Letter from Thomas Somerscales, Hull, 14 Jan 1655
10
Worthy S[i]r
Yo[ur]s p[er] last post I have Received, & must ever Acknowledge my self Infinitly oblaidged unto yow for yo[ur] Cyvill Respects to mee and my Man, wishing it wear in my power to make Requitall for the Bundell of Trees. When they Arrive Hear I shalbee Carefull in sending them According to yo[ur] Mother's Order.
Sir, I am foarced to send upp againe the Bearer Hearof Mr Parkins About the Oyle w[bi]ch hee & I seazed, & at my last being at London did p[ro]secuite to A Tryall at Hull, whear wee gott Two verdites, A Judgement granted, & A Bond for the Paiment of much less money then due unto us at the Instigac[i]on of the Judge & other Freindes.
Notw[i]thstanding all thes, through som Trick in Law wee arr foarced to A New Troble, the Relac[i]on of w[hi]ch will be Too Tedious to Troble yow w[i]thall in writing, & therefor shall earnestly Intreat yo[ur] Patience in giving Mr Parkins Leave to Relate the whole passadges of the busines unto yow,
In w[hi]ch yo[ur] Advice & Assistance (if wee may obtaine it) May p[ro]ve very Advantadgious unto us, & the more (if occac[i]on shalbee) that wee bee foarced to Petic[i]on His Highnes in it,
That yow wilbee pleased from mee, to Intreate my Lord Lambarts Furtherance Hearin, & noe more then the Justnes of our Cause shall desarve Truly Sir in Maintaining His Highnes Rightes, our owne it hath already cost us near an 100œ & if wee loose all, it will quite disharten all office[r]s from dooing their dutyes.
Sir, excuse this Troble I pray, & acsept of the Tender of Service from
yo[ur] Sarvant
Tho. Sum[er]scales
Hull the
14 January
1655
Letter from Thomas Somerscales, Hull, 2 Sept 1659
123
Worthy S[i]r
In the first place, give me leave to retorne unto you my hearty acknowledgem[en]t and thanckes for yo[ur] great respectes and Civill Courtisies, w[hi]ch not onely form[er]ly, but likewise in a speciall manner at my last beinge in London, wherein I did plainely p[er]ceive yo[ur] good inclinations in affordinge unto me yo[ur] kinde Endeavo[urs] in doeinge me good, yo[ur] Continuance in w[hi]ch I most earnestly desire,
That when places belongeinge to the Customes Affaires comes before you to be settled, you will be pleased, if w[i]th conveniencie you may to procure me some little Augmentation to the 50œ p[er] annu[m] (p[ar]t of w[hi]ch through yo[ur] meanes) I had graunted me, but if at this time noe more then 50œ will be obtained for me, yett that you will be pleased with the assistance of my good Freindes Collonel White & Mr Robinson (I hope) to gett me a Confirmac[i]on of the Warehouse keep[er]s place when the Comm[ission][er]s for the Customes be settled, in w[hi]ch I hope you will not be unmindfull of me.
S[i]r, I have another request unto you in the behalfe of the bearer hereof, Mr Richard Gleadowe, who form[er]ly for a long time together was Imployed as a Wayto[r] in o[ur] Porte under the Comm[issioners] of the Customes,
For whome I dare affirme, for any thinge I could ever learne, did Execute his place with all Faithfulnes and honesty dureinge that time, and had yett soe Continued, had he not beene invited and induced by some Freindes to take a more honourable Imploym[en]t upon him under Mr Noell, who therein also accordinge to his trust did behave himselfe both verie Civilly and honestly to the great advantage of the said Mr Noell,
But nowe, Mr Noell's Farme beinge reassumed into the handes of the Comm[issioners] of the grand Excise, he is totally stript of any Imploym[en]t, therefore my desire is that you would be pleased to afford him yo[ur] Countenance and assistance in procureinge him some place, wither in Customes or Excise, for his livelyhood.
I hope some other of my good Freindes, as Colonell White for one (to whome he is well knowne), will joyne with you, if you soe please, in obteineinge him some place or other towardes the maintenance of himselfe and Fower motherlesse Children.
Soe Committinge all to yo[ur] Loveinge Consideration, with the Tender of my due respectes and service to you, yo[ur] good Lady and all yo[ur]s, and rest of my good Freindes, I remaine,
Yo[ur] moste Affectionate Freind
& Servant
Tho: Som[er]scales
Hull 2 Sept 1659
Letter from Thomas Somerscales
265
Worthy S[i]r
Yesterday p[er] post I made bould to Acquaint yow w[i]th what I heard Conserning the Removall of Cheques, w[i]th my earnest Request for yo[ur] kind Remembrance of mee as to Collo[ne]ll Allured's place if hee bee Removed,
But now S[i]r Annother busines is falne out in w[hi]ch yow may very much oblaidge the bearer hearof and myself in his behalf.
Soe it is that one of our Waito[our]s is lately dead, and I have form[er]ly had kind p[ro]misses for the next place w[hi]ch was voyde for the bearer hearof, James Howseman, my kinsman & Sarvant at p[re]sent, and soe hath beene w[i]th mee this tenn yeares wholy Imployed in Custom Affaires.
His demeano[ur] Hithertoo hath beene very good & for hes Ability & Honnesty in p[er]formance of his duty I can Freely testify it of him, besides if it weare Requisit I know hee might have A full Testimoniall from all our officers in the port.
Now S[i]r, Having Related nothing but truith of him, give mee Leave I beseech yow, not only to Request yo[ur] Favour unto myself, but likewyse that yow wilbee pleased, if yow bee Acquainted w[i]th any of the Commic[i]oners, to Afford this yong man yo[ur] Continuance & Helpe toward his p[re]ferm[en]t. Hee is well knowne to my Lord Lambart, my Lady, & all that Family, & if yo please to Inquear further of him. Mr Freer I know can better Sattisfy yow Having knowne him A long tyme.
S[i]r, what Favour yow show unto him I shall Account it as done unto myself, & ever Remaine,
S[i]r
Yo[ur]oblaidged frend & Sarvant
Tho: Som[er]scales
Letter from Thomas Somerscales, Hull 1 Jan 1655
1
Worthy S[i]r
Yo[ur] greate Civillities & extreordinry kindnesses yow have expressed to mee & my Man, Commandes noe less then an Harty & Thankfull Returne, w[hi]ch whearin Able to Testify my Thankfulnes or to doo yow or any of yo[ur] Sarvice (God willing) I shall not bee Awanting.
S[i]r, give mee Leave once more to desire yo[ur] Advice (as Concerninge Collo[ne]ll Alured) wheather yow doo suppose that hee is Lykly to bee Released shortly out of Imprisonment or noe, as also (if soe) wheather to Inioy the Cheques place, For it is strongly Reported heare, and that from himself as they say, that hee Intendes shortly to com toward and offitiate in this place himself, w[hi]ch if hee may, I shall not Repyne at it, if I may but have the Happines, what I must Rely on,
Although I must Confess (Considering my yeares) the Cheques place wear better for mee, S[i]r, bee pleased I beseich yow, to Informe mee Herein by Two wordes from yow.
S[i]r, p[er] last post I Received A letter from yo[ur] Mother Dawson, whearin shee gave nee Notice of som things w[hi]ch shee had sent downe p[er]A shipp for Hull, w[hi]ch when shee Arrives I shall bee Carefull in sending them According to her direc[i]ons, but I desire to Resaive a note of what quantity they bee, w[i]th the p[ar]ticulars, our Ryvers is soe Froasen upp at p[re]sent that I am Afraid wee shall not send them shortly for Yorke.
S[i]r, if the Hull Ale cam safe to yo[ur] hands w[i]thout wronging by the way, & that yow like it, bee pleased to Returne mee the same Caske Againe, & I shall send it p[er] next Convenienty Replennished w[i]th the like; Truly, I have Had soe many frendes Ale Abused in the way, that I am in A doubt wheather to send any or noe, unless it bee som smale Caskes, w[hi]ch may bee Locked upp.
The waito[r] place w[hi]ch yow weare please to Move for in my Man's behalf, I Suppose as yett is in consard of any for wee heare of None Nominated nor Coming downe.
Thus Craving p[ar]don for my Troblesomnes, w[i]th the Tender of my best Respect & Sarvice to yow, yo[ur] good Lady & Mother, & all the rest of my good Frendes, I Remaine
Yo[ur] moste Affectionat[e] Freind
& Sarvant
Tho: Som[er]scales
Hull the first of January 1655
Letter from Thomas Somerscales, Hull 2 Oct 1655
155
Worthy S[i]r
Bee pleased to p[er]mitt mee to second my last Request unto yow, (w[hi]ch was) to Assist mee in the obtaining for mee the Comptrouler or Cheques place in Hull, w[hi]ch as I then Acquainted yow was wrongfully obtained from mee by Collo[ne]ll Allured (through the Meanes of A Select Committy of his owne Choosing) & ever since kept from mee, Substituted only by his man, hee never appearing himself, yet Resaives all the p[ro]fitts.
Truly S[i]r I must Confess that my own place w[hi]ch now I offitiate in, being as Surveyo[r], would bee more Benificiall then hisplace is, if I weare Able of my self to take the paines the place Requires, but since by reason of my Age I am not Able, it makes mee the more Importunate to Request the Favoure of yow & other of my good frendes in this p[ar]ticular, & the Rather because I was Informed that Collo[ne]ll Allured would not bee suffered to Continue in it, if yow will Honno[ur] mee soe much, as in the first place p[re]sent my Humble Sarvice unto my Lord Lambart & his good Lady, his Honno[ur] I know will Acquaint yow how much I have beene wronged, and not only see, but I hope at my Humble Request unto his Lordshipp (by yow p[re]sented) hee wilbee pleased to Afford yow his Advice & Assistance w[i]thout of his Free goodnes, more then my desarts, hee form[er]ly p[ro]mised mee, the like I am Confident wilbee p[er]formed by my Constant frend (his vertuous Lady) if by yow in my behalf bee desired.
S[i]r, I know that yo[ur] Multiplyty of greater businesses is sufficient to cause yo[ur] Forgitfulnes of soe smale A Matter as this, but being of soe much Consernement as to my self, & having Had sufficient tryall of yo[ur] Frendly respects unto mee, It imbouldens mee at p[re]sent, to Request yo[ur] kinde remembrance of mee, in Affording mee yo[ur] uttermost Helpe & Furtherance in this p[ar]ticular & whearin Able (God willing) yow shall never Find mee ungratefull if in anything I may bee Sarviceable to yowor yo[urs],
Two wordes from yow att yo[ur] best Leasuir wilbee very Acseptable to him, who w[i]th the Tender of my best Respects & Sarvice to yow & yo[urs] shall ever remaine
S[i]r,
Yo[ur] most Affectionat[e] frend & Sarvant
Tho: Som[er]scales
Hull the 2o 8bris 1655
Letter from Thomas Somerscales, Hull 27 Sep 1655
158
Worthy S[i]r
Yo[ur] kynd & Civill Respects I Received from yow in yo[ur] last Letter Imbouldens mee the more to bee Againe Troblesom unto yow w[i]th theis Few Lynes & to Acquaint yow that p[er] this post I Received A Letter from A frend of Myne in London, Intimating unto mee that upon the badd Carradge of Collo[ne]ll Harvy yo[ur] Committy is making A strickt Inquiry after the deportment of all Cheques in their severall ports,
Amongst w[hi]ch I am Confident the Absence of our Cheque wilbee likely to com in Question & as supposed to have his writt of Eease, (if soe) then my Humble Request to yow is that yow willbee pleased to Remember mee that any other may not obtaine it from mee, it is not unknowne unto yow, but Specifically unto my Lord Lambart, How Collo[ne]ll Allured wrongfully Did disposses mee of it,
Notw[i]thstanding I had it past unto me under the great Seale of England, by Consent of both Howses of Parliament, & w[i]th A Free Consent of the whole Committy for Regulaten: fitting at that tyme,
S[ir], this is the tyme, in w[hi]ch I am Confident yow may much befrend mee, yo[ur] Favour hearin shall by God's Assistance never bee forgott, whearin I may bee Able either to make yow A Requitall or doo yow any Sarvice.
Good S[ir], p[re]sent my Humble Sarvice unto my Lord Lambard & his good Lady whom I know wilbee Assisting unto yow in this p[ar]ticular whearin they may besteade mee,
S[ir], I sent yow word p[er] Captane Staffoard that ear this my Lord & yow should either of yow have a Taste of Hull Ale, but truly, the Caskes being Ready to putt on Board, the Ale was dislyked, soe that I was foarced to Cause A New bruing to bee made & the Caskes Againe to fill upp w[i]th better, w[hi]ch is donn, and waites only for A ship's going, w[hi]ch I hope wilbee the next weeke.
Excuse my bouldnes I pray, w[i]th the Tender of my best Respect & Sarvice to yow, yo[urs], Captane Stafford & Rest of my frendes.
I remaine
S[i]r,
Yo[ur] most Affectionat[e] frend & Sarvant
Tho: Som[er]scales
Hull the 27th 9bris 1655