COUNCIL FOR 1890-91. THE WORSHIPFUL R. C. CHRISTIE, M.A., Chancellor of the Diocese of Manchester, The Elms, Rochampton, London, President. THE HON. and REV. G. T. O. BRIDGEMAN, M.A., Hon. Canon of Liverpool, The Hall, Wigan, VICE-President. HIS HONOUR SIR HENRY FOX BRISTOWE, Q.C., Vice-Chancellor of the County Palatine of Lancaster, The Cliff, Nantwich, VICE-PRESIDENT. JAMES CROSTON, F.S.A., Upton Hall, Prestbury, Macclesfield, VICE-PRESIDENT. LIEUT. COL. HENRY FISHWICK, F.S.A., The Heights, Rochdale, VICE-President. W. ALEXANDER ABRAM, 42, Adelaide Terrace, Blackburn. G. E. COKAYNE, M.A., F.S.A., Norroy King of Arms, Heralds' College, London, E.C. H. H. HOWORTH, M.P., F.S.A., Bentcliffe, Eccles, near Manchester. THE REV. J. H. STANNING, M.A., The Vicarage, Leigh, Lancashire. JOHN PAUL RYLANDS, F.S.A., Heather Lea, Claughton, Birkenhead, HON. J. P. EARWAKER, M.A., F.S.A., Pensarn, Abergele, N. Wales, and 50, Portland Street, Manchester, HON. SECRETARY conqounting Great Britain. Committee for THE Royalist Composition Papers, BEING THE PROCEEDINGS OF THE Committee for Compounding, A.D. 1643-1660, SO FAR AS THEY RELATE TO THE County of Lancaster. EXTRACTED FROM THE RECORDS PRESERVED IN THE PUBLIC VOL. I., A-B. EDITED BY J. H. STANNING, M.A., VICAR OF LEIGH. PRINTED FOR THE RECORD SOCIETY. 1891. L19R3 V.24 STANFORD UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES STACKS JAN - 81970 MANCHESTER: PALL MALL. PREFACE. MUST reserve to the last volume a full introduction to the subject matter of these papers, and ask the reader to be content with a short preface to the present issue. At a very early stage in the struggle between the King and Parliament the latter adopted the policy of confiscation of their opponents' property which was afterwards so ruthlessly carried out. On August 22nd, 1642, Charles set up his standard at Nottingham, and the civil war began. Negotiations for peace were at once commenced, and the King offered to take down his standard, and to withdraw on his part accusations of treason against his opponents, if they on their part would do the like towards his own followers. Nothing," says Professor Gardiner,1 "but the violence of party spirit can explain the mode in which the Royal offer was rejected. The Houses declared that they would never lay down arms until his Majesty should withdraw his protection from all persons who had been, or who hereafter might be, voted to be delinquents, 'to the end that both this and succeeding generations may take warning with what danger they incur the like heinous crimes; and also to the end that those great charges and damages wherewith all the Commonwealth hath been burdened . . . since his Majesty's departure from the 1 History of the Great Civil War, vol. i., p. 20. |