The Civil Wars.
The year 1643, so distressing to the city of Worcester, when a great portion of the heavy levies on the citizens, for defence against the Parliament army, could not be raised, was nearly to the same extent a cause of pecuniary embarrassment to the county at large. At the April Sessions of 1643 the grand jury ordered "that the £3000 ordered last Sessions to be paid monthly towards the payment of his majesty's forces sent and raised for the defence of this county be continued till next Sessions, and paid over by John Baker, gen. collector to Sir William Russell, High Sheriff of the county and Governor of the city." But considerable difficulty appears to have been experienced in the collection. Here follows a picture of those critical times, worth preserving:
"The information of Edward Raynolls, of Kitherminster, taken uppon oath the 28th of March, 1651, before Gervase Bucke and John Latham, Esqs., two of the Justices of the Peace for the county aforesaid.
"Hee saith and doth informe that Edward Broad of Duncklin, Esq., about the time of the beginning of the warre betwixt the late kinge and the Parliament did raise a troope of horse for his sonne Edmond to engage in the king's service. That afterwards about the time when Sir Gilbert Garret, the gov'nor of Worcester for the kinge went to beseige Sturton Castle—a garrison for the Parliament—the said Edward Broade sollicited and earnestly pressed the contry thereaboute to rise together and to goe along with the said Sir Gilbert Garrett, telling and threatening divers of the country people that they should be hanged at their owne doores if they would not goe with him against the said Castle: That many of the country people came in to the said Edward Broade accordingly and hee was himselfe captaine over them and furnished them with arms and amunition and marched before them to Sturton Castle and continued before that Castle untill the governor whoe held the same for the Parliament was inforced, beinge overpowred by the enemye to yeeld yt upp. That afterwards, about 7 dayes before Sir Henry Lyngum did rise against the Parliament and surprised and tooke the county troope of Hereford, the said Edward Broade spake to this informer, beinge his tenant and his warriner, to goe to John Brancill, dwelling at Kidderminster, beinge a joyner and well skilled in stockinge of guns, to come with all speede to stock gunnes for him. And willing this informer alsoe himselfe to be in redinesse. And this informer askinge him what use there would be for soe many gunnes the said Edward Broade answered there would be use for them verry speedily, and further said that Mr. Hugh Vicaridge of Comberton and Mr. Thomas Wannerton, other Roundheaded Rogues, should be hanged to beginn withall. And the said Brancill came to Duncklyn accordingly, but how many gunnes he stocked this informer knoweth not. And afterwards when the newes was fresh that Sir Henry Lingin had surprised the Hereford county troope, the said Edward Broade asked this informer whether Sir Henry Lyngin was gone, whereunto this informer answering that hee did not know, the said Edward Broade replyed and said Sir Henry Lingin was not as good as his word; and about a weeke after Sir Henry Lingin was surprised the said Edward Broade hid divers gunnes which hee had provided as aforesaid under a rick of hay and afterwards remooved them thence and hid them under a corne mowe in one of the barnes att Duncklin where they weare seene within a yeare and a halfe last past by one Thomas Lovell, a workman belonging to that house, as he tould this informer.
"And this informer doth further informe upon his oath that about a year last past beinge att Bridgnorth in company with Edward Powys, of the citty of Worcester, bookbinder, and others drinking together, hee this informer heard the said Powys begin A health to the good proceeding of the king's army in Scotland, likewise A health to the queene his mother, and the third health to the confusion of the Parliament, and that hee began all these 3 healths together, but none of the company would pledge the same, some of them answering that they would drinke to ye conversion but not to the confusion of any. And that Steephen Dowty of the Morphe and his servant William Lawde were then in company, and further doth not informe."
"Articles" were "exhibited" (that is, an information was laid) in the year 1655, against Walter Moyle, of Ombersley, yeoman, for being a profane man, and for that "one day he publicly drank the health of the devil, and fell down as one dead, to ye amazement and terrour of ye beholders; and that in the time of the late war he did threaten his neighbours, when the king's forces were in rendevouze at Oddingley Heath, with plunder unlesse they would repaire in armes to that randezvooze."
On the 5th of October, 1685, John Bartlam, of Whitbourne, laid an information that "in hay harvest last (before this neighbourhood heard that Monmouth was routed), this informant, riding upon the road near Knightsford bridge, there met a man that tould him that Monmouth was then the head man in England, and that it was in every man's mouth in Worcester, and that any man might speak it, and that he would proclaim it at Knightsford bridge (as he had at Broadheath, Martley, and other places, as he came along), although it was so near Captain Clent's; and that if any one questioned it he would be at Knightsford bridge to answer it; that his name was Kent, and he lived in Powick's Lane, Worcester." In 1687, Thomas Knight, of Castlemorton, was summoned to appear at the Sessions, and to give evidence against Charles Jakeman for drinking the Duke of Monmouth's health.
