CHAPTER VI.
PETITIONERS TO PARLIAMENT.
The city dames during the Civil War—They petition Parliament for peace—Reception of the petition—The military called out—Petition from tradesmen’s wives for redress of grievances—Pym’s reply—Women’s memorial to Cromwell against imprisonment for debt—Sufferers during the Monmouth Rebellion—Petition against Judge Jeffreys—Hannah Hewling petitions the king.
While the war was proceeding between Charles I. and the Parliament, there was a good deal of agitation among the City dames, who, though not obliged to stand siege and battery, were deeply interested in the issues of the struggle. As members of the commercial classes, the disastrous effects of a civil war appealed to them with peculiar force. They lamented the destruction of property as well as the loss of life, the stoppage of trade, and the general dislocation of society. And as women of great earnestness in religion, they conceived a horror of this slaughter among men of the same nation—indeed, of the same kindred. At length they could bear it no longer. They resolved to put forth some protest. In the year 1643 came their opportunity.
The City of London had just been petitioning the Commons against the propositions for peace which had been under consideration in the House of Lords. Their lordships were very anxious to stop the desolation caused by the war, and framed some propositions to the king, which they ordered that the Speaker should introduce to the Commons. There was a very hot debate on these propositions, and the aldermen and common council, greatly incensed at the idea of any accommodation which they feared would be destructive, as they expressed it, of their “religion, laws, and liberties,” promised help for the continuance of hostilities if the Parliament would stand firm and reject all overtures. The House of Commons were so worked upon by this petition, that they returned their hearty thanks to the City and stopped all further negotiations. Thereupon the London citizenesses bestirred themselves, and, with white silk ribbons in their hats, repaired in great numbers to the House of Commons with a counter petition in favour of peace. The petition is described as that of “many civilly disposed women inhabiting the cities of London, Westminster, and the parts adjacent.” It ran thus—
“That your petitioners, though of the weaker sex, do too sensibly perceive the ensuing desolation of this kingdom unless by some timely means your honours provide for the speedy recovery thereof. Your honours are the physicians that can by God’s special and miraculous blessing (which we humbly implore) restore this languishing nation, and our bleeding sister the kingdom of Ireland, which hath now almost breathed her last gasp. We need not dictate to your eagle eyed judgments the way; our only desire is that God’s glory in the true Reformed Protestant Religion may be preserved; the just prerogatives and privileges of king and parliament maintained; the true liberties and properties of the subject, according to the known laws of the land, restored; and all honourable ways and means for a speedy peace endeavoured. May it therefore please your honours that some speedy course may be taken for the settlement of the true Reformed Protestant Religion for the glory of God and the renovation of trade for the benefit of the subject, they being the soul and body of the kingdom. And your petitioners with many millions of afflicted souls, groaning under the burden of these times of distresses, shall (as bound) pray, etc.”
Rushworth, in his “Historical Collections,” gives a graphic account of the presentation of this petition. He says it was brought up by “two or three thousand women, but generally of the meanest sort;” that the House sent out a deputation of three or four members with the answer that they were—
“no ways enemies to peace, and that they did not doubt in a short time to answer the ends of their petition, and desired them to return to their habitations. But the women, not satisfied, remain’d thereabouts; and by noon were encreased to 5000 at the least; and some men of the rabble in womens cloaths mixt themselves amongst them, and instigated them to go on to the Commons door and cry ‘Peace, Peace,’ which they did accordingly, thrusting to the door of the House at the upper stairs head; and as soon as they were pass’d, a part of the Trained Band (that usually stood sentinel there) thrust the soldiers down and would suffer none to come in or go out of the House for near two hours. The Trained Band advised them to come down, and first pulled them; and afterwards to fright them shot powder. But they cry’d out, nothing but powder; and having brickbats in the yard, threw them apace at the Trained Band, who then shot bullets, and killed a ballad singer with one arm, that was heartning on the women, and another poor man that came accidentally. Yet the women not daunted, cry’d out the louder at the door of the House of Commons, ‘Give us these traitors that are against peace that we may tear them to pieces, give us that dog Pym.’ At last ten of Waller’s troopers (some of them cornets) having his colours in their hats, came to pass by the women, who would needs have the soldiers colours out of their hats, and took away the ribbons from two of them, and call’d them Waller’s dogs. Whereupon they drew their swords, and laid on some of them flatways, but seeing that would not keep them off at last cut them over the hands and faces, and one woman lost her nose; whereof ’twas reported, she afterwards died. As soon as the rest of the women saw blood drawn they ran away from the Parliament House, and scatter’d themselves in the Church-yard, the palace yard, and places adjacent. And about an hour after the House was up, a troop of horse came and cudgell’d such as staid with their canes and dispersed them. But unhappily, a maid-servant that had nothing to do in the tumult, was shot as she pass’d over the church-yard. The trooper that did it was sent to the Gate House, in order to his trial for her death; but he alledged his pistol went off by mischance. Serjeant Francis and one Mr. Pulsford were committed for encouraging this Female Riot.”
When the “Saints” plundered the Royalists of their possessions, the women of the despoiled families went in person to the Committee of Sequestration sitting in Goldsmiths’ Hall, to try and recover some of their property. Mothers leading their children, some of them widows, thronged the hall daily.