- 2
Walker, Edward.
Estimate
7,000 - 10,000 GBP
bidding is closed
Description
- An important group of fifteen autograph documents written as Secretary of War to King Charles I, 1643-45, and one other letter:
- ink on paper
a) rough minutes of meetings of the Council of War (5 and 8 September) on matters including measures for the taking of Plymouth, the provision of scaling ladders and other equipment, together with drafts of two letters on the exchange of prisoners, 2 pages, folio, 4 August to 8 September [1644], damp damage, strengthened
b) rough minutes of meetings of the Council of War largely concerned with the Battle of Lostwithiel and its aftermath, including looting by disarmed Parliamentarian soldiers, and other affairs in the West Country such as provisioning, the movement of artillery, and discipline, with the beginning of a draft proclamation, 4 pages, 4to, 28 August to 11 September [1644], damp damage with loss, strengthened
c) rough minutes of two Councils of War, ordering Prince Maurice to gather all Cornish regiments not yet with the Army, to place fitting officers to command them, to resolve all disputes, and to appoint officers to collect all straggling officers and soldiers, with powers of martial law "to execute some of them being willful", and other Cornish affairs, Tavistock, 1 page, folio, Tavistock, 5 September 1644, damp damage, strengthened
d) rough minutes of a Council of War concerning a decision on "what force ... will be sufficient to block up Lyme and Taunton", 1 page, folio, Exeter, 19 September [1644], damp damage with slight loss
e) rough minutes of a Council of War on lodging and provisioning, with a draft letter by the King responding to a petition from Exeter, 2 pages, folio, Chard, 24 September 1644, damp damage with slight loss not affecting text, strengthened
f) rough minutes of Councils of War on the movement and quartering of troops in Devon and Cornwall, supplies, discipline, 4 pages, 4to (but unfolded as a single folio leaf), 19 to 29 September 1644, damp damage, strengthened at margin
g) rough minutes of a Council of War on the movement of impressed men, with a draft royal order, 2 pages, 4to, plus blanks (but unfolded as a bifolium, folio), 12 September 1644, damp damage, strengthened
h) full minutes of a Council of War appointing commanders for garrisons in Cornwall including orders to deal with "mutinous companies" at Pendennis Castle, in a fair hand, 2 pages, folio, integral blank, Saltash, 17 September 1644, damp damage, strengthened at fold
i) draft royal proclamation "forbiddinge any the Officers or Souldiers of his Majesties armys to plunder, rob or oppress his Majesties subjects upon payne of death", extensively revised, 3 pages, folio, docketed with the date 9 August 1645, damp damage with loss of a few letters, strengthened
j) draft royal proclamation "for prevention of plundering", ordering that those responsible for quartering troops should provide a payment of 6d. for daily subsistence, extensively revised, 2 pages plus an additional slip of paper, integral blank, docketed with the date 11 August 1645, damp damage, strengthened
k) draft wording for the form of commissions for the ranks of Colonel, Lt. Colonel, Lieutenant, Captain and Sergeant Major, 3 pages, folio, undated, strengthened at fold
l) copy of the commission appointing Ralph, Lord Hopton, as General of the Ordnance under Prince Charles and Prince Rupert, in a fair hand, 1 page, folio, integral blank, [14 August 1644], strengthened at fold
m) draft commission appointing Ralph, Lord Hopton, as Field Marshal General of the Forces in Sussex, Surrey and Kent, with a draft order offering safe conduct for travel, 4 pages, folio, 27 November 1643, strengthened at fold
n) draft commission appointing Ralph, Lord Hopton, as General of the Ordnance and Artillery under the Earl of Branford, 2 pages, folio, integral blank, docketed, 20 September [1643], strengthened at fold
[with:] autograph draft letter PROVIDING A DETAILED ACCOUNT OF THE BATTLE OF LOSTWITHIEL, extensively revised, 4 pages, folio, endorsed "Copy of my letter to Sir Nichol[as] from Boconnocke [i.e. Boconnoc] 2 September 1644", damp damaged, strengthened
[also with:] Charles II, draft letter, to the Marquess of Ormond, on payment to Sir Edward Nicholas, 1 page, folio, Bruges, 12 January 1657/8
Each numbered item in a folder with transcription by J.E. Hodgkin, some also with further transcriptions, notes, and related material loosely inserted
b) rough minutes of meetings of the Council of War largely concerned with the Battle of Lostwithiel and its aftermath, including looting by disarmed Parliamentarian soldiers, and other affairs in the West Country such as provisioning, the movement of artillery, and discipline, with the beginning of a draft proclamation, 4 pages, 4to, 28 August to 11 September [1644], damp damage with loss, strengthened
c) rough minutes of two Councils of War, ordering Prince Maurice to gather all Cornish regiments not yet with the Army, to place fitting officers to command them, to resolve all disputes, and to appoint officers to collect all straggling officers and soldiers, with powers of martial law "to execute some of them being willful", and other Cornish affairs, Tavistock, 1 page, folio, Tavistock, 5 September 1644, damp damage, strengthened
d) rough minutes of a Council of War concerning a decision on "what force ... will be sufficient to block up Lyme and Taunton", 1 page, folio, Exeter, 19 September [1644], damp damage with slight loss
e) rough minutes of a Council of War on lodging and provisioning, with a draft letter by the King responding to a petition from Exeter, 2 pages, folio, Chard, 24 September 1644, damp damage with slight loss not affecting text, strengthened
f) rough minutes of Councils of War on the movement and quartering of troops in Devon and Cornwall, supplies, discipline, 4 pages, 4to (but unfolded as a single folio leaf), 19 to 29 September 1644, damp damage, strengthened at margin
g) rough minutes of a Council of War on the movement of impressed men, with a draft royal order, 2 pages, 4to, plus blanks (but unfolded as a bifolium, folio), 12 September 1644, damp damage, strengthened
h) full minutes of a Council of War appointing commanders for garrisons in Cornwall including orders to deal with "mutinous companies" at Pendennis Castle, in a fair hand, 2 pages, folio, integral blank, Saltash, 17 September 1644, damp damage, strengthened at fold
i) draft royal proclamation "forbiddinge any the Officers or Souldiers of his Majesties armys to plunder, rob or oppress his Majesties subjects upon payne of death", extensively revised, 3 pages, folio, docketed with the date 9 August 1645, damp damage with loss of a few letters, strengthened
j) draft royal proclamation "for prevention of plundering", ordering that those responsible for quartering troops should provide a payment of 6d. for daily subsistence, extensively revised, 2 pages plus an additional slip of paper, integral blank, docketed with the date 11 August 1645, damp damage, strengthened
k) draft wording for the form of commissions for the ranks of Colonel, Lt. Colonel, Lieutenant, Captain and Sergeant Major, 3 pages, folio, undated, strengthened at fold
l) copy of the commission appointing Ralph, Lord Hopton, as General of the Ordnance under Prince Charles and Prince Rupert, in a fair hand, 1 page, folio, integral blank, [14 August 1644], strengthened at fold
m) draft commission appointing Ralph, Lord Hopton, as Field Marshal General of the Forces in Sussex, Surrey and Kent, with a draft order offering safe conduct for travel, 4 pages, folio, 27 November 1643, strengthened at fold
n) draft commission appointing Ralph, Lord Hopton, as General of the Ordnance and Artillery under the Earl of Branford, 2 pages, folio, integral blank, docketed, 20 September [1643], strengthened at fold
[with:] autograph draft letter PROVIDING A DETAILED ACCOUNT OF THE BATTLE OF LOSTWITHIEL, extensively revised, 4 pages, folio, endorsed "Copy of my letter to Sir Nichol[as] from Boconnocke [i.e. Boconnoc] 2 September 1644", damp damaged, strengthened
[also with:] Charles II, draft letter, to the Marquess of Ormond, on payment to Sir Edward Nicholas, 1 page, folio, Bruges, 12 January 1657/8
Each numbered item in a folder with transcription by J.E. Hodgkin, some also with further transcriptions, notes, and related material loosely inserted
Provenance
J. Eliot Hodgkin, FSA (d.1912); sale of his collection in these rooms, 22-24 April 1914, lot 170, to P.M. Barnard for Miss Scott of Penmaenucha, Wales
Literature
Calendared, along with other papers, in Historical Manuscripts Commission, The manuscripts of J. Eliot Hodgkin, esq., F.S.A., of Richmond, Surrey (15th Report, Appendix ii), pp. 93-106
Condition
Condition is described in the main body of the catalogue, where appropriate.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."
Catalogue Note
An important group of working papers revealing the inner workings of the Royalist high command in the English Civil War and including an account of the Battle of Lostwithiel. These papers primarily relate to the campaign in the West Country in 1644, when Lord Hopton - several of whose commissions are found in this collection in draft form - was a crucial royalist commander. The group includes minutes of various Councils of War around the time of the Battle of Lostwithiel that was fought over the second half of August 1644, when a Royalist army commanded by the King drove a smaller Parliamentary force out of Cornwall. These records provide a detailed insight into how the Royalists consolidated their control of the West Country after this battle.
These notes and memoranda are from the papers of Sir Edward Walker (1612-1677), a herald who was personally close to the King. He was appointed Charles's Secretary at War in the autumn of 1642 and was sent to offer pardon to the Earl of Essex's forces prior to Lostwithiel. He remained with the King until the surrender of Oxford in 1646. He rejoined the King as his secretary on the Isle of Wight in 1648 and later followed Charles II into exile.