<!DOCTYPE ETS PUBLIC "-//UMDLPS//DTD EEBOPROOF 2.0//EN">
<ETS>
<TEMPHEAD>
<REVDESCR>
<CHANGE>
<DATE>2014-10-22</DATE>
<RESPSTMT>
<NAME>Mona Logarbo</NAME>
<RESP>MURP</RESP>
</RESPSTMT>
<ITEM>Proofed and reviewed as part of batch B140720.pdcc.</ITEM>
</CHANGE>
</REVDESCR>
</TEMPHEAD>
<EEBO>
<IDG S="marc" R="UM" ID="B43824">
<STC T="W">R1365A</STC>
<BIBNO T="oclc">690986719</BIBNO>
<VID>211673</VID>
</IDG>
<TEXT LANG="eng">
<BODY>
<DIV1 TYPE="letter">
<PB REF="1">
<PB N="1" REF="2" MS="y">
<HEAD>THE ANSWER of Captain STEPHEN RICH, Commander of the STATE Packet Barques, and Po&s;t-Ma&s;ter of <HI>Dublin,</HI> to a &s;can|dalous Information of <HI>Evan Vaughan,</HI> late Po&s;t-Ma&s;ter of the &s;ame City.</HEAD>
<P N="1">1. _THat on the third of <HI>July</HI> 1646. a Packet of Letters were delivered unto Captain <HI>Stephen Rich,</HI> by Cap|tain <HI>Mathew Wood,</HI> to be tran&s;ported from <HI>Ireland</HI> to the Parliament of <HI>England,</HI> with Order for all po&s;&s;ible diligence, and di&s;patch, intimating that the Letters were of great concernment touching the Publick-weale and &s;afety of both Kingdomes, but mo&s;t in Particular concerning the &s;ad condition of the godly and well-affected Engli&s;h Prote&s;tants in <HI>Dublin,</HI> that Captain <HI>Rich</HI> out of di&s;tru&s;t, that &s;omething might be written to his di&s;advantage, did break open that Packet, and did not deliver the Letters, but threw them behind his Ca|bine where being found by &s;ome well-affected of the Company they took Copies of them, which I humbly pre&s;ent to your honours view.</P>
<P>To the fir&s;t this defendant &s;aith;</P>
<P>That he was not Po&s;t-ma&s;ter at the &s;ame time when Captain <HI>Mathew Wood</HI> delivered to this Defendant the Letters in the Information mentioned, or intended and therefore conceiveth him&s;elfe under fa|vour not to be chargeable therewith, and humbly prayeth the Judgement of this honourable Committee, whether he &s;hall be compelled to make any further An&s;wer to this particular Charge, being charged again&s;t him, as a mi&s;demeanour in his Imployment before he had it; How&s;oever hee this Defendant, for full &s;atisfaction of this honourable Committee, &s;aith
<PB N="2" REF="3">and acknowledgeth, That true it is, that about that time hee received &s;ome Letters from Captain <HI>Wood,</HI> which he de&s;ired might be &s;ent accor|ding to the direction thereof; Whereupon this Defendant out of his for|wardne&s;&s;e to further any matter conducing to the good of the State, did promi&s;e to give them the &s;ame Conveyance with his own Letters. At which time this Defendant having Order to ob&s;erve the Command of Collonell <HI>Mitton,</HI> was at his arrivall at <HI>Holy-head</HI> &s;ent for into <HI>Car|narvan</HI>-&s;hire, where he was forced to attend his duty, whereby hee was con&s;trained to commit the Conveyance of the &s;aid Letters with his own Letters, to the Care of the Ma&s;ter of the Ship, and the Mini&s;ter men found hone&s;t in as great a tru&s;t, to be &s;ent by the fir&s;t opportunitie, that could be, no Po&s;t being then &s;etled at <HI>Holy-head.</HI> But this Defendant doth deny that he broke open any of the &s;aid Letters delivered to him by the &s;aid Captain <HI>Wood,</HI> or had any di&s;tru&s;t that any thing was written therein to his di&s;advantage, nor had he any cau&s;e &s;o to doe, and faith that if any of the &s;aid Ships Company did open any of the &s;aid Letters, or took any Copies thereof, the &s;ame is altogether unknown unto him, this Defendant; neither did, or doth he this Defendant know what any of the &s;aid Letters did concern. And truly if the party who pretends to be privie thereunto had acquainted him this Defendant therewith, hee this defendant would have examined the &s;ame, and puni&s;hed the Offen|ders, and therefore conceives the &s;aid party was much to blame to con|ceale the &s;ame all this while, being three years, if he knew the State was concerned therein. And al&s;o hopeth, that he &s;hall not &s;uffer for any mi&s;|carriage therein, it being in his ab&s;ence during his employment in the Publick bu&s;ine&s;&s;e, he having done his uttermo&s;t endeavour for the Con|veyance thereof:</P>
<P N="2">2. That in <HI>Augu&s;t</HI> 1647. Captaine <HI>Rich</HI> came to <HI>Holy-head</HI> with the Po&s;t-Barque where a Packet from the Parliament &s;tayed for tran&s;|portation but he left the Packet there, and went with the Barque to <HI>Che|&s;ter</HI> water upon his own occa&s;ions, by which meanes the States &s;ervice was neglected, and the Barque like to be lo&s;t.</P>
<P>To the &s;econd Charge, this defendant &s;aith, that about the time there|in mentioned, he this Defendant was at <HI>Holy-head,</HI> to &s;ee if there were any Packet there from the State, and finding none, hut only the ordina|ry Letter Packet in a leather bagge, This Defendant conceived it his du|ty rather to goe to <HI>Che&s;ter</HI> to &s;ee if Ma&s;ter <HI>Walley,</HI> the States Agent had any &s;ervice to command him for the Publick, then to returne only with the Merchants Letters, which this Defendant then left to be carryed by another Barque, then bound for <HI>Dublin</HI> from <HI>Holy-head.</HI> But this
<PB N="3" REF="3">Defendant denieth that he went to <HI>Che&s;ter</HI>-water upon his own occa&s;i|ons, or otherwi&s;e then upon the di&s;charge of the duty of his place for the publike &s;ervice, wherein if his Barque had mi&s;carryed, this Defendant mu&s;t have borne the lo&s;&s;e of it him&s;elf.</P>
<P N="3">3. That in <HI>October</HI> 1648. The Barques was Commanded by Col|lonel <HI>Jones</HI> for <HI>Che&s;ter</HI>-water to bring over the Packets, but contrarily went to <HI>Holy-head,</HI> where the Ma&s;ter took a fraight, and returned to <HI>Du|blin</HI> without a Packet, by which means the Packet were left at <HI>Che&s;ter,</HI> The Governour wanting his Intelligence to the great prejudice of the State.</P>
<P>To the third Charge this Defendent &s;aith that at the time therein men|tioned the Stage was &s;etled at <HI>Holyhead,</HI> and the Packets there con&s;tant|ly received. So as their is no probability, that the States Letters &s;hould be &s;tayed at <HI>Che&s;ter</HI> for the Po&s;t Barques to carry them, when of cour&s;e they were to be &s;ent by Land to <HI>Holyhead.</HI></P>
<P N="4">4. That in <HI>December</HI> 1648. The Informat delivered a Packet to <HI>Daniell Nixon</HI> the Ma&s;ter of the Po&s;t Barque, with Command from the Governour to goe for <HI>Che&s;ter</HI>-water withall po&s;&s;ible expedition, but <HI>Nixon</HI> contrary to Order lo&s;t that Night Tyde, being then bu&s;ie about affaires for Captain <HI>Rich</HI> or his own advantage, the Barque being laden with heavy goods could not get off till full Sea, whereof the Informat getting knowledge in the next Morning, and perceiving the Barque was bound for <HI>Holy-head,</HI> was compelled to &s;end the Packet aboard, Cap|tain <HI>Clarke</HI> then riding in the Bay of <HI>Dublin,</HI> to the hazard of loo&s;ing both Packet and Boatemen by &s;tormy weather, which if the Informat had not done the State might have lo&s;t that Intelligence, the Pyrates be|ing then bu&s;ie at Sea.</P>
<P>To the Fourth he this Defendent &s;aith, That he doth not know of a|ny lo&s;&s;e of a Tyde as thereby is pretended, nor that his Ma&s;ter the &s;aid <HI>Nixon</HI> lo&s;t his Tyde or neglected any Commands from Collonel <HI>Jones,</HI> and faith he was not Ingaged to receive Commands from the Informer, nor did his In&s;tructions require him to attend the private but the pub|like Packet, yet in ca&s;e that part of the Information had been true, the Informer confe&s;&s;eth the weather grew foule, and the Pyrates did infe&s;t the pa&s;&s;age, which might be good Inducements to the Ma&s;ter at that time, not to run head long into danger, and this Defendent &s;aith he doth not know that <HI>Nixon</HI> was then bu&s;ied about any of the affairs of this Defendant.</P>
<P N="5"><PB N="4" REF="4"> 5. That not long after Captain <HI>Rich</HI> &s;hould have &s;ent the Po&s;t Barque to <HI>Che&s;ter;</HI> but for his own advantage without this Informates knowledge &s;ent her to <HI>Holy-head</HI> to unlade goods kept aboard her two months, and left the Packet behind, and &s;tayed at <HI>Holy-head</HI> three weeks and went thence to <HI>Che&s;ter,</HI> and loaded with Coales, and thence retur|ned with the Packet of the 16 of <HI>January,</HI> and put in againe to <HI>Holy-head</HI> the Wind being faire and tooke in more goods, by which means the Barque was taken, the Packet lo&s;t and tho&s;e aboard undone.</P>
<P>To the Fifth charge this Defendant &s;aith, He knoweth nothing there|of, he being then here attending the State, neither did he ever heare that Collonel <HI>Jones</HI> did Command the Barques for <HI>Che&s;ter</HI>-water, and &s;aith he conceiveth it was his duty to deliver the Packets at <HI>Holy-head,</HI> only &s;ince the Stage was there &s;etled, and &s;aith if the then Ma&s;ter of the &s;aid Barque did in his this Defendants ab&s;ence any of the matters herein charged as again&s;t this Defendent, the &s;ame was without his this De|fendants knowledge or privity, and this Defendant is thereby become a great &s;ufferer in the lo&s;&s;e of his Barque, which co&s;t him a&s;much as a whole years wages amount unto, and as to the Prejudice pretended to be done to the Publicks &s;ervice in any of the particulars here complai|ned of, this Defendant hopeth it &s;hall be taken as in truth it is a meere &s;urmi&s;e of his adver&s;aries to &s;upplant him in his employment. Since nei|ther Lieutenant Generall <HI>Jones</HI> nor Ma&s;ter <HI>Walley</HI> did ever que&s;tion the &s;ame to this Defendants knowledge, nor acquainted this Defendant therewith, or complained to the State therein, but on the contrary have given Te&s;timony of this Defendants readine&s;&s;e and dilligence at all times to ob&s;erve their Commands. <HI>Vide</HI> their Certificates.</P>
<P N="6">6. That the &s;everall Packets of the 6.13 20. and 27. of <HI>Feburary</HI> 1648. Did not arrive at <HI>Dublin</HI> till the 23 of <HI>April</HI> 1649. For want of a Po&s;t Barque to tran&s;port them, notwith&s;tanding the &s;aid <HI>Rich</HI> being bound at all times to have a Barque in reachne&s;&s;e for the &s;ervice.</P>
<P>As to the Sixth, charge as to the long &s;tay of the &s;everall Packets there|in men<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">i<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">ned this Defendant &s;aith they were only the Merchants Packets, and how&s;oever could not receive a quicker conveyance from this De|fendant, if he would have taken upon him the carriage thereof out of curte&s;ie as formerly, for that both the Defendant Barques, a&s;well, as that which the Informers have newly hired for his own u&s;e, were all three taken, One of this Defendants Barques called the <HI>Hare</HI> being carried to <HI>Wexford,</HI> and the other a Catch called the <HI>Iacob</HI> in <HI>Dublin,</HI> being carried to the I&s;le of <HI>Man.</HI> Whereupon this Defendant bought the Catch a|gaine,
<PB N="5" REF="4">and provided the Speedwell into the Hares place, both which doe con&s;tantly attend the States &s;ervice, as appeareth by both the Ma&s;ters Oaths herewith pre&s;ented. <HI>Vide</HI> the Affidavits.</P>
<P N="7">7. That Captain <HI>Rich,</HI> did contract with the State to keep two able Barques for their &s;ervice only, but did keep but one for fourteen months together, yet hath received his whole &s;tipend for two, and that one Barque did make but one Voyage in the States &s;ervice from the 30. of <HI>September</HI> 1648. to the eight of <HI>April</HI> 1649. And whereas the &s;aid Barques &s;hould at all times be in readine&s;&s;e for the States &s;ervice, and at no time unballanced, or laden and cumbred with Merchants goods, and yet whither he had one or two, they were alwayes unballa&s;ted of pur|po&s;e to take in Merchants goods or Coales for his own be&s;t advantage.</P>
<P>To the &s;eventh charge this Defendant &s;aith, That he ever kept two &s;ufficient Barques for the u&s;e of the State, &s;ave only in that time that both his &s;aid Barques were carryed away as afore&s;aid and then he pro|vided two Barques for the &s;aid Service withall the expedition he could, but denyeth that the &s;ame were unballanced at any time when there was occa&s;ion to u&s;e them for the States &s;ervice, and as to that part of the charge concerning taking in of Goods aboard, this Defendant humbly offereth and &s;aith, that although it bring in no profit to the Owner, yet it was never denyed the Servant, that whil&s;t the Barques did attend, and before the Packet came to hand the men might take in &s;ome Truncks or Goods, which perhaps might produce for their advantage, and incouragement, &s;ometimes ten &s;hillings, or more or le&s;&s;er as occa&s;ion offered; And the &s;ame was the Informers own practi&s;e in Ma&s;ter <HI>Withe|rings</HI> time, when he hired Barques for the Merchants Letters as by the Contracts may appeare, and thought &s;ometimes, when the Barques goe for <HI>Che&s;ter</HI>-water, and the Packets were not ready, the Barques-night take in &s;ome Coales to plea&s;ure this Defendant, or &s;ome Friends, yet was no prejudice done thereby to the States Service, as by Ma&s;ter <HI>Wallyes</HI> Letter to Ma&s;ter <HI>Fro&s;t,</HI> ready to be produced may appeare.</P>
<P>All which this Defendant by way of an&s;wer to the &s;aid Information humbly offereth to the Grave Con&s;ide<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">ation of this Honourable Com|mittee, and humbly craveth the Judgement thereof, he having always upon all occa&s;ions u&s;ed his utmo&s;t diligence to performe the duty of his place, and you having received frequent te&s;timonies of his care and faith|fullnen&s;&s;e therein, from Lieutenant Generall <HI>Iones,</HI> and al&s;o from <HI>Charls Walley</HI> the States on this &s;ide, and therefore hopeth, that this Accu&s;ation, contrived meerly by the Informer to &s;upplant this Defendent in his Im|ployment &s;hall receive no favourable Con&s;truction.</P>
<CLOSER><PB N="6" REF="5">
<POSTSCRIPT>
<OPENER><SALUTE>Right Honourable,</SALUTE></OPENER>
<P>IN addition to what is further offered in other my Letters of this Date, I make bold herein to repre&s;ent the great neglect of tran&s;mit|ting hither in convenient time, Letters that concerne us here, which is a very great di&s;advantage to the &s;ervice, be&s;ides what others thereby &s;uffer in their private Intere&s;ts, opportunity for pa&s;&s;ages have been let &s;lip whereby we have heard nothing thence &s;ometime in a month toge|ther, During Captain <HI>Stephen Rich</HI> his attendance here, it hath been o|therwi&s;e, whom I de&s;ire to be &s;peedily di&s;patched hither for looking after that employment wherein he is Intere&s;&s;ed, he hath been one very forward and dilligent in your &s;ervice here, therein de&s;erving much favour and incouragement, This I make bold to offer to your Honours Con&s;ideration together with what is in my former Letters offered tending to the ad|vantage of the State, and their Intere&s;ts here, So remaining,</P>
<CLOSER><DATELINE>Dublin <DATE>Novem. 10. 1647.</DATE></DATELINE>
<SIGNED>Your Honours humble and faithfull Servant,<HI>Mich: Iones.</HI></SIGNED></CLOSER>
</POSTSCRIPT></CLOSER>
<TRAILER>To the Right Honourable the Committee of Lords and Com|mons at <HI>Derby</HI>-hou&s;e the&s;e.</TRAILER>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="letter">
<PB N="7" REF="5">
<OPENER><DATELINE><DATE>Nono Die men&s;is Novembris, Anno Dom. 1648.</DATE></DATELINE><LB>
<SALUTE>May it Plea&s;e your Honours,</SALUTE></OPENER>
<P>WEe who&s;e names are &s;ub&s;cribed having all good e<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">pe|rience and knowledge of the good Service performed by Captain <HI>Stephen Rich,</HI> in the&s;e parts for the Parlia|ment, who hath been much employed and tru&s;ted therein, Doe humby Certifie, That in the time of our tedious Leigure at <HI>Che&s;ter,</HI> being nece&s;&s;itated of a Ve&s;&s;ell to guard the River again&s;t the Ci|ty without which wee could not have kept the City from reliefe, Wee intreated Captain <HI>Rich</HI> to furni&s;h a Gally &s;peedily which he &s;uddenly performed, by repairing and trimming up of an old Bottome of a Ve&s;&s;ell, And for the defraying the Charge thereof, Directions was &s;ent forth to the Seque&s;trators of <HI>Wirrall</HI> hundred, who having not moneys in their hands to pay for the &s;ame, the &s;aid Captain out of his good affection and forwardne&s;&s;e to the &s;ervice, layed out his own money, and bought all nece&s;&s;aries thereto, as Dales, Iron Boults, Anchors, Cables, Sayles, Ropes, Ma&s;ts, Pitch, Tarre, and Oacum, cau&s;ed his own Carpenter to work up|on her, be&s;ides his own extraordinary care and paines therein, Fitted likewi&s;e about thirty men aboard with Armes, Ordnance, Powder and Shott, without any charge at all to a Country, and as yet hath not re|ceived for all his &s;aid extraordinary co&s;t, care, and paines, any &s;atisfaction towards his &s;aid disbur&s;ments, As by the Certificate from the Seque&s;tra|tors to whom our Warrant afore&s;aid was directed appeareth, be&s;ides, hee was very faithfull and Serviceable with his men upon the Land, both when we made our Batterie, again&s;t the City walls, and &s;torming the &s;ame, to the hazard of his own life, and lo&s;&s;e of &s;ome of his men. As al&s;o at all other times when he was required did much good &s;ervice, by ma|naging and maintaining the Bridge of Boats over the River, which was very advantageous to the pre&s;ent Service; For all which, as he affirmeth to us, and wee verily believe hath not received any &s;atisfaction. And we make bold further to certifie, that in all the time of his very neere three years &s;ervice, we never had any complaint of the Countrey of any injury done by him or his men, So that we can do no le&s;&s;e, his &s;ervice being &s;uch, and charge &s;o great but repre&s;ent it to your Honours, Humbly leaving his merits and rewards unto your more mature con&s;ideration.</P>
<CLOSER><SIGNED><LIST>
<ITEM>Tho. Stanley.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Robert Duckenfield.</ITEM>
<ITEM>J. Bruen.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Henry Birkhened.</ITEM>
<ITEM>William Daneis.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Roger Wilbraham. vid.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Ro. Gregge.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Edward Brad&s;haw.</ITEM>
</LIST></SIGNED></CLOSER>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="letter">
<PB N="8" REF="6">
<OPENER><SALUTE>Worthy Sir,</SALUTE></OPENER>
<P>THe&s;e Lines are onely to pro&s;ent my thanks and &s;ervice to you, having the opportunity of &s;o good conveyance, as the bearer, my good friend, Captain <HI>Stephen Rich,</HI> one that in all the time of my employment, I have ob&s;erved, that at all times, upon all occa&s;ions, for the publick Service of the State, and to expedite the Ser|vice of <HI>Ireland,</HI> no man more indu&s;trious and forward then he, and &s;ince he had the ab&s;olute intere&s;t and command of the Po&s;t Barques. For the Conveyance of the States Packets, there hath been no neglect or lo&s;&s;e of time, nor cau&s;e of Complaint and if his occa&s;ions may have the countenance of your favour: I pre&s;ume the merit of his good &s;ervice will be your in|ducement to doe him good. Sir, I confe&s;&s;e, I am too prodigall of your favour, and too uncivill to trouble you for my &s;elfe and friends, but I pre&s;ume your goodne&s;&s;e will forgive it in him that will ever remaine</P>
<CLOSER><DATELINE><DATE>16. Augu&s;t 1649.</DATE></DATELINE>
<SIGNED>Your mo&s;t thank-full faithfull &s;ervant, <HI>Cha. Walley.</HI></SIGNED></CLOSER>
<TRAILER>For my mo&s;t worthy friend <HI>Gualter Fro&s;t</HI> E&s;quire, Secretary to the right Honourable, the great Councell of State.</TRAILER>
</DIV1>
</BODY>
</TEXT>
</EEBO>
</ETS>
