Col. George Fenwick was one of the commissioners for Northumberland for sequestration.* He was appointed to the office Dec. 5, 1644, and signs as such at Newcastle, Sept. 27, 1649. On the 8th March, 1650, he was admitted and sworn a free burgess of Newcastleupon-Tyne,† and on 5th July following, it was "ordered, that Colonel George Fenwick, Sir Arthur Hesilrigge, Sir William Strickland, and Sir Thomas Widdrington, or any two of them, be, and are hereby appointed, visitors of the hospital of Gretham and Sherborne in the county of Durham; and that the lords commissioners of the great seal of England do grant them a commission accordingly." The colonel proceeded again to Ireland, where, with 1000 foot, he greatly distinguished himself, as appears by a letter received by the council of state, July 8, 1650, from Sir Charles Coote, informing them of a victory obtained by the parliamentary army over the Irish, wherein "those officers of ours that were most eminently instrumental in that great victory were Col. Fenwick, Col. Rich. Coot, Lieut. Col. Gore, and Captain Duckinfield, whom [continues Sir Charles] I have presumed to add, because their merits have justly deserved this my acknowledgement, to the end (if your honours The following note is inserted amongst the proceedings of the Committee of Sequestrations for the County of Durham: Apud Sunderland, xi Sept. 1644. The names of the most notorious Delinquents within the Countie of Durham : Sir Thomas Riddell, jun.; Sir Thomas Liddell, Bart.; Sir Thomas Tempest, Knt.; Walter Balcanquall, Deane of Durham; Jo. Heath, Esq.; William Collingwood, Gent. Under Sheriff; Thomas Burwell, Spiritual Chancellor; Mr. Francis Salvin; John Jackson, Lieut.-Coll.; Coll. Cuthbert Conyers; Coll. Errington and his son; Thomas Swinburne, Esq.-Surtees's Durham, vol. i., part i., p. 100. + Brand's Newcastle, vol. ii., p. 477. Journals of House of Commons, vol. iii., p. 437. think fit) some mark of honour may be conferred upon them."* Recrossing the channel, it is probable that he accompanied Cromwell into Scotland, and was present at the battle of Dunbar, Sept. 3, 1650, when he wrote to Sir Arthur Haslerigg, Bart., governor of Newcastle, informing him of the number of Scottish prisoners he had to expect coming southward. Respecting Respecting these poor creatures who, according to Whitelocke, "were driven like turkies by the English souldiers, and went along cursing their king and clergy for insnaring them in misery,"† Sir Arthur Haslerigg, in a letter to the council of state, dated at Newcastle, October 31, 1650, observes, "when they came to Morpeth, the prisoners being put into a large walled garden, they eat up raw cabbages, leaves and roots, so many as the very seed and labour at 4d. a day, was valued at £9; which cabbage (they having fasted as they themselves said near eight days) poisoned their bodies, for as they were coming from thence to Newcastle, some died by the way side: when they came to Newcastle I put them into the greatest church in the town, and the next morning when I sent them to Durham, about 140 were sick and not able to march-three died that night, and some fell down in their march from Newcastle to Durham and died. On being told into the great cathedral church, they were counted to be no more than 3,000, although Col. Fenwick wrote me that there were about 3,500." It appears from Haslerigg's letter, that during their short stay in Newcastle, the prisoners at night were chiefly lodged in St. Nicholas's church, where * Whitelocke's Memorials, p. 448. + Ibid, p. 456. * Brand's History of Newcastle, vol. ii., p. 481. they did considerable damage, and in addition to a violent disorder occasioned by fatigue, exposure, and unwholesome food, were so gorged with the cabbages they had eaten at Morpeth, as to pollute the whole pavement, which required active measures of sanitary reform next day. A portion of them were also lodged in the chambers of the Trinity House, when the brethren of that "misterie" or fraternity, on "Sept. 23, 1650, paid to two men that watched the prisoners and the garde that they did no harme the first night the Scotts presoners came to the Trinity House, 2s." About the close of the year the castle of Edinburgh, hitherto a virgin fortress, surrendered without a shot; letters received January 18th, 1650-1, informing the council of state, "that Col. Fenwick took possession of Edinburgh Castle, as governor thereof." Immediately after the taking of Edinburgh Castle, Cromwell sent Col. Fenwick, with his own and Col. Syler's regiments, to capture Hume Castle. On arriving in the vicinity, Col. Fenwick drew up his men, and sent the governor the following summons: "His Excellency the Lord General Cromwell hath commanded me to reduce this castle you now possess, under his obedience, which if you now deliver into my hands for his service, you shall have terms for yourself and those with you if * Paid for the clensing of Nicholas church, where the Scotts prisoners was kept on whole night, £5 ls. 11d. Paid for coles and candles for the guards at Nicolas church, and for 2 tarrbarrells to burn naughty meat with, 8s. Paid William Whittaker, grave maker of Allhallowes, for making of 23 graves for the Scotch prisoners, at 4d. per grave, 7s. 8d.-Extracts from the municipal accounts of Newcastle, Oct 1650, printed by M. A. Richardson. you refuse, I doubt not but in a short time, by God's assistance, to obtain what I now demand. I expect your answer by seven of the clock tomorrow morning; and rest your servant, GEORGE FENWICK." The governor, whose name was Cockburn, being, it seems, a man of some fancy, returned this quibbling answer : "RIGHT HONOURABLE, I have received a trumpeter of yours, as he tells me, without a pass, to surrender Home castle to the Lord General Cromwell: please you, I never saw your General. As for Home castle, it stands upon a rock. Given at Home castle this day before seven o'clock. So resteth, without prejudice to my native country, your most humble servant, T. COCKBURN." This taunting reply caused our colonel to plant a battery against that fortress immediately; further letters received February 7th, informing the council "that Col. Fenwick with the great guns played against Hume Castle, and that the governor sent this letter to him : 'I, William of the Wastle, Am now in my Castle, And awe the Dogs in the Town, The gallant Cockburn was, however, forced to surrender. Letters received February 10th, intimating "that the mortar pieces had done great execution against Hume Castle, and spoiled many rich goods there, and the great guns had made breaches, whereupon Col Fenwick resolved upon a storm, and the officers cast lots who should lead on to it. But the governor beat a parley; Fenwick refused to treat, unless they would presently surrender upon quarter for life, which they did, and Fenwick appointed some officers to look to the equal sharing of the goods among his souldiers, only the governors lady had liberty to carry out some of her goods and bedding for her accommodation."* On the 16th December, 1651, the lord chief justice St. John, Sir Henry Vane, Jun., major-general John Lambert, major-general Dean, lieutenant general Monk, colonel George Fenwick, alderman Tichburne, and major Salwey, were by commission of parliament appointed commissioners to go into Scotland to treat with the Scots. In the following year Col. Fenwick was appointed governor of Berwick-upon-Tweed; and on 5th July, 1654, he was elected M. P. for that ancient borough, an honour which was again conferred upon him 3rd Sept. 1656. A change had however come over the scene. Cromwell, notwithstanding he had used every art in his power to influence the elections, still found that the majority would not be favourable to him: he set guards, therefore, on the door, (Sept 17) who permitted none to enter but such as produced a warrant from his council; and the latter rejected about 98, who either refused a recognition of the protector's government, or were on other accounts obnoxious to him. These protested against so egregious a violence, subversive of all liberty; but every application for redress was at least for a while neglected both by the council and the parliament. Amongst the members not admitted on this memorable occasion were Col. George Fenwick, Sir Arthur Haslerigg, Bart., Thomas Bowes, Henry Tempest, and James Clavering, Esquires.§ *Whitelocke's Memorials. pp. 463-4. + Ibid. p. 493. Hutchinson's Northumberland, vol. ii., p. 92 • Whitelocke's Memorials p. 642. |
