A Happy Handful, Statement 27 – Statement 29
THE DECLARATION AND ADDRESS Of the GENTRY of the County of ESSEX, who have adhered to the KING, and ſuffered Impriſonment or Sequeſtration, during the late Troubles.
May it pleaſe your Excellency,
WE the Gentlemen of the County of ESSEX, taking notice how induſtrious ſome pernicious and deſperate perſons have been to raiſe a jealouſie, that all who adhered to the KING have ſuch a a Settlement of rancour and revenge in their hearts, againſt thoſe who were of a different party, that the bleſſing of a firm and laſting PEACE, ſo long wiſht for, and now hoped to be in a near Propinquity, is not likely to take its due and deſired effect, have thought fit to expreſs the true ſenſe of our hearts, in a Declaration which we have encloſed herein, Conceiving it very fitting, not to make the ſame more publick, till it hath firſt arrived at the view of your Excellency, whom God hath been pleaſed to make ſo ſignally eminent in the delivering of this Nation from thoſe preſſing miſeries it hath ſo long lay panting and groaning under; and for which, as we can never enough magnifie his mercy, ſo can we not ſufficiently expreſs that high Honour and Reſpect which we retain in our hearts towards your Excellency, the great and worthy inſtrument he hath been pleaſed to make uſe of therein.
MY LORD, We ſubſcribe our ſelves, Your Excellencies moſt Humble and Devoted Servants. Chelmesford, April 17. 1660.
This was ſubſcribed by the Gentry, whoſe names are expreſſed under the ſubſequent Declaration, and ſuperſcribed To his Excellency the Lord General MONCK.
The DECLARATION.
WHereas Almighty God hath raiſed this diſtracted Nation to ſome hopes of Re-ſettlement on Juſt, Known, and laſting Foundations: We magnifie his mercy from the bottom of our hearts, and ſhall ever pay a moſt grateful Acknowledgment to his Excellency the Lord Gen. MONCK as the ſignal Inſtrument of ſo great a Deliverance.
And whereas ſome pernicious and deſperate perſons have laboured to raiſe a Jealouſie, that thoſe who adhered to the KING doe ſtill in their hearts detain Revenge againſt ſuch as were of a different Party: We think our ſelves bound to declare to all the World (in the preſence of God) that we deteſt and abhor all thoughts of Animoſity or revenge againſt any Party or Perſons whatſoever. For as we could wiſh the late Diviſions had never been begotten, ſo we deſire they may for ever be buried, and ſhall think thoſe Perſons the greateſt and common Enemies of our Country who ſhall offer to revive them. And we alſo declare, That we will thankfully ſubmit and attend the Reſolutions of the next enſuing Parliament, for a juſt and happy Settlement of Church and State, that ſo at laſt (by Cods bleſſing) that ſo thoſe odious marks of Sides and Parties may for ever be blotted out, and a perfect Union may again be reſtored to this diſtreſſed Nation.
Edward Ruſſel, Eſq.
Sir Henry Appleton, Baronet.
Sir Benjamin Ayloff, Baronet.
Sir Denner Strutt, Baronet.
Sir Humfrey Mildemay, Knight
Sir John Tirell, Knight
Sir Granmer Herris, Knight
Sir Edmund Peirce, Knight
Sir Henry Wroth, Knight
William Ayloff, Fſq.
James Altham, Eſq.
Gamaliel Capel, Eſq.
Anthony Browne, Eſq.
Charles Fytche, Eſq.
Thomas Argal, Eſq.
Stephen Smith, Eſq.
Salter Herris, Eſq.
Henry Pert, Eſq.
John Fanſhaw, Eſq.
Thomas Roberts, Eſq.
Richard Humphrey, Eſq.
John Lynn, Eſq.
Dr. John Michaelſon,
Richard Symons, Eſq.
Anthony Kempſon, Eſq.
William Herris, Eſq.
William Bramſton, Eſq.
John Brown, Gent.
Nicholas Serle
John Vavaſour, Gent.
John Green, Gent.
James Cookſon, Gent.
Fdmund Coole, Gent.
This Declaration and Addreſs was agreed upon by the Subſcribers at a General Meeting, at Chelmesford in Eſſex, April 17. 1660. Sir Benjamin Ayloffe, and Sir Edmond Peirce being then appointed and deſired to preſent them to his Excellency, which was done accordingly at St. James's the 19th. of the ſame MonethMonth.
A DECLARATION OF THE KNIGHTS and GENTRY In the County of DORSET, Who were in His Late MAJESTIES ARMY.
UPon a due conſideration of the dangerous jealouſies which are promoted; partly, by the cunning of a cloſe, and malicious Faction of Separatiſts, and partly, by the unwarranted Liberties of an heady and intemperate ſort of People, which falſely tearm themſelves Royalliſts:—to the great diſſettlement of Sober and well-minded perſons, and ſufficient to blaſt the hopes we have of returning to our Antient Freedomes, without a more than ordinary appearance of Divine aid, to ſupport, and re-unite us in this our Critical neceſſity.
We have thought it highly expedient to declare our Seuſe, and Reſolves, in the particular of adherence to the largeſt Aſſurances of Amicable Agreement, and Correſpondence Imaginable: Looking upon our ſelves as Obliged by an Indiſpenſible Tye of Religious Charity, to compaſſionate and forgive one another, as we expect to be forgiven: And we do further Declare, that we are ſo far from juſtifying thoſe Unchriſtian Animoſities, which reign in divers turbulent Spirits, even of our own Party (by Reputation at leaſt) that we diſclaim any Society with men of thoſe wilde Principles; and that to all honeſt purpoſes, we will never put any difference, betwixt ſuch as ſhall now unite with us, in Order to the Publick Peace, and thoſe who firſt engaged in the ſame perſwaſion with our ſelves, Submitting all to the Reſolves of Parliament, upon whoſe Determinations we beſeech God to beſtow his Benediction.
Sir Hugh Windham,
Sir Gerard Naper,
Sir John Strangwayes,
Giles Strangwayes,
John Hardy,
Henry Coker,
Edward Hull,
Henry Butler,
Maximilian Mohune,
Robert Mohune,
Henry Hoskins,
James Hoskins,
George Strangwayes,
Nicholas Strangwayes,
Robert Lawrence,
Bruen Lawrence,
Arthur Fookes,
George Brown,
Major Ʋdvehall,
Rob. Chamberlain,
Rob. Strode,
Jo. Strode of Slape,
Humphrey Biſhop,
John Biſhop,
Robert Culliford,
George Cary,
George Penny,
Tho. Turbervile,
George Tubervile,
Tho. Paulet,
Cap. Hoare,
Major Dolline,
Hugh Hodges,
Rich. Willoughby,
John Peſing,
John Gillin…ham▪
William Elſing,
Robert Ernſly,
John Dawe,
John Fiſher,
Ellis Collins.
THE DECLARATION OF THE GENTRY of the County of KENT, Who have adhered to the King, and ſuffered Impriſonment or Sequeſtration during the late Troubles.
WHereas it hath pleaſed Almighty God, after ſo many Trialls, and ſo long Diſtraction, to raiſe us to large hopes of Reſettlement of this Nation upon Juſt, Known, and laſting Foundations; Wee therefore deſire from our Hearts to render to God the glory of his Mercies, and a full tribute of Honour to his Excellency the Lord General Monck, who hath been ſo eminently Inſtrumental in theſe beginnings of Deliverance.
And foraſmuch as we underſtand that ſome malicious and deſperate perſons (regarding neither the mercies of God, nor the miſeries of their Country) have endeavoured to beget a pernicious Jealouſie, That thoſe who adhered to the King, do ſtill retain a ſpirit of Revenge againſt all that were of a contrary Party: We do therefore declare in the preſence of God, that we utterly abhor all Revengeful Thoughts and Actions againſt any Party or Perſons whatſoever. And as we have great reaſon to wiſh thoſe Diviſions had never been born, ſo we hope, and will do our utmoſt they may never be remembred, and ſhall look on all perſons as the worſt and Common Enemies of this Nation that ſhall offer to revive them. In purſuance whereof we further Declare (as his Excellencies Army hath given us a noble Example) that we will thankfully acquiſce in the Reſolutions of the next enſuing Parliament for a due and juſt ſettlement of Church and State.
Col. Richard Spencer, Eſquire,
Thomas Lennard, Eſquire,
Thom. Peyton, Kt. and Baronet,
Roger Twyſden, Kt. and Bar.
Edward Hales, Baronet,
Richard Hardreſs, Baronet,
William Man, Knight,
Stephen Lennard, Knight,
John Boys, Knight,
Col. Thomas Colpepper,
Col. Edward Wilsford,
Col. George Newman,
Col. Henry Norwood,
Robert Barnham, Eſquire,
Daniel Treſwel, Eſquire,
Thomas Collepepper, Eſquire,
Thomas Herlackenden, Eſq.
Francis Twyſden, Eſq.
John Beſt, Eſq.
Edward Barham, Eſq.
Rich. Maſter Eſq.
Francis Clerk, Eſq.
Edward Darell, Eſq.
William Rook Eſq.
Joh. Boys of H…ad, Eſq.
Wi…liam Kingſley, Eſq.
Richard Hulſe, Eſq.
James Newman, Eſq.
John Pownoll, Gent.
William Somner, Gen….