Add MS 72438

Trumbull Papers. Vol. 197.

Cipher-keys, c. 1625-1645, and intercepted royalist correspondence, 1645-47, from the papers of Georg Rudolph Weckherlin.

Weckherlin, a German immigrant, began his career as a government official, as a diplomatic secretary and cryptographer to various secretaries of state, in 1625. During the Civil War he served Parliament, appointed Secretary for Foreign Affairs in 1644 and performing the same roles now as previously. This collection includes cyphers of Weckherlin's from before and during the wars. It also includes some intercepted royalist letters, a number in Weckherlin's hand and with his deciphering, and some records as intercepted. looming large in this collection are some of the letters, and the many ciphers, seized when the coach of George Digby, Lord Digby, the King's Secretary of State, was captured after the royalist defeat at Sherburn-in-Elmet on 15 Oct 1645.

The file falls into five main categories:

1. ff. 1r-15r: Intercepted letters of royalists, 25 Sept. 1643-1 July 1647. Partly deciphered cipher, and copies in the hand of Weckherlin.

2. ff. 16r-99v: Letters and cipher-keys of George Digby, Lord Digby, captured at the Battle of Sherburn-in-Elmet on 15 Oct. 1645. the letters cover the period 13 May-19 July 1645. This cache was was delivered to the House of Commons on 20 Oct (see Commons Journals, IV, pp. 316, 320, 332). It was read in the House of Commons on 22 Oct According to the MP Laurence Whitaker, 'The whole afternoon was spent in reading the letters and papers that were found in my Lord Digby's coach that was taken in the fight near Sherburn in Yorkshire, wherein were many letters of the King written to the Earl of Ormond into Ireland and to Prince Rupert and to his council at Oxford and many cyphers of the Lord Digby's, which were resolved to be sent up to the Lords tomorrow' (Add MS 31116, pp. 476-7). The collection seems to have comprised at least one hundred and thirty-nine items, later numbered in sequence on the versos. Some seven only of the captured letters (ff. 16r-23v) appear to survive among Weckherlin's papers, and are numbered 18, 28, 31, 66, 68 and 69, the first three being docketed as 'read: 22do: Oct: 1645' in the House, while an unnumbered letter (f. 19r), dated 25 May [1645], is a deciphered copy in Weckherlin's hand. The cipher-keys that follow (ff. 24r-99v), which are mostly listed by Weckherlin in a document (f. 25) headed 'Cyphers taken in The Ld Digbys', comprise forty-nine items, numbered 4 (formerly 71), 80, 84-90 and 100-139. All are undated, but most are docketed with the names of royalist commanders and others.

3. ff. 100-109. Miscellaneous royalist cipher-keys and two ciphered royalist letters.

4. ff. 110r-150v. Ciphers used by Weckherlin in diplomatic communication mainly during his service with Charles I, c. 1625-1641.

5. ff. 151r-170v: Miscellaneous cipher-keys of the Civil War period, partly in Weckherlin's hand; 8 Nov. 1644-19 Mar. 1644/5, n.d. Some cannot be identified; others are Weckherlin's or are Parliamentarian.

For intercepted letters of George Goring, Baron Goring, later 2nd Earl of Norwich, 1644, see Add MS 72434. For ciphers of William Trumbull formerly included with these, see Add MS 72388.

Contents:

ff. 1r-v: Letter wholly in cipher, with the deciphered words written over the ciphered text, 25 Sep 1643. Endorsed by George Weckherlin: ‘A letter intercepted & given me by Mr Pym & by me deciphered the last of 7ber 1643’.

ff. 2r-v: Notes on intercepted royalist and Spanish letters, n.d.

ff. 3r-v: Letter of King Charles I, Cardiff, 31 Jul 1645. A copy, endorsed ‘the Kings letter after the Battle of Naseby’.

ff. 4r-v: Intercepted royalist letter, addressed to ‘My Noble Lord’, 6 Aug 1645. Copy in hand of Georg Rudolph Weckherlin. Some words have been written in cipher, and the deciphering is written above them.

ff. 5r-6v: Intercepted royalist letter, 13 Sep 1645. Copy in hand of Georg Rudolph Weckherlin. Some words have been written in cipher, and the deciphering is written above them.

ff. 7r-v: Intercepted royalist letter, addressed to ‘My Lord’,, 14 Sep 1645. Copy in hand of Georg Rudolph Weckherlin. Some words have been written in cipher, and the deciphering is written above them. Initialed ‘A T[?]’. Noted as a duplicate.

ff. 8r-v: Letter of T.D. to Sir William Compton, 9 Nov 1645. Intercepted; not ciphered).T.D. writes from his quarters at Branston (Stafforshire?) to Compton at Banbury, Oxfordshire.

f. 9r: Intercepted letter, addressed to ‘My Lord’ and signing off as ‘your Lordships most humble servant’, 21 May 1646. Largely in (undecoded) cipher.

f. 10r: Intercepted letter to King Charles I, 13 May 1646. Largely in (undecoded) cipher.

ff. 11r-v; Letter of King Charles I to James Butler, 1^st Marquess of Ormond, Lord Lieutenant of Ireland. n.d. [1645, after 27 Feb]. Endorsed as a copy of the King’s letter to Ormond.

ff. 12r-13v: Letter of Edward Walsingham to Thomas Preston, Friday noon 1647. The letter is evidently an original, and the body is wholly in cipher with decoding entered. The surnames come from the endorsements. The recipient is addressed as ‘My good lord’. Endorsed with numbers 38, 65 and 149 (149 is the cipher for the recipient).

ff. 14r-15v: Letter of Edward Walsingham to Thomas Preston, 1 Jul 1647 (ff. 14r-v) with Preston’s reply (f. 15r). The names comes from the endorsement, and the decoding of Walsingham’s name. There are some words in cipher (and decoded) in Walsingham’s letter. Endorsed with numbers 39 and (struck out) 69, with address ‘For 149’).

ff. 16r-v: Letter of King Charles I to James Butler, 1st Marquess of Ormonde, Droitwich, 13 May 1645. A copy. The letter orders Ormond to admit Ulick Burke, Marquess of Clanricarde, to the Irish Privy Council. The letter is endorsed as read 22 Oct 1645, and numbered 31.

ff. 17r-18v: Letter of King Charles I to James Butler, 1st Marquess of Ormond, Betton, 22 May 1645. A copy of a draft empowering the granting of commissions by Ormond to Catholic Confederates under the Cessation of 1643. Endorsed as read 22 Oct 1645, and numbered 28.

f. 19r: Letter of Melchior de Sabran, French Ambassador, to George Digby, Lord Digby, London, 25 May [1645]. Unumbered letter but a deciphered copy in Georg Rudolph Weckherlin’s hand.

ff. 20r-v: Letter of King Charles I to Sir Marmaduke Langdale, Raglan, 19 Jul 1645. Sent by the bearer Mr Nevill. Endorsed as ‘Kings private letter to Sr. Marm: Langdale’; also noted as read 22 Oct 1645 and numbered 18.

ff. 21r-22v: King Charles I to James Butler, 1st Marquess of Ormond, 31 Jul 1645. Date from endorsement. Endorsed as a copy of a letter in the King’s own hand, and numbered 68.

ff. 23r-v: Letter of King Charles I to James, Duke of York and the Lords at Oxford, Newton, 21 Sep 1645. Numbered 69.

ff. 24r-v: Letter of King Charles I, Newark, 10 Oct 1645. Numbered 66. There is a crossed out endorsement in which the one of the three words which is legible is ‘Digby’.

ff. 25r-99v: Cipher-keys taken from chest of George Digby, Lord Digby, after the Batlle of Sherburn, 15 Oct 1645. Endorsed numbers (unless otherwise stated) are evidently the numbers ascribed when taken and sorted by parliamentarian clerks. The keys generally relate to correspondence with particular individuals and unless otherwise stated Digby is evidently a party. I have included entries where Digby is named explicitly on the endorsement as a party: this may well have no meaning other than Digby’s secretary’s inconsistency, but it might point to particularly confidential correspondence on his part.

ff. 25r-v: ‘Cyphers taken in the Ld. Digbys’. Taken amongst the papers captured from George Digby, Lord Digby’s chest after the Battle of Sherburn (15 Oct 1645). This is a list of the cipher-keys which follow.

ff. 26r-v: Thomas Preston, Confederate general in Ireland. Numbered 4. (also numbered 71, but this an earlier number of Digby’s clerk’s).

ff. 27r-v: The Countess of Cork (Elizabeth née Clifford, wife of Richard Boyle, 2^nd Earl of Cork). Number 80.

ff. 29r-30r: Endorsed as ‘Mr Benetts Cypher with my Lord’: probably Henry Bennet, later 1^st Earl of Arlington, who was in Digby’s service. Number 84.

ff. 31r-v: Lady Goring (Lettice, née Boyle, wife of George Goring, Baron Goring). Number 85.

ff. 32r-v: Princess Elizabeth. Number 86.

ff. 33r-v: M.G.B. Number 87.

ff. 34r-v: Sir John ‘Nor’. Number 88.

ff. 35r-36v: Major Rigby. Number 89.

ff. 37r-v: Lady Kat:’. Number 100.

ff. 38r-v: Between Lord Digby and the Governor of Pontefract. Number 90.

ff. 38r-v: Between John Stewart, Lord Traquair and Lord Digby. Number 101.

ff. 39r-v: Colonel Gerard. However, an endorsement crosses the names out and notes ‘miscarryed’. Possibly Colonel Richard Gerard or Charles Gerard. Number 102.

ff. 40r-v: Randall MacDonnell, 2^nd Earl of Antrim. Number 103.

ff. 41r-42v: Thomas Killigrew. Number 104.

ff. 43r-v: John Culpeper, first Baron Culpeper of Thoresway and Sir Lewis Dyve. Number 105.

ff. 44r-45v: Between Lord Digby and Colonel Barry. Number 106.

ff. 46r-v: Cipher between E.B., Captain Digbye, Mr Jo: Fe: and T.K. Number 107.

ff. 47r: Sir George Hamilton. Number 108.

ff. 48r-v: Mrs Whorewood (Jane Whorwood née Ryder, royalist agent). Number 109.

ff. 49r-v: Colonel Leigh. Number 110.

ff. 50r-v: Lord Digby with Colonel Frood (Philip Frowd?). Number 111.

ff. 51r-v: Theobald Taaffe, 2nd Viscount Taaffe. Number 112.

ff. 52r-v: Between Lord Digby and Sir William Vavasour. Number 113.

ff. 53r-54v: Doctor Rutherford and John Digby. Number 114.

ff. 55r-v: Sir William Ogle. Number 115.

ff. 56r-v: Note of the cipher (‘character’) of Sir Philip Musgrave, sent by John Kirkby, ‘Philobasileus’ and carried by a gentlewoman, with request that if you have further orders, use this character or one of your own devising. . On the verso, a note from Kirkby that we forgot to show you this when you were with us. Number 116.

ff. 57r-58v: John Digby, 1st Earl of Bristol; George Digby, Lord Digby; Colonel J[ohn] Digby; Sir Richard Grenville; Dr Cox. Number 117.

ff. 59r-60v: James Butler, 1st Marquess of Ormond; Prince Rupert. Number 118.

ff. 61r-62v: Between Lord Digby and Murrough O’Brian, 6th Baron Inchiquin. Number 119.

ff. 62*r-63r: John Culpeper, first Baron Culpeper of Thoresway. Number 120.

ff. 64v-65v: Sir Edward Nicholas, Secretary of State. Number 121.

ff. 66r-v: Richard Vaughan, 2nd Earl of Carbery and Colonel-General Charles Gerard. Number 122.

ff. 67v-68v: Cipher between King Charles I and Queen Henrietta Maria. Number 123.

ff. 69r-v: Colonel Cockran. Number 124.

ff. 70v-71r: Mr Browne. Number 125.

ff, 72r-73v; ‘Newark Cypher’ (presumably the garrison). Number 126.

ff. 74r-75r: M. de Boisivon, French diplomat. Number 127.

ff. 76r-v; Between Lord Digby and Dr Johnson. Number 128.

ff. 77r-v: Unidentified. Number 129. On the list, f. 25r, noted as ‘Without name from Queenes Court’.

ff. 78r-79v; Colonel Hurliston. Number 130.

ff. 80v-81v: Between Lord Digby and George Goring, Baron Goring. Number 131.

ff. 82r-v: Sir Kenelm Digby. Number 132.

ff. 83r-v: Colonel Thomas Blague. Number 133.

ff. 84r-v: Between Lord Digby and Mr Neile. Number 134.

ff. 85r-v: Mountjoy Blount, 1st Earl of Newport. Number 135.

ff. 86v-87v: Between ‘Prince Harcourt’ (Henri Count of Harcourt, French diplomat) and Lord Digby. Number 136.

ff. 88r-89v: Hemvlit. No 137. (f. 25r identifies as Heenfleets, i.e. Lord of Heenfleet, Dutch diplomat).

ff. 90r-97v: Unidentified, but list on f. 25 identifies as in de Vic’s hand (i.e. Sir Henry de Vic, courtier and diplomat). Number 138.

ff. 98r-99v: Between Monseigneur and Mr del Isola. (Endorsement in French). Number 139.

ff. 100r-101v: Cipher-key. Endorsed ‘Cypher between the King & Queen whilest she is yet in France. 144 & 1645’.

ff. 102r-103v; Cipher-key endorsed as between George Digby, Lord Digby, and his ‘servant [Edward] Walsingham’, now at Magdalen College, Oxford (this dates the cipher to in or before 1645).

f. 104r: Royalist intercepted letter almost wholly in undecoded cipher, n.d. The exception is the phrase ‘The direccion endorsed’.

ff. 105r-106r: Two unidentified royalist cipher-keys, n.d.

f. 107r: Intercepted royalist letter, partially decoded, n.d.

ff. 108r-109r: Two unidentified royalist cipher-keys, n.d.

ff. 110r-150v: Ciphers used by Georg Rudolph Weckherlin in diplomatic communication mainly during his service with Charles I, c. 1623-1641. Partly in Latin and French. These include:

ff. 110r-123r: Cipher-book, n.d. [c. 1625-1641]. Noted (f. 110v) as 'Zifre avec Mr Weckerlin'. In French, with a Latin note, f. 123v.

ff. 124r.-141v: Cipher-book, n.d. [c. 1625-1641]. In Latin.

ff. 142r-143v: Ciphers, 1636. In French, with Latin directions. The endorsement has been crossed out, but what is legible is the one English phrase. ‘Left with Monsr. Rustorf’ and date 1636.

ff. 144r-145v: Cipher, 1638. Endorsed as ‘given to Sir Sackvile Crow going to Constantinople 1638’.

f. 146r: Cipher-key, n.d. [1625-1641]. No endorsement.

ff. 147r-148v; Cipher-key, n.d.. [1625-1632]. Endorsement names [Sir Isaac] Wake, diplomat (d. 1632).

ff. 149r-150v: Cipher-keys, n.d. [1631-1638]. Endorsed ‘Chyfre de Monsr Gerbier’. Balthazar Gerbier was Charles I’s agent in Brussels, 1631-1641, knighted October 1638. In French and English.

ff. 151r-158v; Cipher-key for Georg Rudolph Weckherlin and René Augier, agent for Parliament in Paris, ‘du’ 6 Nov 1644. In French.

ff. 159r-v: Cipher-key sent by Georg Rudolph Weckherlin to M. Naudin, 7 Nov 1644. ff. 160r-161v: Cipher-key between Georg Rudolph Weckherlin and his son Ralph Weckherlin, 19 Mar 1645. Endorsed: ‘Copy of the Cypher my sonne tooke’.

ff. 162r-163v: Georg Rudolph Weckherlin’s copy of cipher-key for correspondence with Sir William Waller and Lady Waller, n.d. (Anne Waller née Finch).

ff. 164r-v; Cipher-key in the hand of Georg Rudolph Weckerlin, n.d. In French. ‘Addition a nostre Chiffre’.

ff. 165r-v: Cipher-key, n.d. [1642-1644]. In English. Unidentified.

ff. 166r-169v: Two duplicates of cipher-key, n.d. [1642-1644]. In English. Unidentified.

ff. 170r-v: List of additions to cipher-key (‘a nostre chiffre’), n.d. in French. Not in the hand of Georg Rudolph Weckherlin but ‘Monsieur Weckherlin’ is the address verso.

f. 171r: letter in cipher with limited deciphering, n.d..