovewrittin sua far as concernis the payment of the officeris of the airmie, alsweill sojouris of fortoune as gentlemen, within the countrey, withe the mater of securitie to be geivin for moneyis to be upliftit for that effect.

Balmerino, I[n] p[raesentia] d[ominorum] parliamenti