The Records of the Parliaments of Scotland to 1707, K.M. Brown et al eds (St Andrews, 2007-2024), date accessed: 29 March 2024
[1643/6/33]1
Procedure: commission and instructions to Mr Robert Meldrum
The estaits of the kingdome of Scotland presentlie conveined doe heirby give warrant and commisioun to Mr Robert Meldrum to repair to the city of London, and thair to propone to both housses of the parliament, or such as salbe appoynted by them, such things as are instructed to him from the saids estaits; and to use all possible diligence to procure ane answer thairto, conforme to his instructiones on that behalff.
Instructiounes from the conventione of estaits to Mr Robert Meldrum
Commission and instructions to Robert Meldrum
Yow sall repaire to the citie of London and represent to both houses of parliament, or to the commissioneres who did treate with our commissioneres concerneing the supplie of Ireland, that the conventioun of the estaits of this kingdome, haveing tane to thair consideratioune the tender sense and compassioun of both houses of the wantis and extremities of the Scottisch airmie in Ireland, with thair earnest desyre to give satisfactione by a speiddie releiff and supplie according to the articles of the treattie, and with all the impossibilitie for them to performe the samen by reasounes of the greate burdings and miseries lying upon that kingdome, as is at lenth expressit in thair paperes of the 15 and 25 of May sent with the earle of Lindsay, we cannot but with greate greiff of heart aknowledge and regrait these calamities and distresses of that kingdome, and as we wisch from our heartes ane happie and speidie end thairoff, so the pressing necessities of the airmie in Ireland and difficulties occurring thairupoune hes constrained them to represent to both housses such things as they find necessarie by the saids housses to be resolved. Yow sall represent to both housses that the conventioun of the estaits of this kingdome hes long exspected committies from them with instructiones and power according to the foirsaids paperes sent with the earle of Lindsay; and thair exspectatioun being hitherto dissapoynted and the necessities of that airmie still growing, which are impossible for them any longer to support, yow shall thairfoir againe crave thair present resolutioune and declaratioune whither they will continue the service of that armie or declair they will no longer intertein the samen. And if the houses of parliament sall resolve no longer to intertein that airmie, then yow shall desyre that due adverteisment be made thairoff and moneyes be provydeit for payment of thair arrieres and carieing them home according to the articles of the treattie. But if they salbe pleaseit to continow the service of that airmie, then shall yow demand thair resolutioune in these particulares following, which wer formerlie intrusted from the counsell to the earle of Lindsay, and by him offered to those who treated with him, and quheroff some are absolutelie necesser for the subsistance of that airmie and agried upon in the treattie, and others are very necesser and conveinient for the good and better prosecuteing of the service. Wheras the airmie hes not bein monethlie payed according to the agriement, as may appeare by the greate increasse of arreares in the commissar's compts; and seing in that desolate land nothing is to be gotten upon credite and the provisiounes comeing thither enchanges the prices of viveres, so as thair pay, altho duelie payit, would scairch intertein them, and merchants will not hazard thair goods to these places where they will be tane from them by force by reasoune of the necessitie of the souldieres, yow sall thairfoir desyre that [the] armee be satisfied of thair arreares, and thairefter that monethlie payment be dewlie made for incuragement of the officeres and souldieres in thair service according to the treattie. The provisioun of victualls for the Scottisch airmie in garisounes or expeditiounes abroade, and the provydeing of Carictfergus and Oubyne with magazines of victuall in due tyme, according to the treattie, would have bein a greate furtherance to the service: the neglect quheroff hes bein the cheiff cause of the wnparaled miseries which [the] airmie hes susteined. As also the not provydeing of the Newlie, Montioy and Londonderie with provisiounes and magazines hes bein the cause of the losse of many occasiounes of service against the enemie. Yea, the airmie had perisched long agoe if it had not bein furnisched at severall tymes from this [kingdom] in thair necessitie. So as by and attour the sowmes due to the merchants, furnischeres of the victuall, the hazard and charges of convoy lyeth upon this cuntrey, which hes bein verie greate, inregaird that, according to the treattie, shippes have not constantlie waited thair for these endes. Yow sall thairfoir desyre that six monethes provisioun be layed in store in the places foirsaids, and competance allowance granted for the charges this kingdome hes alreadie bein at in the transporting and saiff conveyeing of that victuall, which sould have bein performed by the parliament of Ingland and the hazard caried by them.
Wheras the ten troupes of horse that wer appoynted by the treattie to wait upon the Scottisch airmie hes all this tyme wanted the officeres promised, and the troupes themselffs wants saidles, pistolls and uther furniture requisite,
Yow shall thairfoir desyre that, according to the treattie, these troupes may have the officeres promised sett over them, and that they themselffis be sufficiently furnisched with all sort of equipage. Yow shall desyre that, according to the treattie, sufficient store of poulder, spades, showles, pick axes, handrules and other materialls be sent to Carictfergus, and that a reserve of sporderines be layed up in store, and that payment be made of 2,000 lib. per annum allowed for incident charges since the tuo shippes that wer appoynted to attend for guarding the coast and cleiring the passage betuixt Scotland and Ireland wer not able to doe the service even whills they were there, for in the crew supplie of officeres and amunitione wer convyed be the rebelles. You shall desyre some better course to be takin for guarding the coast from the robberes of the Irisch and Dunkirk friggotts that appeare therupon, according to the letter sent be the conventioune to the speikeres of both housses.
[1643/6/34]2
Not[e] of the particulares which are demanded as necessarie for the better prosecuteing of the service
That all disorderes which come by devyded and independent commands may be evicted, and that his matie and housses of parliament may know at whois hand to crave ane accompt of the warre, yow shall desyre that the generall may have full pouer over all the Britisch in Ulster, als weill formed in regiments whill they are there as the cuntrey people.
Since the furnitour of the cariage of the airmie in Ireland is so necesser and difficult, and that the allowance of ane horse for the cariage of the victuall of each ten men will tak up the wholl thowsand allowed for the bagage and artailliarie, and since ther are no horse to be gotten in Ireland, as was exspected, yow shall desyre that allowance be geven for furnisching fourhundreth horse for the train of artailliarie at 12 d. a day everie horse, and for the pay of these who attend them, on[e] man for everie thrie horse at 8 d. a day. Yow shall desyre that the payment to be made to the airmie may be condiscendit upon ather to be at London or Carictfergus in Inglisch money. And since hitherto what hes bein geven hes bein received thair, yow shall desyre allowance to be granted to the thesaurer of that airmie for his bygane paines. And if it shall be thocht fit heirefter to be delyverit at London, that a fie be granted to the thesaurer in tyme cuming.
Seing the troupes appoynted to joyne with that airmie have no mantainance at all, and so are without ordour and discipline, made up of the inhabitants of the cuntre who seldome come togidder but at musteres and cannot doe service unles they be absolutelie at our generalls command; and diverse of the capitaines of these troupes have desyreit their charge and, as we are crediblie informed, are upon service with the armie at Oxford, yow shall thairfoir desyre that the pay of these troupes may be ingrossed with the pay of the Scottisch airmie, and especially that of Sir Robert Adair, who hes raised and interteined his troup upon his awin charges, wheroff yow sall desyre repayment.
Yow shall lykwayse desyre that the parliament wald appoynt tuo pinnaces or tutches for convyeing diligence betuixt them and this kingdome.
Yow shall show to both housses of parliament that we cannot but with greate thankfulnes [express] how affectionatlie the brotherlie assistance was granted be them for the releiff of our ingadgements the tyme of our lait trubles, and how sorie we are for thair greate necessities hindering them to mak payment of the remainder of that assistance expressit in thair paper of the 3 of Januarie delyvered to the earle of Lindsay. But in regaird the remander of the tua termes payment thairoff, which was payable in anno 1642, is assigned to Sir William Dick for necessarie depursements bestowed be him for the service of the cuntrey, the not payment whairoff will hazard his credite and standing, yow shall thairfoir desyre that which is remaining of that payment to be presentlie payed, togidder with the interest, according to the foirsaid paper. And for the payment of the uther hundreth and ten thowsand pund, if thair distresses (wheroff we are verie sensible) may not admit of the present payment thairoff, we sall show them that we exspect they will pay it with all possible speid in such a way as our awin greate burdings may not increasse upon us by the interest we pay for them, so long as our awin exigence will permit us to superseid the payment theroff.
Yow shall use all diligence to sie Thomas Cuninghame or his factoures payit fullie for the airmes he hes sent to this kingdome, according to the tenor of the agreiment maid by the parliament of Ingland with him on that behalff.
Yow shall use all diligence within ten dayes at most efter your comeing to Londoun (where yow are upon no occasiounes to mak any longer stay) to procure the answers of both housses of parliament according as they will ather continue or declair they will intertein our airmie, and to the remanent particulares foirsaids. And if in place of answer they resolve to send doun committies, yow shall earnestlie desyre that they come with all possible diligence and full power, instructed and warranted to treate and conclude on the particulares foirsaides, and of such uther things as may concerne the good of both kingdomes according to ther awin papers sent with Earl Lindsay.
Yow shall lykwayes mak knowen to them that we have resaveit from Mr Corbet coppies of the instructiones sent from both housses to thair committies at Scotland at his maties late being there. And as we thankfully acknowledge the sense they then had of the apparent disturbance of the peace of this kingdome and thair caire to preserve the same, which befoir this tyme wes never notified to the parliament nor any judicatorie of this kingdome, so have we not bein wanting at this tyme in a reciprocall of the preservatioun of theres, wherof our lait commissioners in thair remonstrances to his matie of the 15 of Januarie 1642 stilo scotico and the lordis of counsell and commissioners of peace by thair several declaratiounes have geven ample testimonies. And of befoir thair commissioners3 to Londoun the committies from both housses shall be upon thair way toward Scotland, yow shall demand that both housses would ather give anser to the particulares foirsaids or send ane ample commissioun and power to thair committies to treat and conclude thairupoun, and lykwayse concerneing the remander of the lairge treattie.
- NAS. PA8/1, f.53v-54v.
- NAS. PA8/1, f.55r-56r.
- '? l. if before your coming' is inserted at this point in APS.