Add MS 57929

SCOTS COMMISSIONERS FOR THE TREATY OF RIPON: correspondence and papers; Aug. 1640-March 1641. Copies. This notebook relates to negotiations by the Scots Commissioners over the eight months from the Second Bishops' War to the final rejection of their demands by Charles I. It includes records of the early proceedings of the Long Parliament and various newletters (ff. 36, 58v, 80v-123 passim, 140, 141), written mostly from London, concluding on 13 March 1641. The documents are not arranged in strict chronological order, though a marginal annotation (f. 103) 'this is the leatest' appears at head of 'A note of the particular state of busines and sum other news' (ff. 103, 103v), circa 18 Jan. 1641. They appear to have been brought together by a person close to the centre of affairs in Scotland, possibly someone connected with Hugh Montgomery, 7th Earl of Eglinton, on whose correspondence (ff. 80v, 120, 138) they in part draw. The contents are transcribed mostly in a single neat scribal hand (ff. 1-86v, 112-116v, 120-123 passim, and 132-138v), with other Scots hands discernible in intermediate section (ff. 88-110v) where creasing and discolouration of several documents, partly bearing dockets, indicates independent currency before incorporation here. Many documents are printed in John Rushworth's Historical Collections (1721), vols. III, pp. 1207-1373 passim, and IV, pp. 24-138 passim. Owned, before 1879, by William Hepworth Dixon, historian and traveller: see his autograph note on f. ii. Laid down inside front cover a memorandum (f. i) by W. H. B. Bird to the Deputy Keeper of Public Records, 1928. Transferred from the Historical Manuscripts Commission, April 1973.

Paper; ff. iv+141. Paper apparently of single stock watermarked with pot lettered 'PR'. Half binding of calf with small comb on covers, 19th cent.

Principal contents:

1. ff. 1-83v. Papers mostly relating to the Second Bishops' War and the Treaty of Ripon. These range from 'A full relation of the skirmishe at Newburne betwix the Inglishe and the Scottis, A[u]gust 27 1640', etc. (ff. 1-8v), in which Eglinton commanded a Scots brigade, to 'A letter from Mr Ro Bailyie to my Lord Eglintun from London', dated 29 Jan. 1641 (ff. 80v-83v). Also incorporated are speeches and petitions in the Long Parliament, Nov.-Dec. 1640, including a speech, etc. (ff. 77v-80v), by Alexander Henderson, Moderator of the Scots Assembly. Other papers relate to the impeachment of the Earl of Strafford, Archbishop Laud (ff. 57v-75v passim; and see ff. 133v-138) and the Lord Keeper, Sir John Finch (ff. 76-77v).

2. ff. 88-110v. Speeches in Parliament, with newsletters, etc.; 19 Jan.-1 March 1641, n.d. Several documents (ff. 104v-107, and see ff. 70v-73) are signed by Adam Blair, Clerk to the Commissioners. Included are a translation into English (ff. 86, 86v) of a letter of Urban VIII to Sir Tobie Matthew concerning the Papal nuncio Count Carlo Rossetti, two verse-lampoons (ff. 94-95v) on Finch and Laud (cf. Crum's First Line Index, I229 and M772), and a documents relating to the Commissioners' seven demands in religious matters (ff. 104-109).

3. ff. 112-123. Negotiations of the Scots Commissioners with the Parliament, along with petitions and speeches partly by William Prynne (113v-115v) and John Bastwick (ff. 115v-116v); 29 Dec. 1640-4 March 1641.

4. ff. 132-142. Letter (ff. 132-133v) of Robert Baillie to the Scots Presbytery, 1641, together with further documents (ff. 132-138v) relating to the Commissioners' demands in religion.