Richard Penderel conducted the king out at a back dore, unknown to most of the company, (except some of the Lords and Colonel Roscarrock, who waited on his Majesty into the backside, and there with sad hearts took leave of him) and carried him into an adjacent wood belonging to Boscobel, call'd Spring Coppice, about half a mile from Whiteladies; William, Humphrey and George scouting abroad, and bringing what news they could learn to his Majesty in the wood, as occasion required.
His Majesty being thus, as they hoped, in a way of security, the Duke, Earl of Derby, Earl of Lauderdail, Lord Talbot and the rest (having for their guide Mr. Charles Giffard, and being then not above 40. horse, of which number his Majesties pad-nag was one, rode by Mr. Richard Lane, one of the groom's of his Majesties bed-chamber) march'd from Whiteladies Northward by the way of Newport, in hope to overtake or meet General Lesley with the main body of Scotch horse.
As soon as they were got into the road, the Lord Leviston (who commanded his Majesties life guard) overtook them, pursued by a party of rebels, the Lords with their followers faced about and repeld them; but when they came a little beyond Newport, some of Lilburn's men met them in the front, other rebels from Worcester pursued them in the rear, themselves and horses being sufficiently tired, the Earl of Derby, Earl of Lauderdail, Mr. Charles Giffard and some others, were taken and carried prisoners, first to Whitchurch, and from thence to an inn in Bunbury, where Mr. Giffard found means to make an escape; but the noble Earl of Derby was carried to Westchester, and there tryed by a pretended court martial, held the first of October 1651. by vertue of a commission from Cromwell, grounded on an execrable rumpact, of the 12. of August then last past, the very title whereof cannot be mentioned without horror, but it pretended most traiterously to prohibit correspondence with Charles Stuart (their lawful soveraign) under penalty of high treason, loss of life and estate—Prodigious Rebels!
In this black tribunal there sate, as judges, these persons, and under these titles:
- Col. Humphry Mackworth (who was plac'd in the Sella Curulis) President.
- Major General Mitton.
- Col. Robert Duckenfield.
- Col. Henry Bradshaw.
- Col. Thomas Croxton.
- Col. George Twisleton.
- Lieu. Col. Henry Birkinhead.
- Lieu. Col. Simon Finch.
- Lieu. Col. Alex. Newton.
- Capt. James Stepford.
- Capt. Samuel Smith.
- Capt. John Downes.
- Capt. Vincent Corbet.
- Capt. John Delves.
- Capt. John Griffith.
- Capt. Tho. Portington.
- Capt. Edward Alcock.
- Capt. Ralph Pownall.
- Capt. Richard Grantham.
- Capt. Edward Stelfax.
This was the authority, and some of these the persons that condemned this noble Earl to death, notwithstanding his just plea, That he had quarter given him by one Captain Edge, who took him prisoner. But this could not obtain justice, nor any intercession, mercy; so that on the 15. of October, he was executed at Boulton in Lancashire, in a most barbarous and inhumane manner.
The Earl of Lauderdail with divers others were carryed prisoners to Windsor castle, where they continued many years.
Whilst the rebels were plundring these noble persons, the Duke, with the Lord Levistan, Col. Blague, Mr. Marmaduke Darcy, and Mr. Hugh May, forsook the road, and betook themselves to a by-way and got into Chessardine woods, not far from Newport, where they receiv'd some refreshment at a little obscure house, and afterwards met with two honest laborers in an adjoining wood, to whom they communicated the exigent and distresse which the fortune of war had reduc'd them to, and finding them like to prove faithful, the duke thought fit to imitate his royal master, quitted his horse, delivered his George (which was given him by the Queen of England) to Mr. May (who preserved it through all difficulties, and after restor'd it to his Grace in Holland) and chang'd habit with one of the workmen; and in this disguise was convey'd by one Nich. Mathews a carpenter, to the house of Mr. Hawley an hearty cavalier at Bilstrop in Nottinghamshire, from thence to the Lady Villiers house at Brooksby in Leicestershire, and, after many hardships and encounters, his Grace got secure to London, and from thence to his Majesty in France.
At the same time the Lord Leviston, Col. Blague, Mr. Darcy, and Mr. May, all quitted their horses, severally shifted for themselves, and most of them, through various dangers and sufferings, contriv'd their escapes; In particular Mr. May lay 21. days in a hay-mow belonging to one Bold an honest husbandman, who liv'd neer Chessardine; Bold having all that time rebel-souldiers quartered in his house, yet faild not to give a constant relief to his more welcom guest, and when the coast was clear of souldiers, Mr. May came to London on foot in a disguise.
The Lord Talbot, (seeing no hope of rallying,) hasted towards his fathers house at Longford neer Newport, where being arriv'd, he convey'd his horse into a neighbours barn, but was immediately pursued by the rebels, who found the horse saddled, and by that concluded my Lord to be not far off, so that they search'd Langford house narrowly, and some of them continued in it four or five dayes; during all which time my Lord was in a close place in one of the outhouses, almost stifl'd for want of air, and had infallibly perish'd for want of food, had he not been once relieved in the dead of night, and with much difficulty by a servant; yet his Lordship thought it a great providence, even by these hardships, to escape the fury of such enemies, who sought the destruction of the nobility, as well as of their king.