Six north country diaries - The MAN & Other Families

12
king to Mr. Lyddall's house in New-Castle by a Scottsh gentleman
sent by a younger sonne of Marquisse Huntley's (the eldest beeing
taken prisoner with his father) in the disguise of a fidler, and lest
this plot should be discovered the marquisse's sonne, who sent him,,
within 3 dayes after made an escape out of Scotland by boate and
came himselfe, and, as was reported, besought the king hee might
have the conduct of some souldiours and hee would conquer his
ennemies, but this was thought some Gibeonitish guile, and little
credited by those who heard noe other of it than as before. Whetlier
this were the truth of the message, and how it was relished by theking
and counsell I cannot affirme.
But wee were soddainly (as before) commanded towards Barwicke,
and that Wednesday night. May 22nd, I came to Stannington, three
miles short of Morpit, and nine miles from Newcastle, and my
buisines of preparation for the journey beeing not wholly finished,
it was late in the afternoone before I set out, soe I began my journey
just when the sunne sufferd an ecclipse ; ite was darke and misty
before I came to Stannington, and the way beeing pesterd^s with
troupers, made mee stay and seeke a lodging in this poore villadge,
it was not superstition stayed mee, though rumors beeing then
uncertaine, and our departure soddaine, there wanted not those who
construed this ecclipse as an ominous presage of bad successe to the
king's affaires.
Stannington. This was a very meane towne, and with much
diffioultie I got such a lodging at one widdow Gayles as was there
to bee expected, soe meane and unoleanely as it made mee first
feele the smart of backbiters in this journey.
Yet the villadge was remarkable for two accidents lately happening,
the one fatall to it selfe, by the necgligent dischardge of a carbine
(by one of the Lord Newport's horse troupe there billeted) out
of a high window neare the eves of a thatched house. The powder
of the panne taking fire in the thatch was undiscavered till by
strength of the winde it grew to an unquencheable fire and wholly
consumed 7 or 8 dwelling houses, whose mines at my beeing there
did lamentably witnesse the truth of it.
The other accident was not soe pitifull, but rather pleasing to
see justice executed upon soe malicious a malefactor. It was this :—
Some of Sir Jacob Asheley's^^ regiment were quartered about South
Sheilds neare New Castle, and there were courteously used by a
bayliffe of Sir Nicholas Tempest's (whose demeasnes^o adjoined to
their quarter) but they ill requited his pitty of them, with stealing
his cattle and other outrages, which moved him to complaine to their
colonell, who having severely punished the offendours, it begot such
-^
Pestered = crowded, clogged, incumbered.
'
The calendar is filled not to
sa.y pestered with them, jostling one another for room, many holding the same
day in copartnership of festivity. ' Fuller, Worthies of England, c. 3.
^^
Ashley = Astley. Sir Jacob Astley was knighted 17th July, 1624.
'"
Flatworth. 6/. new History of Northxtrnherland, vol. viii. p. 341, note 3^