Sir William Breretons letter concerning the surrender of the city of Chester for the Parliament: together with the articles agreed on betwixt both parties, and the commissioners names. Sent in a letter to the Honorable William Lenthal Esq; Speaker of the Honorable House of Commons, and appointed to be forthwith printed and published:

ARTICLES Concluded and Agreed upon February 1. 1645. Between the Commissioners appointed on the behalf of John Lord Byron, Field-Martial General of North Wales, and Governour of Chester on the one part; and the Commissioners on the behalf of Sir William Brereton Baronet, Commander in chief of all the Forces of Cheshire, and at the Leagure before Chester, on the other part, for the Surrender of the City of Chester, with the Castle and Fort thereof.

1. THat the Lord Byron, and all Noblemen, Commanders, Offi∣cers, Gentlemen and Souldiers, and all other Persons whatso∣ever now residing in the City of Chester, and the Castle and Fort thereof, shall have liberty to march out of the said City, Castle and Fort, in all their Apparel whatsoever, and no other, or more Goods, Horse, or Arms, then are hereafter mentioned, viz. The Lord Byron with his Horse and Arms, and ten men with their Horses and arms to attend him: Also his Lady and Servants, two Coaches, and four Horses in either of them for the accommodating of them; and of such other Ladies and Gentlewomen, as the said Lord Byron shall think meet, and with eighty of the said Lords Books, and all his Deeds, E∣vidences, Manuscripts, and Writings, in his possession; The said Lord, his Lady, nor any their Attendants, carrying amongst them all above fourty pounds in Money, and twenty pounds in Plate; The rest of the Noblemen, with their Ladies and Servants, to march with their Horses, each of the said Lords attended with four men, their Horses and Arms, every such Nobleman carrying with him not above thirty pounds in Money: Every Knight and Colonel to march with two men, their Horses and Arms; no such Knight or Colonel to carry with him a∣bove ten pound in Money: Every Lieut. Colonel, Major, and Captain of Horse, with one man, their Horses and Arms; no such Lieutenant Colonel, Major, or Captain, carrying with them above five pounds in Money: Every Captain of Foot, Esquire, Graduate, Preaching Minister, Gentleman of quality, the Advocate and Secretary to the Army, every of them with his own Horse and Swords, the Ministers without Swords, none of them carrying with them above fifty shillings,

and the Ministers to have all their own Manuscripts of Notes, and E∣vidences. Lieutenants, Cornets, Ensignes, and other inferiour Officers in Commission on Foot, with every man his Sword, and not above twen∣ty shillings in Money: All Troopers, Foot-Souldiers, Gunpowder-makers, Canoneers, and all others, not before mentioned, to march without Horse and Arms; and that none of the Persons before menti∣oned, shall in their march, after they are out of the City and liberty thereof, be plundered, searched, or molested.

2. That all Women of what degree soever, that please to march out of the City, shall have all their Apparel with them; And such Of∣ficers Wives (whose Husbands are Prisoners, or absent) may carry away such sums of Money with them, as are allowed by these Articles, to Commanders, Officers, and Gentlemen of their Husbands qualities, and no more.

3. That none of the Commanders, Officers, or Souldiers, or any o∣ther, at, or before their marching out of the City, Castle, or Fort, d•• injure, or plunder the person or goods of any, nor carry any thing away out of the City, Castle, or Fort, but what is their own, and hereby al∣lowed.

4. That all Citizens, and others, now residing within the City, shall be saved and secured, in their persons, and their goods and estates within the City and Liberties thereof, preserved and kept from the plunder and violence of the Souldiers, and have the like freedom of Trade, as other Cities and Towns under the Parliaments protection have, and such Immunities as they of right ought to have: And that every such Mer∣chant, and Tradesman of Chester, as shall desire to go into North-Wales, to look after his Goods, shall have a Pass to go thither, and re∣t••••n back again, he first giving security, that during his absence he will do no Act to the prejudice of the Parliament; and that no such person shall at any time, without Licence, carry more moneys with him then sufficiently to defray the charge of his journey; and that all Citi∣zens, and other Inhabitants, who shall now, or hereafter desire to march out of the City of Chester, and not act any thing against the Parlia∣ment: His or their Wives or Families, to have the benefit of, and priviledge of Inhabitants.

5. That such Officers and Souldiers as shall be left sick or wounded, within the City of Chester, or the Castle, or Fort thereof, shall have liberty to stay until their recovery, and then have Passes to Conway; or any of the Kings Garrisons not blocked up in the mean time, to be provided for.

6. That the said Lord Byron, Noblemen, Commanders, Gentle∣men, Officers and Souldiers, and all others that shall march out of Town, shall have liberty to march to Conway, and five dayes are al∣lowed them to march thither, with a Convoy of 200 Horse. The Welsh Officers and Souldiers to have liberty to go to their own homes; and all of them to have free Quarter in their march, and twelve carriages if they shall have occasion to use so many; which carriages are to be returned in the sixth day; and Passes be given them for their safe re∣turn to Chester; and that they be secured until they return thither.

7. That no Souldier in his march shall be inveigled or inticed from his Colours or Command, with any promise or inducement whatsoever.

8. That all such persons, Citizens or others, who have Families in Chester, and are now in places remote thence, shall have the like benefit of these Articles, as those who are now resident in the City.

9. That the Friends of the Earl of Derby and Liechfield, or any of those whose dead Bodies are not yet interred in Chester, shall have two Moneths time to fetch them thence, whither they please, provided that none of them come attended with above twenty Horse.

10▪ That no Church within the City, Evidences or Writings belong∣ing to the same shall be defaced.

11. That such Irish that were born of Irish parents, and have taken part with the Rebels in Ireland, and now in the City, shalbe prisoners.

12. That all those Horses and Arms, belonging to those that march out, and not by those Articles allowed to be taken and carried out of the City; Except such Horses as are the proper goods of the Citizens, and the Inhabitants that shall remain in the City before the delivery of the same, be brought, the Horses into the Castle Court, the Arms into the Shirehall, where Officers shall be appointed to receive them.

13. That in consideration hereof, the same City and Castle, without any slighting or defacing thereof, with all the Ordnance, Arms, Am∣munition, and all other furniture, and provisions of War therein what∣soever, except what is allowed to be carried away, and formerly herein mentioned, with the County Palatine Seal, Sword, and all the Re∣cords in the Castle, without Diminution, Imbezeling or Defacing, be delivered unto the said Sir William Brereton, or such as he shall ap∣point, for the use of King and Parliament, upon Tuesday next, being the third of this instant February, 1645. by ten of the Clock in the Afternoon.

14. That the Fort, with all the Arms, Ordnance, Ammunition, and

provision therein, of what sort soever, not formerly granted or allowed of, upon the signing of these Articles, be delivered to Sir William Brereton, or to such as he shall appoint.

15. That upon signing of these Articles, all Prisoners in the City, Castle, and Fort, that have been in Arms for the Parliament, or im∣prisoned for adhering thereunto, shall immediately be set at liberty.

16. That the Convoy sh••ll not receive any injury, in their going or coming back, and shall have three dayes allowed for their return.

17. That if any perso•• concerned in any of these Articles, shall violate any part of them, such persons shall loose the benefit of all the said Articles.

18. That upon the signing of these Articles, sufficient hostages, such as shall be approved off, be given for the performance of all the said Articles.

Signed by us, the Commissioners appointed, on the behalf of the Right Honorable the Lord Byron.

• Edmund Varney.
• John Robinson.
• Thomas Cholmundley.
• Peter Griffith.
• Henry Leigh.
• Thomas Thropp.
• John Iohnson.
• Christo. Bleafe.
• William Ince.
• Iohn Werden.
• Edward Moreton.
• Thomas Bridge.

What is done by the Commissioners, is confirmed by

John Byron.