and that soldiers ought to have been sent from Newcastle to relieve them. Colonel Lunsford, with much ado, again persuaded them to remain at their post; but immediately afterwards another cannon-ball falling among the soldiers in the works, and killing some more of them, the others threw down their arms and fled.

Leslie, from the high ground, witnessed the desertion of the larger sconce, and saw the effect already produced by his artillery, and he ordered a small party of horse to pass the river and reconnoitre. This hazardous service was undertaken by twenty-six of the troop of Scottish lawyers of the college of justice, which formed Leslie's bodyguard they dashed across the ford, reconnoitred the other sconce, and returned without coming to close quarters or receiving any burt. While this feat was being performed, the Scots kept up so heavy and well directed a fire on the English foot, that they also began to waver and retire from their entrenchments. Leslie immediately ordered Sir Thomas Hope, with the troop of cavalry of the college of justice, and two regiments of foot, commanded by Lords Lindsay and Loudon, to cross the river again; and at the same time the Scots, having planted a new battery on a hill to the east, so galled the king's horse, drawn up in the meadows opposite, with the fire of nine cannons, that they were thrown into the greatest disorder; and when they saw that new detachments of the Scottish army were crossing the river, they found it necessary to sound a retreat, Colonel Lunsford drawing off the cannons. The horse seem to have shown less inclination to fight than the foot; and the only spirited attempt at resistance was made by Commissary Wilmot, son of Lord Wilmot, Sir John Digby, a popish

recusant, and an Irish officer named Daniel O'Neil, who were commanded with a few men to protect the rear, whilst the foot retreated up Ryton* and Stella banks. In the execution of this duty, they charged the Scots bravely, and drove some of them back into the river. But new bodies of Scots arriving continually, they were surrounded and taken prisoners before they could disentangle themselves from the melee; and it was matter of favourable remark, on all sides, that General Leslie treated these prisoners nobly in the Scottish camp, and afterwards gave them free liberty to return to the king's

army.

Thus ended this memorable engagement, in which the whole loss of the English was only about sixty men,† nearly all killed at the sconces,-a clear proof that King Charles's soldiers had no inclination to the war in which he had engaged them against their neighbours. The English fled in the utmost disorder to Newcastle; and at a council of war called by Lord Conway, at twelve o'clock the same night, it was resolved that the town was not tenable, and that the English army should immediately retreat to Durham. So great was the consternation, that by five o'clock the next morning the whole army was on

The parson of Rye [Ryton] and of Whickham, first rifled their own houses, and then fled, leaving nothing but a few play-books and pamphlets; and one old cloake, with an old woman, being the only living Christian in the towne; the rest being fled.-Doings of the Scots in Newcastle after the fight of Newburn.

+ Clarendon says the English loss was "not a dozen."-Hist. vol. i., p. 155. Rushworth estimates them at more than 60 killed.—Vol. iii., p. 1238. Whitelocke states that "three hundred of them were killed and taken prisoners.”—Memorials p. 34. The letter of the Scottish committee of war mentions no number. No account rates the Scottish loss exactly, but it was trifling.

its march, with its train of artillery and provisions, and Newcastle was left without a soldier to defend it.*

The occupation of Newcastle, which the Scots entered the day after the victory at Newburn, gave them, in fact, military possession both of Durham and Northumberland; and the people, panic-struck and deserted by the regular troops, seem to have offered no further opposition, but to have merely considered how to make the best terms with the conquerors. Rushworth's description of the state of the county at this period is too lively to be omitted:"At this time Newcastle and the coal-mines, that had wont to employ ten thousand people all the year long, some working underground, some above, and others upon the water in keels and lighters,-now not a man to be seen, not a coal wrought, all absconding, being possessed with a fear that the Scots would give no quarter; four hundred ships using to be there often at a time in the river, not a ship durst come in; an hundred and odd coming to the mouth of the haven the day after the fight, and hearing that the Scots had possessed Newcastle, returned all empty, and tradesmen in the town for some days kept their shops shut; many families gone, leaving their goods to the mercy of the Scots, who possessed themselves of such corn, cheese, beer, &c., as they found, giving the owners thereof, or some in their stead, some money in hand, and security in writing for the rest, to be paid at four or six months' end, in money or corn; and if they refuse, said the Scots, such is the necessity of their army, that they must take it without security rather than starve. As for the city of Durham, it became a most depopulated place; not one shop for

• Wright's History of Scotland; Rushworth's Historical Collections.

four days after the fight open; not one house in ten that had either man, woman, or child in it; not one bit of bread to be got for money, for the king's army had eat and drunk all in their march into Yorkshire; the country people durst not come to market, which made that city in a sad condition for want of food.

"At this time a letter came from the lord lieutenantgeneral, to bury or break every upper millstone, and drive and carry away all cattle and goods to a great distance, insomuch that most drove their cattle and sheep into Yorkshire and removed most of their families thither also."*

On the 3rd September, Sir William Belasyse, high sheriff of Durham, and Sir William Lambton, of Lambton Hall, waited on General Leslie at his Leaguer at Newcastle, to give security for supplying the Scots army, during their stay, with forage and provisions. About the same time the general and the Scottish commissioners ordered the seizing and sequestration of all rents and profits belonging to bishops, deans, and chapters, or papists recusants, for the use of the army.

The following is a copy of the commission issued on this occasion:

"By virtue of a commission from General Lesley, his excellency, and the rest of the right honourable lords, and others of the committee for ordinary business for the Scottish army, directed to us Tobias Knowles and William Hamilton, gentlemen, to enquire and find out the rents, tithes, and profits belonging to the bishops, papists, or any other associates, enemies to this army, and to take an inventory of their rents, goods, and profits whatsoever,

"Rushworth.

and to chuse able men to assist in this business: We understanding that Mr. George Grey* and Mr. Anthony Smith have been employed in business for the tenants. of the dean and chapter of Durham, and understanding that the said tenants have rents in their hands due at St. Cuthbert's day last, and rents that will be due at Martinmas next, with tithes and many other profits, &c. These are, therefore, by virtue of the said commission, to require and charge you Mr. George Grey and Mr. Anthony Smith, to enquire and search out all the rents, tithes, and profits belonging to the bishop of Durham, the dean and chapter, or any other associates or papists, enemies to this cause and expedition, and to give in their names, with a schedule or inventory of their goods, rents, and profits whatsoever: And to warn all the tenants of the aforesaid parties, especially the tenants of the dean and chapter of Durham, for the rents, tithes, and profits which are due at St. Cuthbert's day last, or any other former debts or sums of money due or to become due at Martinmas next, by the tenants of Westoe, Harton, &c., &c.‡ not to pay any rents to the aforesaid dean and

The elder, of Southwick, and one of the aldermen of Sunderland, under Bishop Morton's charter.

↑ M. P. for the city of Durham in 1654 and 1656. He was one of the fraternity of mercers, and mayor of Durham, in 1657. He voted with those who wished that the crown and title of King should be offered to Cromwell. He is styled, in various publications of the day, an alderman, master of an hospital, and a registrar of marriages, worth £200 per annum. He appears as a magistrate of the county in 1658. He died 12th March, 1682-3, and was buried at St. Nicholas', Durham. In Bee's Diary, in the "List of Mortality" for 1682-3, his decease is recorded, adding, that he was 'once a member of parliament, in Oliver's time."-Sharp's Knights and Burgesses, p. 31.

The townships of Monkwearmouth, Southwick, and Fulwell are within the manor of Westoe, belonging to the Dean and Chapter of Durham, and would be included in the above commission.