CROMWELL'S PARLIAMENT.
Names of the members for Worcestershire returned for Cromwell's second Parliament, July, 1654: Sir Robert Rouse, Knt. and Bart., Edward Pitt, Esq., Nicholas Lechmere, Esq., John Bridges, Esq., Talbot Badger, Esq., (Worcester City), William Collins, Esq. (ditto), Edward Elvines, Alderman (ditto). The names of the gentlemen returned to Parliament on September 17, 1656, are—Major-General James Berry, Colonel of Horse, and Major-General of the counties of Worcester, Hereford, and Salop, and also North Wales; Sir Thomas Rouse, Bart., Edward Pitt, of Kiere Park, Esq., Nicholas Lechmere, Esq. (Attorney of the Duchy of Lancaster), John Nanfan, Esq., Worcester City.—Edmund Giles, Esq., one of the Masters in Chancery, who married a relation of the Lord Protector; William Collins, Esq.
WORCESTERSHIRE ROYALISTS COMPOUNDING.
By an ordinance of the Parliament[10] made on the 31st of March, 1643, it was ordained that the estates of the two Archbishops and twelve of the Bishops, including the Bishops of Worcester, Hereford, Gloucester, and Coventry and Lichfield, and of all persons ecclesiastical and temporal as had
raised arms or been in active war against the Parliament, or
had voluntarily contributed any money, horse, plate, arms, munition, or other aid or assistance, towards the maintenance of any forces against the Parliament, should be sequestered.
[10] This ordinance will be found in extenso in Scobell's Collection of Acts and Ordinances of Parliament (a work in the Worcester Law Library) p. 37.
The owners of these estates were allowed to pay a composition for the restoration of their property. A list of the compounders and the sum paid by each was printed in 1655 by Richard Dring. The following is a copy of the title page of this work:
"A Catalogue of the Lords, Knights, and Gentlemen, that have compounded for their estates. London: Printed for Thomas Dring, at the signe of the George in Fleet-street, neare Clifford's Inn. 1655."
[Extract so far as relates to Worcestershire.]
To this payment Worcestershire does not appear to have been very heavily charged, as the entire list contains upwards of 3500 names, extending over the whole of England and Wales. The largest payment was that made by Baptist Noel Lord Cambden, which amounted to £9000, "with £150 per annum settled," which in the case of Sir Richard Tancred, Knt., is explained to be "settled on the Ministry." The smallest payment is that of Mr. John Shrimpton above-mentioned. It is stated in the "Pictorial History of England" [vol. iii, p. 525] that by these compositions above £4,500,000 were raised in England, and £1,000,000 in Ireland.