1648 (July 27) Entire letter addressed "For the Honorable & ...

Hammer

£550

1648 (July 27) Entire letter addressed "For the Honorable & my ever most honord colonel Sir Philip Musgrave, Baronet", interesting contents concerning raising troops, 20/- reward paid for the capture of James Wadeson, and the request "that Sir H.B might be moved to part with some of his men, having so very great a regiment, & those I would have in the hamlets adjoining me & my own tenants who I am assured would follow me with more affection & some Kendal men. My second desire is to have a commission to levie since diverse say they are not so mad as to be volunteers, & all the able men of the Baronie are employed alternately at Docker Hall, whence I either must make up my number or leave my business unaffected", signed Henry Philipson. A fine letter sent towards the end of the civil war, to Musgrave, who was in charge of the northern Royalist army; at the time of writing he was based in Kirkby Lonsdale where he was trying to recruit men for an assault on the Parliamentary forces. He was unable to raise sufficient men, and the subsequent Preston Campaign was undertaken by a Scottish army led by the Duke of Hamilton (referred to as "Sir H.B" in this letter), whose army were defeated at the Battle of Winwich. Photo on Page 122.