The Historians Guide, Part 1 · Year 1678
date Mar. 29. A Proclamation for recalling Sea-men from the service of Foreign Princes.
date Apr. 3. News of Marshal de la fueillade quitting of Messina, and the French coming away.
date 6 A Proclamation for a General Fast.
date 9 A Woman brought to Bed at Swansie of a Female Child, which had two perfect Heads and Necks upon one Body.
date 13 The Sieur Lindenaw Chamberlain to the King of Denmark, and Envoy Extraordinary, had his Audience.
date May 1. Leeuwe surprised by the Sieu de Mellac.
date 8 Monsieur Spanheim Envoy Extraordinary from the Prince Elector Palatine, had his Audience.
date 10 A Proclamation requiring the putting in Execution the Statutes made against the Importation of Wooll-Cards and other Manufactures of Iron Wyer.
date 13 The King gave His Royal Assent to some Acts, and then Prorogued the Parliament till the twenty third instant.
date 21 According to the Prorogation the Parliament sate again.
date Jul. 11. James Smith was indicted and convicted of Felony for running away from his Colours, and hang'd on Hounsloheath.
date 15 His Majesty having given His Royal Assent to nine Publick Acts, and twelve Private, Prorogued the Parliament to the first of August.
date Aug. 1. The Parliament meeting were Adjourned to the twenty ninth instant, and next day a Proclamation to require a full Attendance at that time.
The Peace concluded at Nimeguen, betwixt the French and Dutch.
date 6 An account of Count D'Estrees losing of seven Men of War, and five other French Ships on the sands nigh the Isle of Birds, &c.
date 14 The Prince of Orange seconded by the English, forced the Duke of Luxemburg to quit the siege of Mons.
date Sept. 9. T. Otes, Dr. Tongue and Kirkby contrive their villainous Information at Fox-Hall.
date 27 Dr. Tonge is sent for before the King and Council.
date 28 T. Otes swears to his Information before Sr. Edmondbury Godfrey.
date 29 T. Otes Dr. Tonge and Kirkby examined before the Privy Council, they pretending to discover a Plot against His Majesty's Person and Government.
Sir George Wakeman summoned before the King and Council.
date 30 His Accusation heard.
Dr. Fogarthy, Ireland, Fenwick, Grove, Pickering, Iohnson, Smith, committed for High-Treason.
date Oct. 1. Mr. Coleman's House searched, and his Papers seized.
Hearing of an Information against him, he forthwith surrenders himself to a Secretary of State.
date 2 The King goes to New-market.
date 4 Mr. Coleman is sent to Newgate, being accused of High-Treason.
date 7 Mr. Rich. Langhorn, Councellor at Law, committed to Newgate on the same Account.
date 10 Mr. Edward Peters also committed to Newgate.
date 17 Sir Edmundbury Godfrey, having been missing three or four days, was found dead in a Ditch nigh Primrose-hill, with his Sword run through his Body.
date 20 A Proclamation for the discovery of the Murtherers of Sir Edmondbury Godfrey.
date 21 The Parliament met.
date 22 T. Otes examined before the House of Commons.
date 23 T. Otes examined before the House of Lords.
date 25 William Earl of Powis, William Viscount Stafford, Henry Lord Arundel of Warder, William Lord Petre, and John Lord Bellasis hearing that they were accused by these Informants, did of their own accord, immediately surrender themselves.
A Proclamation for a general Fast Appointed to be the thirteenth of November.
date 30 A Proclamation commanding all Popish Recusants to depart ten miles from London.
Mr. Rich. Langhorn jun. ordered into Custody.
The House of Commons Resolve, That there is a Plot of the Papists to murther the King and alter the Government.
date Nov. 2. A Proclamation that no Papist should be Officer or Souldier in His Majesty's Guards.
date 7 Mr. William Bedlow (formerly servant to the Lord Bellasis) becomes another Discoverer of the Plot, and also of Sir Edmondbury Godfrey's Murther.
date 9 His Majesty made a Gratious speech to the Parliament, thanking them for the care they took of His Government and Person.
date 10 A Proclamation for confining Catholicks within five Miles of their own Dwellings.
date 12 Mr. Charles Price, two Mr. Vaughans, Mr. Thimbleby, Captain Spalding, Mr. Charles Wintore, Mr. James and Mr. Charles Milbourn are all order'd into Custody upon Bedlow's Oath.
date 17 A Proclamation for apprehending Mr. George Conyers, le Phair, Pritchard, Symonds, Walsh and Beeston.
date 20 A Proclamation giving 20 l. to any that shall apprehend a Priest or Jesuit.
date Nov. 21. Mr. William Stayley a Goldsmith was tryed and condemned for Treasonable Words.
date 26 Executed at Tyburn, denying the Fact for which he suffered.
date 27 Edward Coleman Esq was convicted at the King's-bench-bar, and sentenced to dye.
date 28 A Proclamation to give Pardon and 200 l. to any person concern'd in the Plot, if he will come in before the twenty fifth of December and discover.
date 30 His Majesty gave His Royal Assent to an Act to disinable Papists to sit in either House of Parliament.
date Dec. 2. Mr. Rich. Vaughan and Mr. I. Vaughan ordered to appear before the Lords, and Bedlow to be present.
date 3 Mr. Rich. Vaughan committed to the King's-Bench, and Mr. I. Vaughan discharged on Bayl.
Edward Coleman Esq was executed at Tyburn, avowing his innocence to the last.
date 7 Sir Ellis Leighton being accused by Otes, appears at the Lords Bar, where Otes having little to say against him, he was discharged upon his Recognisance.
date 13 Mr. Whitaker committed to Newgate.
date 15 Mr. Nevil committed.
A false Alarum of the French landing in the Isle of Purbeck.
date 16 Commission of Lords went to examine Mr. Langhorn in Newgate.
Mr. John Thimbleby discharged by the Lords.
date 21 Mr. Prance a Silver-smith being accused (by Bedlow) to be one of the Murtherers of Sir Edmond. Godfrey, is apprehended.
date 23 Prance after some time owns himself guilty (altho after he denys all again and accuses others as Assassinates, whereof Green, Berry and Hill are apprehended.
date 28 Mr. Dugdale (formerly a servant to the Lord Aston) sets up for another Evidence, and gives in an Information to the Lords of strange things against his own Lord, and several others.
Prance and Bedlow fall out about sharing the 500 l. reward for making the (pretended) Discovery of Sir Edmondbury Godfrey's Murther.
Come in Herefordshire discovered to be a Colledge of Jesuits.
date 30 The Parliament Prorogued to Feb. the 4th.
Father Beddingfield, one of the pretended Plotters, died in Newgate.
date Jan. 3. The Earl of Salisbury was sworn one of His Majesty's Privy Council.
date 4 T. Otes not content with ten pound a Week, petitions for more.
date 8 The Earl of Clarendon, sworn of His Majesty's Privy Council.
date 9 Otes tells the Lords in plain Terms, That if they will not help him to more Money he must be forc'd to help himself.
date 11 Dugdale complains to the Council, That one Mr. Fr. Gage of Staffordshire, had aspersed him by saying, He had run in Debt in Staffordshire, and play'd the Knave, and now pretended to make a Discovery of a Plot to heal himself.
Mr. Boyce acquaints the Council, That being with Prance in Prison, he told him, in great Disorder, that my Lord Shaftsbury had threatned, If he did not agree with Bedlow in what concerned the Murther of Sir Edmund-Bury Godfrey, he should be hang'd.
date 15 A Proclamation against Mr. Evers, Mr. Gavan, Mr. Gifford, Mr. Levison, Mr. Broadstreet, all Priests and Jesuits; with a Reward of 100 l. to take Mr. Evers, and 50 l. any of the rest.
date 17 Mr. Adland condemned for a Priest, but reprieved.
Pickering, Ireland and Grove, being brought to their Tryal in the Old-Baily, and convicted of High Treason, are sentenced to dye.
date 21 Mr. Arthur complains to the Council, That his House being lately searcht by Bedlow, there were five broad Pieces, a Silver Seal, and a Silver Egg taken out of his Counting-House.
date 23 Otes desires the Council to let him have all the Names of the Jesuits, that he may sue them to an Outlawry.
date 24 Ireland and Grove, executed at Tyburn, denying the Fact for which they suffered.
The King of Sweden's natural Brother came in at Dartmouth.
date 25 The Parliament dissolved by Proclamation, and another to sit the sixth of March next.
date 26 A great fire in the Temple.
date 28 Mr. Will. Aston refusing to be examined about a Wallet, said by Dugdale to have been in Mr. Evers's Closet, is sent for into Custody.
Otes tells the Council, he suspects the Temple-Fire was a contrivance, and that he hopes shortly to inform them further therein.
date 31 Mr. Foulk, the Minister, was executed at Tyburn.
date Feb. 8. The Earl of Sunderland was made Secretary of State in the place of Sir Joseph Williamson, who resigned.
date 10 Robert Green, Henry Berry, and Lawrence Hill, were brought to their trial for the Death of Sir Edm. Godfrey, and convicted.
date 21 Green and Hill were Executed at Tyburn, denying the Fact to the last.
date Mar. 1. Capt. Richardson, the Keeper of Newgate, denys upon Oath before the Council, that he ever heard any of the three Persons executed for the Murther of Sir Edmondbury Godfrey, confess the Fact.
date 5 His Majesty sent his Royal Highness a Letter, to desire him to absent himself for some time, whereupon his Royal Highness goes for Flanders.
date 6 The New Parliament sit at Westminster, and choose Mr. Seymour Speaker.
date 12 The Parliament was Prorogued to the 15th instant.
date 15 The Parliament met again, chose Serjeant Gregory Speaker.
date 20 The Commons send to the Lords to desire, That Thomas Earl of Danby may be commited to safe Custody.
date 21 Prance's Examination read in the Lords House. An Address to the King by both Houses for a Fast.
Mr. Hill and Mr. Edwin attended the House of Commons Bar.
The House of Commons desired his Majesty, That Mr. Bedlow might have the five hundred pounds for the discovery of Sir Edm. Godfrey's murther, well paid him.
date 22 His Majesty acquaints the Parliament of the removal of the Earl of Danby from his Office of Treasurer.
date 23 The House of Commons Address to His Majesty concerning the Earl of Danby's pardon.